How Often You Should Be Cleaning Your Walls and Baseboards, According to Experts

Nothing freshens a room up quite like sparkling baseboards and walls. But these spots are sneaky magnets for dirt, dust, and grime, especially if you don’t stay on top of your regular cleaning schedule. Figuring out how often to clean them can feel tricky, similar to many other household chores that fall by the wayside (looking at you, dryer vent cleaning).

To get the inside scoop on all things walls and baseboards, we chatted with two cleaning experts who revealed the ideal cleaning frequency. They also shared their specific routines that keep walls and trim clean, as well as the most common mistakes they see homeowners make. 

Cleaning Frequency

How often you should clean your walls and baseboards depends largely on your household traffic and the type of paint, cleaning expert Mary Gagliardi explains. If your baseboards or walls have a non-glossy paint finish, you’ll have to clean them much more sparingly to avoid marring the surface (compared to eggshell paints). 

The one rule she swears by for everyone? Weekly dusting. “Weekly dusting is reasonable for most homes, which should also include baseboards,” Gagliardi says. “This helps prevent dust and grime from building up that doesn’t wipe away easily without a little help from effective cleaning products.”

Besides weekly dusting, Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO of AspenClean, also suggests tailoring your baseboard and wall-cleaning schedule to your household traffic. For high-traffic homes with lots of visitors, shared spaces, children, or pets, Sokolowski suggests cleaning your baseboards every month and your walls every one to two months. 

“A low-traffic home has less daily movement and minimal surface contact,” Sokolowski says. “We would recommend cleaning the baseboards once every two to three months. For the walls, you can easily do this seasonally or as needed.”

How to Properly Clean Walls and Baseboards

Over time, dust, fingerprints, and everyday grime can dull your walls and baseboards. Luckily, with just a few simple tools and a gentle touch, you can lift grime and keep your walls and baseboards clean without damaging the paint.

Instructions:

1. First, use a clean microfiber cloth to dust your walls and baseboards. Follow up by using a vacuum with a brush attachment to remove any remaining debris (like spiderwebs or rogue pet hair).
2. In a bucket, combine warm water with a small amount of mild dish soap. Using a clean microfiber cloth, apply a small amount to an inconspicuous area. This is to ensure it won’t damage the paint, Sokolowski says.
3. Once you’ve ensured that the mixture won’t damage the paint, lightly dampen the microfiber cloth or a non-abrasive sponge with the solution. Wipe the surfaces with gentle, circular motions. Sokolowski cautions against both oversaturating and scrubbing too hard, as both can damage paint.
4. Using an old toothbrush and a little bit of the solution, clean corners, grooves, and other trimwork. Wipe dry with a clean towel.
5. Optional: If you have any mold or mildew spots on a semi-gloss wall or baseboard, Gagliardi suggests applying a bleach solution (1/3 cup bleach per gallon of water) and letting it sit for 10 minutes before wiping clean.
6. Wipe the surfaces with a clean, damp cloth to remove any residue. Then, dry immediately with a soft towel to prevent streaking. 

Common Mistakes that Can Affect Cleaning

Want to make your wall and baseboard cleaning a seamless process? Our experts recommend avoiding the following common missteps.

• Not Choosing a Washable Paint Finish: "Non-glossy finishes like flat or matte are very difficult to clean without marring the paint surface," Gagliardi says, "and are typically limited to wiping with a non-abrasive sponge or cloth dampened only with water." As Gagliardi explains, "as sheen increases," such as in eggshell, satin, pearl, and semi-gloss formulas, "so do the options for cleaning products."
• Skipping Dusting: Even though it can be a pain, it’s important to dust first. Otherwise, your wet clean might result in muddy-looking streaks on your paint..
• Forgetting to Spot Test: Gagliardi says you’ll want to see how the paint responds before cleaning the entire surface. This is especially important with so many variables at play (such as paint finish, paint age, and the level of staining).
• Oversaturating: To avoid leaving unwanted streaking, Sokolowski suggests using less water than you think you'll need.
• Using Abrasive Sponges or Cleaners: “These can rough up the surface, changing the way light reflects and damaging the paint's appearance,” Gagliardi says.
• Infrequent Cleaning: "Not cleaning often enough can lead to heavy buildup," Sokolowski says, "which puts you at risk of further damage."