How to Clean Baseboard Heating Units in Your Home

It's spring cleaning time. Down come the curtains. Walls get washed. All the heavy cleaning gets done. If you have a hot water heating system, then off come the covers to the baseboard heat units in every room so they can be vacuumed. But the dirt and grime trapped on the water pipe between the fins doesn't vacuum up. Brushes can't reach in that far. Clean every bit of grease and grime from between those blades and improve your baseboard's efficiency next season.

Things You'll Need

• Ammonia
• Hot water
• Spray bottle
• 13x9x1 disposable aluminum cake tin
• Bucket

Instructions

1. Ensure that the heating system is off. Lift the unit's end cap and remove the cover plate to the baseboard heat unit in the room. Wipe down both sides and set it out of the way. Vacuum or sweep up any loose dust or grit. At this time you can straighten any bent blades by running a screw driver tip or the blade of a butter knife between the fins.

2. Fill a quart spray bottle with hot water. Add 1 teaspoon of ammonia to the water and cap the bottle tightly. Set the nozzle to "stream," not "spray."

3. Place newspaper or plastic sheeting under the baseboard unit to protect your floor or carpeting. Place the cake tin on the plastic, under the fins you are ready to clean. Push it in as far as it will go.

4. From a distance of about 4 to 6 inches, squirt the stream between each pair of fins, aiming at the round pipe the fins are mounted on. Make sure the water is dripping into the pan. Wipe up any excess moisture with a small towel. Move the pan along as you clean each section. Empty the pan into the bucket frequently (1/2 full) to prevent spilling. Refill the bottle as needed. When you are done, the units will look brand new. Replace the covers, and you can forget them for another season.

Tips & Warnings

• Only do this in a well-ventilated area. If you are sensitive to chemicals, just use hot water and a drop or two of dishwashing soap.