Does it often seem like more dust gathers on your radiators than anywhere else? It’s ironic since they can be the hardest area of your home to clean. One look at all the pipes and trapped dust can make the idea of cleaning them seem daunting. Even the thinnest of vacuum attachments don’t seem to fit in the small gaps.
However, where there’s a will, there’s a way. These tips will help simplify the cleaning process and leave your radiators dust free and functioning to the fullest.
1. Get creative
While no one has invented a specific radiator cleaning tool, other household tools will do the trick. A bottle brush is a useful tool to get into those hard to reach spaces between the pipes of your cast iron radiators. If you don’t have a bottle brush, then there are other creative ways to DIY your own. Take any stick, or measuring stick and wrap a thin dust cloth around it, then secure with tape and voila.
2. Vacuum often
Although your vacuum attachments likely will not fit through all the areas of your radiator, it will still suck up any loose dust. It’s a good idea to get into the habit of running over the radiators quickly whenever you’re vacuuming your floors. It will help avoid extra build up and make your cleaning job more manageable.
3. Work from top to bottom
Using your tool of choice, work from the top of your radiator to the bottom. Insert it between the tubes at the top and slowly move it downwards, pushing the dust to the bottom of the radiator. If you have a panel radiator, without tubes, you can use your tool and press it into the slots on the top. The dust cloth should grab onto a lot of the dust, and the rest will fall out the bottom. It’s a good idea to put a towel of some sort underneath to collect the dust particles that will fall to the ground.
4. Use soapy water
The above step will help you remove the majority of loose dust that may have built up on your radiator. That said, there are always some stubborn bits that don’t want to let go. For this, you can use some warm, soapy water and a soft cloth to wipe clean. Use this cloth to give the exterior of your radiator a good wipe down. Avoid leaving it wet as it can encourage your radiator to rust a lot quicker.
5. Don’t forget the walls
Since there is constant heat coming up out of the radiator, dust and dirt often get pushed up with it. It can leave dust stuck onto the wall just about the radiator. It is usually a lot stickier than the loose dust that is on the radiator, and you’ll need to use your cloth to scrub it off.
Always make sure to turn off your radiator before doing any cleaning. Not only do you not want to burn yourself, but by moving the dirt around, you may create blockages if the radiator is still pulling heat through.
These are great tips. I remember how hard it was to clean radiators in my former home.