In our homes, we would often perform occasional cleaning tasks such as window cleaning, vacuuming our carpets and laminate floors, wiping down any surfaces such as tables, desks, and counters in our kitchens and bathrooms. If our walls look a bit grubby in places, we might even give the dirty bits of our walls a quick clean.
One thing though, that a lot of people overlook in their cleaning regimes is the skirting boards. They are designed not only to complement the decorating in your rooms, but serve to protect your furniture marking or damaging our walls.
If the skirting boards in your rooms are looking a bit worse for wear, then you need to check out our handy guide to help you learn of the best ways to clean them. If you have bespoke design skirting boards you may have to clean them in extra areas depending on your design.
The first time you clean your skirting boards may take a while, but if you schedule in cleaning them regularly along with your other household cleaning tasks, then subsequent cleaning sessions won’t take as long.
What you will need
There are a few basic household items that you will need to undertake cleaning of your skirting boards:
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Rubber gloves – they come in different sizes, so make sure you get some that fit your hands properly.
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Duster – a cloth duster, not a feather duster in case you were wondering!
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Bucket – ones without holes in them are generally good.
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Detergent – something like Fairy Liquid for example.
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Soft cloth – to use with said detergent.
Before you start
It is a good idea to remove anything that is in the way of you being able to clean the skirting boards. So for example, pull any furniture like sofas forward so that the skirting boards are easily accessible.
You may also want to consider putting a dust sheet down if you have a particularly expensive or cherished carpet that you would be upset about staining.
Step 1 – Dusting
Once you have put your rubber gloves on, run your duster along the whole length of the skirting board. This ensures that you get rid of any dust, fluff or other unsightly items from it.
Step 2 – Prepare your soapy water mix
Grab your bucket and fill it about a third of the way full with warm water. Make sure that the water is hot enough to be able to touch it without burning your hands or fingers!
When you have filled your bucket up, add a generous squirt of Fairly Liquid or whatever liquid detergent you use, and then mix the contents of your bucket with your hand so that it becomes frothy.
Step 3 – Wipe your skirting boards down with your soft cloth
Grab your soft cloth and immerse it inside your bucket of soapy water. Wring the cloth out a bit (but not too much that it’s dry) and start to wipe down your skirting boards. Make sure that you keep doing this every so often to get rid of the dirt from your cloth.
When you are cleaning your skirting boards, use your index finger and the cloth to get into the grooves at the top of the boards and at the bottom where it meets the floor.
