How do I clean skirting boards?

Skirting boards collect dust because they sit at floor level and carry a static charge. Wiping them with a damp cloth alone leaves them clean and immediately attractive to dust again, which is why they seem to need doing constantly.

What you'll need

• Vacuum with brush attachment
• Warm water and washing-up liquid
• Cloths
• Melamine sponge (optional)
• Dryer sheet (optional)

Step by step

1. Vacuum along the skirting with a brush attachment first.Removing dry dust before adding water avoids turning it into smeared mud.
2. Wipe with a cloth wrung out in warm soapy water.Work in sections along the wall so you can see what you have done.
3. Use an old toothbrush or cotton bud along the top edge and any moulding.The top edge is a horizontal ledge and holds most of the dust.
4. For scuff marks, use a melamine sponge lightly.It is a fine abrasive — light pressure only, or it dulls painted surfaces.
5. Dry the boards with a cloth.Water left sitting can lift paint at the bottom edge over time.
6. Wipe along with a used dryer sheet to reduce static.It genuinely slows how quickly dust settles back.

Tips

• Do skirting boards before vacuuming the floor, not after — dust falls.
• A long-handled duster with a microfibre head does the routine dusting without kneeling.
• If the paint is chipped along the bottom, touching it up makes cleaning far easier because there is nothing for dirt to catch on.

Common mistakes

• Wiping without vacuuming first — Dry dust plus water becomes smeared grime that takes longer to remove.
• Pressing hard with a melamine sponge — It is abrasive and will dull or remove paint sheen.
• Cleaning skirting after the floor — The dust you dislodge lands on the clean floor.

Questions people ask