Tips - How To Look After Your Skirting Boards!

Tiny as they may seem when it comes to things you have in your home, skirting boards can’t just be left to their own devices forever. 

Yes, they might be low maintenance, especially compared to some other aspects of the home interior, they however can’t be ignored completely.

The main function of a skirting board is to protect walls from damage. Walls are particularly vulnerable to knocks and scuffs around their base as people in the home go about their daily lives. Skirting boards however act as a barrier that block direct hits on the base of the walls.

So, how do you look after your skirting boards? What’s the best way to keep them good for as long as possible?

Whether your skirting boards are in need of a bit of TLC, or it’s been a while since you last gave them any love, here are a few ways to make them look their best!

Don’t Forget To Dust!

Skirting boards can easily be missed out when it comes to the dusting. Yet even with their small surface area,they can very quickly become the worst place for dust to settle.

Skirting boards can be a nightmare to clean, and one of those jobs you put off again and again - perhaps hoping either someone else will do it, or they’ll magically clean themselves!

Due to the location of skirting boards in homes, dust will easily find its way to them - much more than other items in the home.

Giving your skirting boards a good dust down,plus proper cleaning helps prolong its viability.

Cleaning is easily done by using an attachment on your vacuum cleaner. It means less bending over,kneeling about and can be a lot more effective than using a dust cloth only..

Say you don’t have a vacuum cleaner with a suitable attachment, or your skirting boards have intricate detailing on them, you can always spray a little dust spray on to a dust cloth, or microfibre rag.

Simply wipe the skirting boards down, remembering to shake out your rag and reapply the spray every now and again.

If your cloth can’t get into those smaller areas, try using a cotton bud to get into those hard to reach areas.

Use Soapy Water

Once you’ve taken off the top layer of dust, you can now start to clean your skirting boards.

To do this you will need some warm, soapy water and a cloth. However, make sure your cloth isn’t too wet. You want a damp cloth, not a wet one.

Most skirting boards will be water resistant, not water-proof so be there is a need to be careful with how much water you use.

 It’s important to ring out your wet cloth as much as you can before applying it to the skirting to avoid damaging them, or making the wood warp.

Cleaning Solutions

Don’t use strong chemicals such as bleach on your skirting boards as you may end up damaging them. Plus, you’ll then be left with bleach wafting about your home - which no-one wants!

Instead, use a small amount of washing-up liquid, hand soap, or even some fabric conditioner instead. These are much less harsh and shouldn’t damage your skirting boards.

However, if it’s a one off, or you’re trying to get rid of a nasty stain, you can use bleach sparingly to clean your skirting. Just make sure it’s watered down before applying and you don’t leave the bleach on there for long at all.

On the other hand, if your skirting boards are well beyond saving,Skirting world has some great options to suit most styles and budgets.