Grab a box of cleaning wipes, and, well, wipe. In addition, the living room’s remaining woodwork had received a thick coat of … • Clear Finishes: Mix up equal parts of paint thinner and a mild soap, such as Murphy Oil Soap, and apply with a sponge or paintbrush. If the wood has excessive buildup, add paint thinner to your solution to help, according to This Old House Magazine. •Painted Surfaces: Scrub with soap and warm water. The lemon juice is the cleaner, the olive oil restores wood's beauty. Vacuum. You'll need a bucket, Soft Wipes and a step ladder for more thorough cleaning. Choose the Cleaning Solution. Get the Grime Off. Cleaning wood baseboards, crown molding and door and window trim often gets overlooked in routine household chores. Fit a squeeze trigger nozzle onto the end of your garden hose, turning it clockwise to tighten, and turn the pressure on high. This article was brought to you by Colgate-Palmolive Company, the makers of Murphy® Oil Soap. Remove White Water Spotting. Modern painted trims are usually safe, but some ... Get the Dust Off. A pole with a dusting attachment aids in reaching crown molding and other hard-to-reach wood trim for regular maintenance. Don't assume that tired woodwork has to be stripped and refinished. RINSE AND REPEAT. 4. They cover gaps and give crisp, clean lines to uneven transitions between walls and floors. Include the wood trim in your spring and fall cleaning. Water left on shellac and lacquer finishes can cause white rings and spots. Other than the appropriate cleaners, some basic tools make cleaning wood trim easier and more efficient. Rinse the section of the soffit you just scrubbed, washing away all of the dirt and rinsing enough to clear the surface of detergent and bleach. Put 1/2 cup of cheap olive oil in a bowl. Begin the process by removing as much dust and dirt as you can from the area. If painted, your wood trim requires mild soap and water. Trim is installed with finish nails, and the right way to clean up moldings is to pull the nails from the back. Be sure to clean the crevice between ... 2. KEEP IT CLEAN. How to get rid of scratches or water damage on interior wood trim. [1] X Research source You can clean with any type of cloth, but microfiber cloths grab onto dust the best. However, like any surface exposed to the elements, painted wood on the exterior of your home easily collects dirt, grime and mildew that ruin the look of your home. •Details: To clean deep into carvings or beadwork, use a toothbrush or fine steel wool. Combine a few drops of dishwashing liquid and about 2 quarts of warm water in your bucket. You can use a toothbrush or other small, soft-bristled scrub brush. Luckily, most of the home’s original cherry woodwork remained intact with its original finish. 15 October 2019. If possible, wait to clean the outside of your home on a warm, dry day. 2. Cleaning Grimy Painted Doors and Trim. Once you’ve removed all loose dirt and dust, you can begin to address stains and stuck-on grime. Ring the rag so it doesn't drip. Next, get to the grimiest bits – the doorbell, knocker, and the area surrounding the key. Step 3: Fill in holes, dents and cracks with a lightweight spackling compound. If you’re using cloths, this is where the towel or yoga mat come in. I want to paint it white, but need to get rid of the mold first. Choose a warm day to clean. If you also have wooden doors and cabinets, clean them at the same time you clean the trim. Wipe down the baseboard with a barely moistened cleaning cloth. Wipe dry immediately. It sets good habits and teaches them how to maintain a home. If it isn't possible to clean on a warm day, at least wait for a dry to clean the outside of your house. If you are painting the old trims, you will also need to make sure that you get old paint off wood without damaging it. Crown molding and baseboards attract a lot of dust. Check the Surface First. When the exterior wood on your home is primed and painted properly, it can look beautiful, and you may think your work is done. This is an excellent home-made substitute for commercial wood-cleaning products, as the soap is mild enough to not harm the wood, and the vegetable oil will polish the wood. Cleaning off all surfaces, gives you a clean slate to work with. Here's why. Wood trim and baseboards, however, requires regular cleaning. Get the latest This Old House news, trusted tips, tricks, and DIY Smarts projects from our experts–straight to your inbox. Clean