Cleaning skirting and baseboards can be back-breaking work, so, in this post, I’m going to give you some magical tips to help you learn how to clean skirting boards, picture rails, and architrave, just like the professionals do, without breaking your back!
Dirty skirting boards can make the cleanest of houses look grubby. I have to admit that it’s one of the first places I look in someone’s home if I want to know exactly how clean it is.
A house can appear tidy and clean, but it’s areas like the skirting boards that will tell you if a home is well maintained.
Before we learn how to clean skirting boards without bending down, let’s run through the correct way to clean a skirting board or baseboards


DUST!
The most important step in our quest for clean skirting boards is dusting. Do not be tempted to go near your skirting boards with any liquid until you have removed the surface dust or you will be making the job twice as difficult for yourself.
Pull all furniture away from the skirting boards, allowing ample space to work behind.
Take a giant feather duster/microfiber cloth and gently remove any dust, taking care not to flick it into the air. If you use a feather duster, it will trap all the dirt in the feathers; you can then step outside and bang your feather duster against your leg to get rid of all the dust and grime. Remember to do this away from the open door, or the dust will blow back into the house!
As you go round the room dusting use a small detail brush to remove any stubborn bits of dust which may have accumulated in the corners and crevices.
Work from the door in a clockwise motion right around your room until you get back to the door. I always use this clockwise method when cleaning a room so if I’m interrupted, I will know exactly where I was up to, and will not waste valuable time going over the same spot twice!


SPOT CLEAN!
There’s no point drenching your skirting boards with loads of soapy water if they are not particularly grubby.
Starting at the door again, spot clean any scuffs and marks on your skirting boards, I prefer to use soapy water with a bit of disinfectant for this job, but most other products will work just as well.
Use a mat or a soft cushion to kneel on to protect your knees. especially for this job!...Remove any dust as outlined in step 1
Fill a bowl with soapy water and use a damp cloth. Make sure you wring your cloth out well, a damp cloth will remove the dirt much more effectively than a wet rag and will prevent the dirty water from running into other areas.
Working clockwise around the room, clean the skirting boards thoroughly, with either the cloth or a damp magic eraser. You can use a scrubbing brush if there is a year’s worth of dirt and grime to remove.
Use a detail brush to get into any crevasses, and your magic eraser to remove stubborn scuffs and grime.
Rinse and dry immediately with a dry cloth. If you allow any dirty water to dry on your skirting boards, you will have to start the cleaning process again!
For extra stubborn stains, use a magic eraser and gently apply pressure until the stain disappears. Bear in mind that magic erasers are abrasive, so always test on an inconspicuous area before use.


The best way to clean skirting boards if you can’t bend down is to use a soft, long-handled brush, an extendable feather duster to sweep away any dust.
You could also use your vacuum tools to suck up the dust instead; be sure to use the soft brush attachment to avoid scratching the paintwork rather than the harder crevice tool.
After dusting down your skirting boards, you can check for any spots of grime and spills. Making sure the mop head is not too wet, I run my mop head over the skirting boards where the dirty spots are worse. For stubborn stains wet a flat-headed mop and add a few drops of detergent, wring well and scrub at the area until it’s thoroughly clean.

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