3 Natural Cleaning Solutions for White Baseboards

July 20, 2020

When was the last time you cleaned your baseboards? Really cleaned them. If you have white baseboards, you know that they tend to show dust and dirt a little easier. Like most tasks, it’s easier if you keep up with it in lieu of letting it slide and cleaning it when you can’t stand it anymore.

Vacuum Baseboards and Wash Baseboards are two of the Rotating Tasks in the Clean Mama Routine (in the Homekeeping Planner and Homekeeping Society subscription). If the thought of cleaning the baseboards in your home sounds daunting and more than overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be.

Generally I find that vacuuming (or dusting) baseboards FIRST makes it easier to wash them. Like most of my Rotating Cleaning Tasks, I attach the task of ‘Vacuum Baseboards’ to  Wednesdays (Vacuuming Day) when I am already vacuuming.

Attaching this cleaning task to vacuuming works well because I already have the vacuum cleaner out. Curious what I vacuum with and how I use those attachments? Check out this post. If you need a duster, this duster works really well.

Then, I wash baseboards the next day on Thursday (Floor Washing Day). You can easily split this up and do half of your baseboards one week and half the next or even split it up and do a couple rooms each week throughout the month that ‘Wash Baseboards’ appears on the Rotating Tasks. If you are an ‘all or nothing’ kind of cleaner, I hope that this makes you feel empowered to not have to get it all done at once. Little by little, in the time that you have, you can get these tasks done!

Now that you know when you can complete this task, I have 3 Natural Cleaning Solutions for White Baseboards. Truth be told, you can use these techniques on any baseboard as long as its sealed.

Look for a castile soap that is free of dyes, artificial scents and chemicals. If you don’t have any on hand, you can also substitute your favorite dish soap that you would use for hand washing dishes. This cleaner can be used on both painted and wood baseboards.

SOAP-BASED CLEANER

  • 4 cups warm water
  • 1 tablespoon castile or dish soap

Optional: 1-2 drops lemon or your favorite essential oil for a little extra scent boost

Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Using a barely damp microfiber cloth, a bar mop towel, or a well wrung out sponge, wipe as you go, rinsing the cloth or sponge frequently. Depending on how dirty your baseboards are, you might need to switch the water and soap out as you go.

VINEGAR-BASED CLEANER

  • 3 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 16 ounces warm water

Optional: 1-2 drops lemon or your favorite essential oil for a little extra scent boost

This is great for extra dirty baseboards or baseboards in a kitchen that have a little extra oil or grease built up – the vinegar will cut right through that. You can carefully spray directly on the baseboards or, my preference is to spray on a cloth and just spray and wipe, rinsing out the cloth as you.

BABY WIPES

Another way to clean baseboards is with baby wipes – I like this brand. This option isn’t necessarily an eco-friendly recommendation because you’re using disposable baby wipes but it works and it’s perfect for kids and their nimble knees. I love that the amount of liquid is controlled so you won’t have an overturned bucket of water or puddles everywhere. It’s perfect for adults too as it is the quickest of three and requires no prep. Simply wipe away, turning the cloth over as you go so you can use it for quite a bit.

There is no need to dread or fear cleaning baseboards when armed with these simple methods and DIY cleaner options. Choose one today and look forward to sparkling baseboards in no time.

This post shows how to clean kitchen woodwork and cabinetry – perfect if you have wood baseboards.

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