the Crannies. This is particularly good … Dusting before cleaning assures that the dust is removed rather than shifted around while cleaning with a product. Ring the rag so it doesn't drip. You are better safe than sorry. The putty hardens, and if you try to bang the nail out with a hammer, the putty and nailhead erupt through the paint layers, splintering wood. A natural cleaner like Murphy® Oil Soap can restore the wood's natural glimmer and bring tired, old trim out of retirement — especially once the initial layer of dirt and grime is gone. Get ideas to help you design and build built-in bookshelves to add more beautiful and functional storage to your room. How to Turn a Reclaimed Beam into a Fireplace Mantel. Use a clean rag and mineral spirits to clean the wood trim. But beyond function, baseboards—whether created from a combination of wood pieces or a simple base piece—add warmth and beauty to rooms. ©2019 Colgate-Palmolive Company. Most deglossers are strong enough to remove old latex paint spatters and should be used to clean the wood trim from such. • Painted Surfaces: Scrub with soap and warm water. Plan to dust weekly or biweekly depending on the level of dust in your home, and whether other residents have allergies or asthma. Tap a clean cloth in the mixture and scrub away. With wood in particular, the challenge is to avoid doing more harm than good. My porch wood trim has black surface mold. Your seasonal deep-cleaning helps the trim last longer and makes the in-between cleaning easier; dust sticks less to a clean surface. A carbide paint scraper removes the old … Followed by giving a good bird-eye view of wood trim's integrity, having a … Ryan and Montana bought the house in 2004 from a 101-year-old man who had lived there since 1932. Before cleaning any painted surface, make sure it's safe to get it wet. Tape the walls using regular painter’s tape. This will allow you to remove layers of old cleaner and grime to refresh the look of the trim. Now use your wood trim cleaner of choice. Step 2. Hand-sand all woodwork smooth with a fine, 180-grit paper … Baseboards are perhaps the most common trim and molding ideas. The cleaner you use on your wood trim will depend on the finish. Removing wood trim is easily accomplished with a small pry bar. Then take the cloth and polish the wood trim until it is clean. Scrub with the brush as needed in carved details or on any heavier grime. •Clear Finishes: Mix up equal parts of paint thinner and a mild soap, such as Murphy Oil Soap, and apply with a sponge or paintbrush. How To: Clean Baseboards Step 1. Scrape eroded areas. A microfiber dusting cloth works great to attract dust that develops in between heavier cleaning. Use a mild, natural wood cleaner on clear-coated or stained wood trim. What kind of finish you have determines your method of cleaning and what supplies you'll need. The Cleaning Wipes Method. Water left … 3. How to Clean Baseboards. When learning how to clean wood trim, a few things need to be considered, including the wood itself. All Rights Reserved. Spray the moldy area with baking soda cleaning solution and rub with an old rag or scrub well with a scrub brush. Your cleaning solution will likely become dirty if you have a lot of trim - dump it and refresh as needed. Scrape away badly weathered finish. [2] X Research source I was going to wash it with Clorox and Simple Green cleaning solution and rinse it well with water. Hacks staining wood trim in a house. Tankless Water Heaters: What You Need to Know Before You Buy. Wipe the solution away with a rag to clear the dirt; you'll likely remove a thin layer of varnish or shellac, too, because the grime has melded with it. First, dust the door, reaching into the corners of grooves. A brand new wooden surface adds warmth, color and an old-world kind of beauty to any home. You are viewing the US English site. Scrubbing If you’re also painting the walls, then don’t worry about … If your trim has carved detailing, you'll need a small brush to navigate the texture. Having cleaned regularly, a quick dusting is all the wood trim needs to stay looking fresh and warm. Protect. Use a quality, slightly damp cloth (for best results, choose a microfibre one) to rub away finger marks. If your wooden trim is excessively dirty and has contaminants on it that have been left to build up then it should be thoroughly cleaned with a diluted all purpose cleaner and a micro fibre towel, soft bristled detailing