We're not cleaning skirting boards enough and it's making homes less healthy
Skirting boards are one of the most common areas of the home to avoid cleaning, and they're easy to forget.
But this spot, which is also known as baseboards, actually picks up a lot of dust and debris.
So if you're regularly vacuuming floors and dusting shelves and wondering why the home still feels dusty your skirting boards could be to blame.
Skirting boards pick up particles of dust from the floor, reducing air quality in the home. Getty
According to experts skirting boards should be cleaned monthly but if you have pets and/or children they need to be cleaned at least twice a month.
Sparkly Maid cleaning specialist Isabella Flores told The Spruce cleaning them regularly doesn't just make our homes look better, it improves air quality by reducing dust particles.
That doesn't mean skirting boards only need to be dusted regularly.
"Wiping down all of the trim work can be on a monthly or quarterly basis. It definitely makes a room look cleaner when the trim work is free of food particles, dust, and fingerprints," Armando Calderon, owner of Joy's Cleaning Service, LLC, told The Spruce.
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Skirting boards need to be dusted and wiped with a damp cloth. Getty
The order skirting boards are best cleaned in is to remove dust, then wipe with a damp cloth using your preferred cleaning solution and then wipe with a dry cloth.
However, in the kitchen it can be useful to clean skirting boards with a degreaser because of all the excess grease that comes with cooking.
You'll also be surprised if you haven't paid close attention to skirting boards near bins as debris can splatter there while emptying things into the rubbish.
Due to the low position of skirting boards cleaning them can feel like a back-breaking exercise, but you can get just as good results from attaching a microfibre cloth to a broom as you do getting on your hands and knees.
While general skirting board care is dusting and wiping this area does have the potential to get scuffs and marks like the rest of the wall.
The experts at MDF Skirting Mould recommend tackling these marks with baking soda (bicarb soda).
"Scuff marks can ruin the pristine look of skirting boards, but using the right material to clean it and not scratch is essential," they told the Express.
"For effective removal, a melamine sponge (like a magic eraser) works wonders to rub gently over the scuff mark or use a mix of baking soda and water for a mild abrasive clean."
Baking soda can be used to clean skirting board scuff marks. Getty Images/iStockphoto
To use baking soda to clean baseboards combine baking soda and warm water. Then apply the mixture to the wall using a cloth or sponge and circular rubbing motions.
Once the mark is gone wipe the spot with a damp cloth to remove any residual baking soda.
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