Cleaning skirting boards takes about 10 to 15 minutes a room, or 60 to 90 minutes for a whole three-bedroom house. Vacuum the dust off first with a soft brush attachment, then wipe with a microfibre cloth wrung out in warm soapy water, then get the corners with an old toothbrush. Wetting dusty skirting before you vacuum is what turns dust into smeared grime.

What you need

A vacuum with a soft brush attachment
A microfibre cloth and a bowl of warm soapy water
An old toothbrush for corners, grooves and mitres
A magic eraser or melamine sponge for scuff marks
A dryer sheet (the anti-static trick, more on this below)

Step 1: vacuum first, always (3 to 5 minutes a room)

Run the soft brush attachment along every skirting board in the room before you reach for water. If you wet dusty skirtings without vacuuming, the dust turns to grime and smears across the paintwork. Do the whole room first, then go back with the cloth.

Step 2: wipe with warm soapy water (5 minutes a room)

A few drops of washing-up liquid in warm water is enough. Wring the microfibre cloth almost dry — soaked cloths drip down the wall and leave streaks. Wipe in long, smooth strokes along the length of the board, top edge first, then the face, then the bottom lip.

Step 3: get into the corners (2 to 3 minutes a room)

Use the old toothbrush for grooves, mitres and the join between skirting and floor. This is where pet hair, fluff and limescale dust love to hide. In carpeted rooms, run the toothbrush along the gap where the carpet meets the board, then vacuum up what it lifts.

Step 4: deal with the marks that a wipe won't shift

Most skirting looks tired because of marks, not dust. Match the fix to the problem rather than scrubbing harder:

Black scuffs from shoes and hoovers: a damp melamine sponge, light pressure, straight lines. Too much pressure removes paint sheen along with the mark.
Sticky kitchen grease: warm water with a small amount of washing-up liquid, left to sit for 30 seconds before wiping, rather than a stronger chemical.
Pet hair welded into the bottom edge: a rubber glove dampened and dragged along the board gathers it far faster than a cloth.
Yellowing on white gloss: usually age and sunlight rather than dirt. Cleaning will not fix it — that one needs repainting.

Painted, gloss or MDF: what changes

Skirting type	Safe method	Avoid
Gloss or satinwood paint	Warm soapy water, microfibre, dry off after	Abrasive creams — they dull the sheen permanently
Matt or eggshell paint	Barely damp cloth, minimal rubbing	Melamine sponges, which burnish shiny patches
Bare or veneered MDF	Damp cloth, dried immediately	Standing water — swollen MDF cannot be repaired
Varnished or oiled wood	Damp cloth, then a dry buff along the grain	Strong degreasers, which strip the finish

The dryer sheet trick

After everything is dry, run a tumble dryer sheet along each board. The anti-static coating helps repel new dust for weeks, so your skirtings stay cleaner for longer. It is a small thing that makes a big difference between cleans.

How long does the whole house take?

Around 10 to 15 minutes a room if you keep on top of it, so 45 minutes for a two-bed flat and 60 to 90 minutes for a three-bed house. Skirting that has not been touched in a year takes roughly double, because the marks stage takes longer than the dust stage.

How often should you do this?

Once every six to eight weeks is plenty for most Derby homes. If you have pets or open windows often, every four weeks keeps things looking sharp. Our regular cleaning customers usually have skirtings done as part of every other visit. See our regular cleaning service or our deep cleaning if you want a one-off reset.

What it costs to have it done for you

Skirting boards are included in every deep clean at our standard £25 an hour, so there is no separate charge. A deep clean of a two-bed flat runs 5 to 7 hours (£125 to £175) and a three-bed house 7 to 10 hours (£175 to £250), with skirting, doors and frames part of that. See the full pricing guide for the breakdown.

How to Clean Skirting Boards (Without Wrecking Your Back)