How To Clean Behind Radiators {Explained!}

Keeping our houses clean is an ongoing chore, isn’t it? It’s all you can do to keep on top of the parts that you can see! But have you ever thought about how to clean behind radiators? These are cobweb havens, and might also house a few bits that you thought you had lost forever!

How To Clean Behind Radiators?

This is a tricky part of your house to clean – not least because we very rarely notice what is going on behind our radiators – but they can hide a multitude of sins!

Cobwebs and dust can multiply enormously, and you may even discover something unpleasant behind there – this is why it is important to give them a clean once in a while.

Cleaning behind your radiators can actually help to keep your heating bills down too, as surprising as this may sound!

If they don’t have to pump out heat from behind layers of dust, they will not be working as hard and you will find that your house gets warmer more quickly.

Cleaning behind your radiators can save you money as well as making your house nicer – what is not to love?

1. The first step is to turn off the heating, and let the radiator cool completely. You don’t want to burn yourself while fiddling around behind the radiator.
2. Next, remove the cover (if you have one); take the long tube attachment on your vacuum cleaner and use this to suck away the worst of the debris.
3. You can get specialist radiator cleaning brushes for the next part, which will make the cleaning that much easier.
4. Using a hairdryer can also help to clean behind radiators; opposite to the hoover it will blow out bits and pieces of dust and dirt.
5. Using a bowl of warm soapy water and a clean cloth, carefully wash out behind the radiator.
6. Finally, give the skirting board below the radiator a good wipe, as they will have picked up the dirt from cleaning behind the radiator.

This video is a good, comprehensive explanation into how to clean different types of radiator:

What Can I Use To Clean Behind Radiators?

There are a few dedicated tools you can buy to help clean behind your radiators – but you will probably find that your household bits and bobs will work just as well.

• A hoover will help to suck away any larger bits of debris, plus the smaller, harder to reach cobwebs and dust too.
• You can also use a hair dryer to blow away dirt too – just watch out for where it gets blown to!
• A must for any cleaning job is warm soapy water, and cloths and sponges.
• You should lay out a towel or dustsheet under where you are cleaning, to collect drips and dust.
• A long stick can help you reach those hard to reach areas – it’s not the most technological of cleaners, but it can really help!
• Use some sellotape to secure a clean cloth to the end of the stick and use it to get really deep behind the radiator and in between all the crevices.

How Do You Clean Behind Column Radiators?

These radiators are trickier than some, because you can see straight through some areas of them – no hiding the cobwebs!

However, it is (thankfully) pretty easy to clean behind and in between these column radiators.

1. You will need warm soapy water, soft cloths, a duster or a hoover, and a stick with a cloth tied to it.
2. Start by switching off the heating – you don’t want to burn yourself, or get water into any electrical parts as you clean.
3. Next, remove as much of the visible debris as you can – either by dusting at the cobwebs or sucking them away with the vacuum.
4. Get the vacuum as far behind the radiator as you can, and get it in between the columns to get at all the dust and debris.
5. Dip a clean cloth into warm soapy water and clean off the exterior of the radiator, getting as far into the small gaps as you can.
6. Soak the cloth around the end of your stick into the cleaning solution and poke it in between all the columns and behind the radiator itself.
7. Finally, wipe over the whole radiator with a dry cloth, to mop up excess moisture and help prevent rust.
8. Give the wall and skirting boards a wipe down, to catch any drips from your cleaning and ensure that everything is shiny and polished.

How Do You Clean Inside And Behind Radiators?

It is actually a more simple job than you may imagine. You can buy all sorts of fancy cleaning gadgets – but really all you need is a cloth, some soapy water and a stick!

You’ll probably want to lay down a towel or a cloth to catch the inevitable drips from your cleaning – this will save having to clean your carpets afterwards!

Start by cleaning the outside of the radiator with soapy water and a cloth. Then wipe them dry with a microfibre cloth.

Next, wrap a cloth around a long stick and gently insert this in between the nooks and crannies inside of the radiator.

You can also use a hairdryer on a cool setting to blow away any cobwebs, dust and debris from inside your radiator.

Cleaning a radiator well can improve its performance and efficiency, so there is definitely a financial incentive to keeping your radiators clean and shiny.

You should never remove a radiator panel to clean inside and behind it; you can do some damage to the radiator if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Final Thoughts

Now that you have learned how to clean behind radiators, you can make even the hidden parts of your house sparkly clean.

Most people won’t notice, but at least you will know that you have done the best that you can possibly do!