How to Clean Moldings

Thoroughly clean wood moldings before painting them.

Installed along baseboards, chair rails and ceilings, the intricate designs and elaborate accents of decorative moldings, add visual interest to homes. Moldings can also disguise inadequate drywall seams and tacky paint jobs. Since moldings are typically made of wood, they attract dust, lint and cobwebs over time, which is unsightly. Like all wood surfaces, moldings require a steady cleaning routine to maintain their visual appeal and reduce airborne allergens in homes.

Things You'll Need

• 1/4-cup of tri-sodium phosphate
• Rubber gloves
• Safety glasses
• 2 cleaning pails
• All-purpose plastic sheeting
• Masking tape
• 2 household sponges
• Soft, dry cloth

Instructions

1. Combine 1/4-cup of tri-sodium phosphate with a gallon of warm water in a cleaning pail, while wearing gloves.

2. Fill a second cleaning pail with a gallon of clear, warm water, which is only for rinsing.

3. Cover the floor below the molding with all-purpose plastic sheeting to protect it. Using masking tape, fasten plastic sheeting to the walls directly beneath the molding, if applicable.

4. Dip a household sponge in the cleaning solution. Wring out the drenched sponge and gently wipe it across a 2-foot-wide section of the molding. Using smooth strokes, rub the hardly damp sponge back and forth over the molding to lift dust, lint and cobwebs.

5. Submerge a second household sponge in the rinse water. Wring out the saturated sponge and wipe it over the recently cleaned wood in one stroke. Completely rinse away the tri-sodium cleaning solution.

6. Dry the damp molding with a soft, dry cloth.

7. Wash, rinse and dry the remaining molding. Give attention to one 2-foot-wide section at a time. Frequently refill the pails with clean contents, as they become dirty.

8. Remove the plastic sheeting from the floor and walls.

Tips & Warnings

• Substitute powdered laundry detergent for the tri-sodium phosphate.

• Clean intricate carvings and embellishments on moldings using a clean toothbrush dampened in the cleaning solution. Rinse and dry the moldings as usual.

• Test the cleaning solution on a small section of molding to make sure the tri-sodium phosphate doesn't damage the wood.

References

• Service Magic: Decorative Moldings - The Perfect Cover-up
• Old House Web: Cleaning woodwork
• The Family Handyman: How to Prepare Wood Trim for a Smooth Paint Job