Ah, the humble skirting board. The simultaneous joy and bane of our existence.
When skirting boards begin to take up significant real estate in your conscious mind, it’s safe to say you’ve officially become an adult. For not all flats and houses come equal, and proper skirting boards represent a certain elevated, luxurious aesthetic that any interior expert would envy. The problem? They act as a frustratingly powerful magnet for dust.
When living in a big city, it’s natural to assume that dust is going to settle on surfaces throughout the home on a quotidian basis. It’s one of the many sacrifices we make in order to be in the hustle and bustle of a capital. This is nothing that a simple feather duster can’t fix, and many of us will do a simple sweep of our homes in the morning or after work to prevent allergies from making a comeback out of season.
Yet for some strange reason unbeknownst to us, feather dusters don’t do a great job on dust-laden skirting boards. Forget about hoovering them too, for even without a standard floor attachment the nozzle never quite seems to fit on slim skirting boards without scratching or chipping them.
Instead, the vast majority of skirting board owners have to go about cleaning them manually after the rest of the housework is done. The same goes for the ceiling sister to the skirting board – cornicing. Both tend to require dusters or magnetic mops with telescopic handles.
The best way to really get the muck off your skirting board is with a microfibre cloth and disinfectant spray. We know it takes a bit of extra work, but it’s worth it in the long haul. From classic damp dusters to innovative skirting board and crevice devices, we’ve rounded up a selection of the best accessories to make cleaning your skirting boards a breeze.
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Qaestfy Wall & Skirting Board Cleaner
Designed specifically for skirting boards (or baseboards, as Americans call them), this fantastic multipurpose device has an impressive extendable 49-inch handle for use on both ceilings and floors.
It comes with four handy microfibre pads which attach to the base of the mop and are entirely machine washable. When it comes to cleaning skirting boards, the base has an extendable flap which creates a 90-degree divot in the microfibre cloth for easy, breezy dust removal.
Buy now £15.98, Amazon
Canvint Crevice Cleaning Brush
A great way to get dust off the skirting boards and onto the floor for quick hoovering, these extra-thin crevice brushes are suitable for all surfaces. They can also be used with warm water or disinfectant for removing harsh stains from difficult-to-reach places.
Buy now £6.99, Amazon
Scrub Daddy Damp Duster
Dusting with microfibre cloths may do the job, but the balancing act involved in ensuring the dust doesn’t fly right off during transportation to the bin can be frustrating. The innovative Scrub Daddy Damp Duster works like a magnet, attracting dust to its ridged edges and keeping it in place before rinsing. Simply soften the foam and get to work with this reusable gadget, which works particularly well with Venetian blinds.
Buy now £3.00, Amazon
Zoflora Multipurpose Disinfectant Spray
- Best for: convenient cleaning
- Scents available: Linen Fresh, Lemon Zing, Mountain Air, Midnight Blooms, Springtime, Sunshine Escape
- Favourite scent: Mountain Air
While the concentrated disinfectants are certainly more versatile, if you’re more interested in convenient cleaning, the multipurpose spray is a great alternative. Perfect for areas you use the most – namely kitchen sides or dining tables – these are a great grab-and-go option when you want to freshen up your space with ease.
All you need to do is spray your surfaces before wiping them with a clean cloth or sponge to cut through grease and grime as well as killing 99.9 per cent of bacteria and eliminating odours. For us, the blend of delicate florals, light citrus and fresh green notes in Mountain Air delivered the cleanest-smelling finish, but Linen Fresh and Springtime were a close second. Our top tip? If you’re OCD about a streak-free finish, buff your side with a microfibre after cleaning.
Buy now £2.25, Amazon
OXO Good Grips Microfibre Hand Duster
Dust in particular can have a real impact on your health so it is important to regularly remove it from all of the nooks and crannies of your home. This hand duster from OXO will allow you to do those with a flexible fluffy head to target those hard-to-reach areas with just a light touch.
Buy now £12.50, John Lewis
e-cloth General Purpose Cloths
Bring rainbow hues to your cleaning supplies with this multi-packed of coloured cloths. They are made up of millions of tiny fibres with an impressive cleaning effect to the point where no chemicals or products are required.
Buy now £13.79, Amazon
Minky M-Cloth Dual Sided Anti-Bacterial Cleaning Pad
Another heroic household cleaning item championed by Mrs Hinch, this Minky cloth temporarily sold out when she recommended it on her Instagram page. Minky makes a plethora of products, from dryer balls to lint rollers and scouring pads, but the Hinch favourite is this one, the Minky M-Cloth Dual Sided Anti-Bacterial Cleaning Pad. It’s a multi-use piece of cleaning kit, ideal for use on ovens, countertops, bathroom surfaces and more, and it’s machine-washable so you can reuse to your heart’s content.
Buy now £3.50, Dunelm
Beldray 10-in-1 Steam Cleaner
Steam cleaners are no new invention, but we’re only just learning of the endless benefits of handheld options on a domestic scale. Though frequently used in industrial environments, steam cleaners can also help deep clean and disinfect everything from grout and bathroom sinks to skirting boards, curtains and even upholstery.
The Beldray 10-in-1 Steam Cleaner has a 1000W steaming power and 250ml tank capacity. It offers 10 minutes of continuous cleaning before a tank refill is needed. The handy device comes with a whopping 10 attachments, from high-precision grout brushes to classic steamer heads suitable for even the most delicate fabrics.
Buy now £35.00, Argos
Elliott Extendable Electrostatic Duster
- Length: up to 1.2m
An absolute classic and as inexpensive as it gets, the Elliott electrostatic duster has been imbued with a static charge to attract dust, dirt and other unwanted airborne particles. Reusable and therefore a more eco-friendly option than most synthetic dusters, simply give this product a wash with warm soapy water to clean.
Buy now £5.86, Amazon
Flash Duster Dust Magnet Starter Kit
- Length: 20.8cm
Though on the shorter side, the Flash Dust Magnet is fan-favourite for a reason. This is because, though made from synthetic fibres, the brand has managed to imbue these fluffy tendrils with superior dust-trapping abilities. Though brush heads are made from 33 per cent recycled synthetic fibres, the only downside to this option is the fact that you have to replace the brush heads after pretty much every use – which isn’t a very sustainable cleaning solution in the long term.
Buy now £11.00, Amazon
