Wash the surface of the trim with a TSP solution, or a low-phosphate household cleaner. Rinse thoroughly with a vinegar/water solution and let the trim dry. Use a stiff putty knife to scrape away loose paint to the bare wood.
Use the damp sponge to clean dirt and grime from trim. If needed, use the rough side of a sponge to ensure a clean starting surface. Sand the surface and then use a damp sponge to wipe away any dust. Fill in holes, dents and cracks with a lightweight spackling compound.
Get a garden sprayer and fill it with a degreaser/ water solution. Simple Green is a good option that won't take off the existing paint. You can scrub with a sponge, but I recommend a mop (ocedar is my favorite but a sponge mop would work well too!) dry with some rags and you should be good.
Fill a bucket with a gallon of hot water and a few squirts of dish soap or a cup of vinegar. Use a microfiber cloth and soapy water to wipe down the baseboards. Only work on one small section at a time. Once that section is clean, dry it with a new cloth, and then continue cleaning along the wall.
Trisodium Phosphate. It's sold in a powdered form and needs to be diluted in water. It works very well at removing grease, dirt, and prepping walls for new paint. But, it's caustic and some have objections to using phosphates. Use with proper protection.
Once you have removed any old paint or wallpaper, wash down the surfaces that you plan to paint with diluted washing-up liquid and hot water.
“It's a good idea to dust the walls to remove any loose dirt or cobwebs. You can use a duster or a soft cloth for this step,” Carpenter suggests. Prepare the cleaning solution. Start by filling your bucket with warm water and adding the Dawn dish soap.
Go over them with a vacuum brush attachment or a stiff broom to blast the first layer of dust. Next, wipe them clean with a mixture of warm water and a splash of vinegar. Follow up by drying them off with a clean cloth, then swipe them with a dryer sheet, which will reduce dust in the future.
Dish soap is highly recommended due to its grease-cutting and gentle properties, making it effective for removing dirt without damaging the paint or wood, says Marla Mock, president of Molly Maid, a Neighborly company. Use a vacuum with a brush attachment or a dry microfiber cloth to remove dust from your baseboards.
Deep Cleaning Your Baseboards
Use a simple solution of ¼ cup Pinesol or other all-purpose cleaner, mixed in a bucket with a gallon of water. Now simply wipe the baseboard with a damp microfiber cloth. For extra grimier baseboards, such as those in your kitchen or living rooms, you may need some extra scrubbing power.
Environmental Precautions: Do not allow into open waterways and ground water systems.
Do not breathe the spray mist. Treated surfaces must remain wet for 10 minutes and then let air dry or wipe up excess liquid. Rinse food contact surfaces with potable water after use.
No scrubbing necessary. Allow treated surfaces to air dry or wipe off with clean cloth. When using on food contact surfaces: counter tops, stovetops, highchairs, kitchen appliances, thoroughly rinse all treated surfaces with potable (tap) water after the wet-contact time has been reached.
You need to sand your baseboards first. This way, you start with a clear surface without any imperfections. First, use coarse, 80-grit sandpaper and then move on to either 100 or 120 grit. If the wood is new, a 120-grit sandpaper is enough.
Simple Green Surface Prep cleans and degreases surfaces prior to painting to remove the dirt, grease and unseen oils that cause paint to be uneven, crack or peel. The phosphate-free formula is a safer alternative to TSP.
Cleaning walls and trim will remove grime, cobwebs, dust and stains that can prevent your paint from adhering. Use a mixture of lukewarm water and mild soap, gently rubbing in a circular motion. Rinse your walls using a slightly damp cellulose sponge.
Surfaces to avoid with Dawn® Powerwash:
Glass with UV coatings or other specialty treatments. Painted, varnished, or coated surfaces, including automobile paint. Precious metals, copper, or sterling silver. Leather, upholstery, or fabrics that won't later be rinsed.
It worked surprisingly well. Something about the texture of the dryer sheet and the “stickiness” of it seemed to grab the dust, dirt, and fur off of the many planes of the baseboard. I was also able to scrunch the dryer sheet to get it into the corners near the wall.
Varela cautions against using Clorox wipes to clean baseboards. They are fantastic at cleaning a lot of things, but they are not recommended to clean baseboards. “They often have abrasive chemicals that will damage your surface over time,” she says. This video shows a step-by-step guide to deep-clean baseboards.
Use a damp sponge to remove dirt that has accumulated on trim in most rooms. In kitchens, use a sponge and soapy water to remove grease buildup from the trim. Scuff-sand the surface of the trim. Start with coarse, 80-grit sandpaper and then move to less-coarse 100- and 120-grit.
I try to get the floors, baseboards and such cleaned after the painters prep and after they paint. Not much use cleaning before the prep since there's always new drywall dust. But they always say they will clean before painting... but it's usually a quick sweep if that much.
Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to 4 tablespoons of white vinegar and about 2 cups of warm water in a spray bottle. The warm water should be added to fill the bottle, shake the mixture and use on any woodwork or cabinet. You can equally add 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid to enhance the cleaning effect of the mix.
An effective technique used by many professional painters to wash walls is to use a slightly wet sponge with warm water and a residual cleaning agent, such as dish soap. This method is highly effective for general wall cleaning.