The Dust-Fighting Spray That'll Have Your Baseboards Squeaky Clean

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Baseboards are both practical and stylish— they hide the gap between your home's flooring and its walls and also impart extra flair into your space. However, it's easy to overlook baseboards when cleaning since they're at your feet! There are countless ways to clean baseboards, but as it turns out, you can create an effective dust-tackling spray with just water and ingredients you may already have in your home — olive oil and vinegar. Add a few drops of an essential oil like lemon or vanilla, and you'll leave a delicious scent in your home as you clean.

Start out by examining your home's baseboards — if they're covered in dust, it's a good idea to tackle them right away. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when cleaning your baseboards is not making it a regular habit, and letting dust build up. After all, postponing cleaning will lend an untidy look to your space and negatively impact your home's air quality. In addition, the grime that will result can lead to unpleasant odors or attract pests like dust mites and spiders, allowing an even bigger problem to develop. While you could scrub your baseboards with bleaching products or cleaning sprays, they often contain chemicals that are caustic to skin, eyes, and lungs, so they're best avoided. Once you learn how to make your own dust-fighting spray and put it to use, you'll be surprised at how much cleaner your home will be.

Dust is a combination of things like dead skin cells, dust mites, pet hair, and pollen — yuck! It's also an air pollutant that can trigger allergies and impair your home's air quality. Dust can be sneaky — reappearing almost instantaneously after a deep clean. You could use a commercial dust repellent, but using products like these can be among the home mistakes that may be diminishing your air quality.

A simple and effective solution is to make your own dust-repellent spray. Just mix half a cup of warm water with a tablespoon each of vinegar and olive oil, a small dab of dish soap in a spray bottle such as these by JohnBee, and you'll find it easier to remove dust and keep it away. If preferred, add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil. Vinegar kills germs, olive oil leaves a dust-repelling layer, dish soap cleans, and the essential oil offers a pleasant scent. Shake the container well before using your cleaning solution since oil tends to separate. Note: Vinegar can damage certain materials like unfinished wood, so test it on a small hidden spot first. However, it should be fine for most in this diluted form. Additionally, because oil can stain surfaces like rugs or carpeting, spray the solution on a microfiber cloth (like this 12-pack from Mr.Siga) before scrubbing to avoid overspray. Of course, you won't be able to avoid dust landing on your baseboards completely, but at least they will stay looking great a few extra days between cleans so you can breathe easier and enjoy your home.