The Popular Baseboard Cleaning Hack That May Be More Trouble Than It's Worth

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Cleaning baseboards is usually one chore that often gets forgotten about until the last minute. While making sure all the important chores get taken care of, you might forget to look down. And after a while, your baseboards start to look like they're growing fur, which is weird if you don't have any pets. It's not uncommon to be on the lookout for hacks that make cleaning around the house easier. Cleaning baseboards is one of the chores that you could really use a hack for. But let's be real — there are a lot of cleaning hacks that aren't worth the hype. And the latest baseboard cleaning hack of using a sock on a Clorox reusable toilet brush is definitely one that doesn't live up to the hype.

The biggest problem with using the sock-on-a-Clorox-reusable-toilet-brush hack is that it just moves the dust and dirt around, without actually removing much of it. For this method to work, you would have to constantly replace the sock with a fresh one every time you wipe just one baseboard with it. The whole point of a cleaning hack is to make chores easier, and this hack just doesn't do that. You're better off using one of many other cleaning tools that make cleaning your baseboards easier, not harder. The best tool is one that can effectively fit the shape of your boards and, preferably, prevent you from having to bend down. And the best process to clean your baseboards is a two-step method: dusting first and then using a cleaner to wash them.

Instead of struggling with a hack that doesn't work and actually makes things worse, the first thing you need to do to make cleaning your baseboards easier is to move everything away from them. You should also clean any areas around your baseboards. Vacuum or sweep the adjacent floors, clean any furniture that rests against your walls, and it can also help if you change the filter on your furnace regularly (this cuts down on dust).  If you don't do these steps first, your baseboards will just get dirtier faster. After all, once you've done this deep-cleaning method, they should only require a quick dust every week. Ultimately, how often you should be cleaning your baseboards depends on a lot of factors, like whether you have pets or kids.

Grab your vacuum and, if you have one, attach the brush attachment to the extension wand, which means you don't have to bend over. Give your baseboards a good vacuum to remove excess dust, hair, and dirt. This will ensure that when you go to wash them, they don't end up a mess. Next, you can use a wet/dry mop, like the JOYMOOP mop and bucket with wringer set, with a mixture of one cup of vinegar and a gallon of warm water to wash your baseboards down. You want to make sure you wring your mop out well so that it is damp, not wet. This will help prevent any damage to your baseboards. If you need to, you can go back over them with a cloth to make sure they are completely dry.