How to Clean Baseboards, Walls and Doors Without Damaging Paint

 

Walls and baseboards get dirtier than they look, mostly from dust, hands and the vacuum. The main risk in cleaning them isn't the dirt, it's the paint: flat and matte finishes can go shiny or patchy if you scrub them. Start gentle and test first.

 

 

Know your paint

• Flat and matte: the most delicate. Use only a barely damp cloth or sponge and no scrubbing. Touching up the paint is often easier than cleaning it
• Eggshell and satin: can take a mild soap solution and light wiping
• Semi-gloss and gloss: usually on trim, doors and kitchens. These are the most washable

Always test in a spot that doesn't show, like behind a door.

 

Baseboards

Vacuum them first with the brush attachment, or wipe with a dry microfiber cloth. Then wipe with a cloth dipped in warm water and a few drops of dish soap and wrung out well. For dried-on dirt, a little more soap and a soft brush. Dry them as you go. Doing this kneeling with a bucket is hard on the back; a microfiber mop head with a short handle lets you do it standing. For grimy corners, an old toothbrush helps.

 

Walls

1. Dust from the top down with a dry microfiber mop or a duster on an extension pole. Dust left on the wall turns to mud when you add water
2. Use a bucket of warm water with a few drops of dish soap, and a second bucket of plain water for rinsing
3. Wring the sponge out until it's barely damp. Dripping water leaves streaks and can damage drywall
4. Wash from the bottom up, so drips run onto wet, clean areas and don't leave streak lines on dry wall. Rinse from the top down
5. Dry with a towel in high-traffic areas

 

Doors and trim

Doors collect hand oils around the knob and the edge. Wipe the whole door with mild soapy water, paying attention to the area around the handle, then dry. Clean the knobs and handles with a disinfecting wipe or a cloth with rubbing alcohol. Wipe the top edge of the door and the door frame, which most people never clean.

 

Specific marks

• Scuffs: often a dry tennis ball or a white eraser will lift them without water
• Crayon: rub gently with a damp cloth and a little baking soda, or warm it slightly with a hair dryer and wipe
• Grease (kitchens): a few drops of dish soap in warm water, or a mix of equal parts white vinegar and water on gloss paint
• Fingerprints around switches: a cloth with a little rubbing alcohol

 

About melamine sponges

Melamine foam erasers work very well on scuffs, but they're mildly abrasive. On flat and matte paint they can rub off pigment and leave a shiny spot that looks worse than the mark. Use them lightly and only on satin or glossier finishes, and test first.

 

How often

Dust baseboards monthly and wash them every few months. Wash walls in kitchens, hallways and kids' rooms once or twice a year, and spot clean in between. It's one of the bigger items on our spring cleaning checklist.