Grab a Paintbrush—It’s the Secret Weapon for Cleaning These Tricky Spots

When it comes to cleaning your home, sometimes it can be a challenge to find the right tool for the job. But one tool you probably aren’t using—and definitely should be—is a paintbrush. Yes, it turns out those bristles are fantastic at picking up more than just paint. “The best way to use this trick is to grab a soft, clean brush, always pair it with a vacuum or a damp microfiber cloth so the dust actually gets picked up,” says Claudia Meneses, CEO & founder of Avanti Green Eco Cleaning. So if you’re ready to get cleaning with items you already own, here are five places you can easily clean with a paintbrush.

01 – Any Tiny Crevice

Small spaces like crevices can be difficult to clean. However, Robin Murphy, chief cleaning officer at Maid Brigade, says that “paintbrushes are perfect to flick dust out of cracks and crevices and reach places a cloth can’t.” So whether it’s where the wall meets the baseboard, the gaps between appliances, or spaces around windows, a paintbrush is the perfect tool for removing tiny bits of grime and dust.

02 – Baseboards

While we’re on the topic of baseboards, Murphy recommends using a paintbrush to clean that spot as well. “A brush gets into grooves and edges where dust settles,” she says. This is an especially helpful tool for older homes that may have more unique and ornate moldings, where simply wiping down with a cloth doesn’t get everything.

03 – Lampshades

Lampshades are magnets for dust, especially if they’re pleated or have ruffles or other details. The problem is that they can be made of delicate materials, so traditional cloth dusting can be damaging. Murphy says that a paintbrush is one of the best ways to clean them: “Bristles reach into the edges of each slat, hinge points, and corners where dust clings,” she says.

04 – Keyboards and Small Electronics

Cleaning your keyboard can be a bit tricky. They can get surprisingly dirty, especially if you eat while using them (and who doesn’t?), but you don’t want to scrub too hard since these are delicate and expensive pieces of equipment. This is why Murphy advises using a paintbrush. “A clean, dry brush is perfect for removing crumbs and dust between keys without pushing debris deeper,” she says.

05 – Car Interior

If there’s one place where many people spend a lot of time these days, it’s the car—we eat, drink, and sometimes even work in these spaces. The problem is that our cars quickly fill with dirt, dust, hair, and crumbs. Add kids and pets into the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for a dirt mobile.

The issue is that vacuums, even those with crevice attachments, are often still too large to reach the edges of cup holders, door pockets, and those minuscule spaces between seats. “A brush is a pro-level tool for air vents, cup holders, dashboard seams, and buttons,” Murphy says. A slightly damp paintbrush is the best way to pick up every last speck of dirt, even in the tightest spots in most cars.