brushes can also be used to access awkward, tight areas. Cleaning interior wooden trim. All rights reserved. Wipe all trim with a soft rag dipped in the cleaning solution. Clean Grime from Woodwork. (Learned this off "how clean is your house" BBC network) Dry dust your baseboards using a microfiber cloth or your vacuum cleaner attachment. a paint additive or surface prep I can use for this purpose. Dust the woodwork. Here are his recommendations for cleaning woodwork properly. The trim will not look very good with a nice new finish on it – over the top of old paint spatters and goofs. Add 2 tablespoons real lemon juice. Once you clean the wood trim you can replace it with small tack nails. Copyright © 2020 This Old House Ventures, LLC. When you're ready to scrub: Fill a bucket with warm water and ¼ cup of Murphy® Oil Soap. Wooden trim can really bring the class level of your automobile investments to a new level but if its not cleaned and cared for properly (like all other parts of your car) it will begin to look faded and tired, and can leave the overall impression of your interior looking drab. Is there anything I can do to keep the mold from coming back next year, ie. Sometimes a good cleaning is all it takes to bring it back to life, says wood finisher John Thomas. [1] X Expert Source Raymond Chiu House Cleaning Professional Expert Interview. However, the living room had been “modernized” in the 1950s, and as a result, the room’s ornate moldings—topping the walls, doors, and windows—had been removed. Use the brush attachment on your vacuum to remove dirt and dust from the surface of the baseboards. If fascia, corner boards, skirting boards, or bats too damages to repair, guess what? Step 1. Once the wood trim is off the door you can inspect it for mildew on the side of the trim that was flush to the house and also in the areas behind the trim. The mineral spirits will help to remove … Kneel on one or the other while you work to help keep the pressure off your knees. After carpenters set nail heads, painters come along and fill the holes with putty. Make sure to dust in the direction of the grain. Step 2 Wipe the stained wood area to be cleaned with a dry, clean cloth to ensure the surface is free of dust and loose dirt. If you don't already have a cleaning schedule that includes details like wood trim, it helps to make one. Assemble the supplies you'll need, and start by dusting all of your wood trim. Here’s what you need to know about choosing, installing, and living with a tankless water heater. Tired of running out of hot water? The views and opinions expressed by the author do not reflect the position of the Colgate-Palmolive Company. Learning how to clean wood trim may feel time-consuming, but when you keep up with a regular cleaning schedule, it requires less work each time. It's much easier just to replace them. Think classic jaguar. 1. Ultimately, a more thorough cleaning with wood soap should be done as needed, but at least twice a year. Keep in mind children often enjoy cleaning jobs that require a bucket. https://www.today.com/home/how-clean-moldings-your-home-t129501 Of course some homes require a more frequent job: If you have pets or children, you might need to wash the trim around doors and in high-traffic areas. That’s not a problem with one of these compact, ultra-efficient units that heat water as you need it. To clean antique wood furniture and eliminate mold at the same time, fill up a plastic spray bottle with warm water and add one tablespoon of baking soda. Fill a bucket with warm water and ¼ cup of. A quick dusting makes it easier to clean and see where you need to scrub. Sand All Surfaces to Remove the Shine. Rough, unfinished trim such as wood ceiling beams only needs dusting. A windy day will cause overspray, which will come back on you as you clean. Refresh your tired wood furniture and trim without having to strip and refinish. Wipe. When you're ready to scrub: Instead of a step ladder, save time by using a pole with a rag wrapped around the end for smooth crown molding and door trim. Shake to dissolve the baking soda. (Follow directions on … Go over the woodwork with a dusting cloth, duster, or a hose attachment on a vacuum cleaner to remove dust. Trim Replacement. Begin at one end of your house and work your way through. Wipe all trim with a soft rag dipped in the cleaning solution. If you have kids running around, let them help clean the baseboards and door trim.