The 5 Best Tools To Make Cleaning Baseboards A Breeze

Cleaning baseboards is one of those time-consuming tasks that most of us try to postpone as much as possible. They span the perimeter of every room, and since they skirt the floor, you have to crouch down or get on your hands and knees to scrub them. This makes cleaning them not only time-consuming but also pretty laborious, especially if you have to go behind furniture and move things out of the way to get to them. If you've been struggling with mustering the energy to clean them — and are living with visible dust and grime as a result — then it's time to simplify the process.

If you're looking for easy ways to clean baseboards, one great way to do that is to invest in a dedicated baseboard cleaning tool. These tools are specially designed to make wiping away dust and dirt easier, requiring little effort on your part. Many of them incorporate telescopic handles, negating the need to bend down. Others use electricity or batteries to make the scrubber more powerful, removing the need to scrub. And some are very simple in design but make removing the grime much easier than using a microfiber cloth. Here is a closer look at the tools that will make cleaning baseboards a breeze.

Flat mops are convenient because they're so easy to use. Simply put a microfiber cloth or a single-use wipe on its flat face and run it across your floor for instant cleanliness. But while they can handle anything from hardwood to tile without issue, these mops aren't great on baseboards since they can't curve around their ridges and decorative indents. However, what if you had a tool that looked like a flat mop, but had a contouring cleaning head? That's where the Delux Store Cleaning Tools for Baseboard comes in. 

This tool has a movable flap on its head, and this flap creates a bump in the mop you attach. Simply pop it up, put one of the microfiber mops on the head, and then run the bump across your baseboards. The bump will remove any dust and hair stuck to the baseboard's top. While you can use this mop dry to pick up light dust, it might need some more power if it's been over a month since you last cleaned the surface. Much like a Swiffer, you can simply wet the microfiber cloth to make it better at picking up particles, negating the need for you to scrub. For extra tough spots — like the baseboards in the kitchen, where there can be grease residue — add a grease-busting product on top of the baseboards, such as Rejuvenate Cabinet And Furniture Cleaner.

If your baseboards have accumulated lots of dirt, cleaning them might demand some extra muscle power. Whether your dog got mud on the trim, or your kids splattered dinner on it, there are times when you need something more robust than a simple mop. Rather than fatiguing your arm, grab an electric spin brush instead. This tool will change how you clean your house forever. However, you don't just want any spin brush — you want one with an extendable pole, negating the need to hunch down or get on your knees.

Such an example is the Sweepulire Electric Spin Scrubber. It comes with a telescoping handle, allowing you to adjust the tool to your height. The scrub brush also pivots to a 90 degree angle, so you can easily get into the baseboards' nooks and crannies. The tool has two different speeds — 300RPM (low speed) for regular cleaning and 400RPM (high speed) for more stubborn stains and buildup. Plus, the brush has 8 different head options, letting you choose one that gets the job done best.

An electric spin brush is great for most messes, but what if you're moving into a new apartment and the baseboards haven't been washed in what looks like years? Or, what if you have a busy schedule and haven't had the time to deep clean in months? For truly grimy areas, a steamer is a great fit. It will blast humid heat onto the boards, softening the buildup and making it easier to wipe away. Once moistened, you can simply take a paper towel or a microfiber cloth and clean up the residue. While this method requires you to kneel or stoop down — unlike the other options — it negates the need to scrub.

A great option for this is the BISSELL Steam Shot OmniReach Handheld Steam Cleaner. It pumps out 1,000 watts of steam, and you can control the intensity of the blast with the trigger. Since steam not only cleans but sanitizes, you don't need to use any cleaning products, making this a chemical-free solution. Plus, the steamer comes with 10 different attachments. This assortment lets you choose not only the best tool for your particular baseboards but also the right attachment for other grimy areas of your house, like patio door tracks. 

If your baseboards don't have buildup and are simply dusty, you might not want to trouble yourself with plugging in steamers or bringing out scrubbers. You just need a tool you can quickly swipe across the baseboards and gather all the dust. Ridged sponges are designed to do just that. Their indents line up perfectly with the contours of a baseboard, sweeping up any hair or particles that nestled in. Plus, ridged sponges are reusable, making them a more economical option than a paper towel.

The Jeymei Store Damp Duster Sponge is an example of such a tool. To use the sponge, simply dampen it in water and then run it across your floorboards. Hair and dust will come up with it, and once it gets dirty, run it under the faucet to remove the debris and go back to cleaning. Plus, while you're cleaning those decorative accents, you can quickly run this sponge over your vents, railings, and window tracks. And costing less than $10 for a set of four, it's by far the most budget-friendly tool to try.

If you clean your baseboards weekly or biweekly, you likely won't need a heavy-duty gadget like a steamer or an electric scrub brush. You will only have light dust and hair buildup on those surfaces, so something simpler, like a Swiffer wand, will do the trick. However, you don't want to be bending or kneeling to complete the task, so make sure to invest in a Swiffer duster with a longer handle. Such an example is the Swiffer Duster Heavy Duty 3 ft Extendable Handle, which retails for under $10.

This Swiffer duster has a 3-foot handle, allowing you to swipe it across your baseboards without having to crouch or stoop. This kit also includes three of the brand's Heavy Duty Dusters, which help trap more allergens and dust than their regular counterparts. In fact, the brand claims these attachments remove up to 95% of pet dander and dust mites and capture three times more dust than a regular feather duster. Simply sweep the tool across all of your baseboards, and any dust or light buildup will sweep right off every indent and crevice.