I don't understand the problem. Use a dust mop. Use a Swiffer. Use an Asian broom. Use an electric broom. There are many options.

Pick one.

I use a swiffer for touch ups.

Wow dilly, you sure have a way with words. A swiffer is too small, the room is going to be HUGE (635 sq. ft.) along with two other rooms with the same tile.

My question was whether or not one of those old fashioned floor dusters would do the trick? Do they get in the corner where the baseboard and floor meet, and give me the desired look I want, or are these type of dusters not worth buying?

Sheesh.

You certainly should not have to mop every day. I am partial to the swiffer broom and a paper towel at the bottom to pick up dog fur, my personal nemesis.

But if your problem is sand, then you may need something more, like a microfiber cloth of some type, maybe. Yes, an old fashioned duster would probably work just fine.

May I suggest, however, that you learn to live with a less than perfectly clean house? Just make sure you clean before taking photos, like everyone else does. :)

LOL graywings -- now the truth comes out about everyone's spotless floors!

...which, oakleyok, mine are not in those corners you mention and I have to admit it bothers me. When I'm looking at the corners. Then I forget, till I look again, and again vow I'm going to clean them up and keep them clean.

and here is how I would do that. Just squirt some floor cleaner into the corner (I use the Bruce floor cleaner that comes in a green squirt bottle) and take an old-fashioned cotton mop on the end of a stick, and scrub-scrunge it around in there. You can just run the whole permiter of the room like this, just be sure you have enough liquid.

This is the same mop and solution I use to clean my hardwood floors. It's called a Quickie mop, it's cotton, the head comes off the stick, and you can throw it in the wash. I have about six heads and it is my basic basic cleaning tool for all kinds of places including cabinet doors and other vertical surfaces.

Congratulations on your new floor. What kind is it?

Thanks for the tips! gray, our problem will be dog hair and dust. My Pointer sheds all year round.

big, we're getting "wood like" ceramic tile for the floor. We wanted wood floors but because of Grace, she'll have them scratched in no time when she gets excited. These floors are beautiful, they come in long and wide planks and different colors, distressed or not distressed. We'll have white/cream beadboard around the room, so I want THE perfect clean corners. LOL.

And I'll have a large area rug for my feet! lol

I figure a large head dust mop would work best for dry dusting, and get the swiffer duster for the baseboard area.

All I know is when I look at pics of rooms with the dark floors and white baseboards, the first thing I see is how clean that area is, and it does make a difference in the whole room!

Oak, the floor sounds beautiful, I've seen those "planks" in the design store and like them. You're smart, dog nails do mess up a wood floor.

Swiffer duster is good but it is not strong, in my experience. If you get the dust before it has "settled in" and sort of adhered, I think you will do great with a swiffer duster. But I do not think it will get the kind that has already attached itself, that requires more scrubbing and pushing power than a swiffer has.

My goal is to get mine cleaned and then do preventive maintenance, which is lots easier than actual "cleaning off."

The only other thing about the swiffer is that it's dry. It DOES pick up a lot of dust. I know this because it gets very dirty. But because it's dry and not a bit moist, I wonder how much of the dust just gets swept off to settle elsewhere later. As someone who has just declared war on dust, I've taken to rubbing a teensy bit of water on my swiffer duster before using it. And changing it often.

Your floors are going to be beautiful!

Just buy a canister vac and use the dusting brush around the baseboards, the floor brush will take care of the center. Why purchase a Swifter and keep buying the replacement refills?

Graywings,

Don't U have a Dyson and a central vac? I just thought U did. I use a vac 4 everthing and why bother with a Swifter or paper towles?

I have a great Libman dust mop with a 20" wide flat head with a removable/washable microfiber cloth cover. It gathers up the dust and pet hair (we have a lot!) and gets under low furniture where the vaccuum won't go. I take it outside and brush it against the chain link fence to remove the accumulation if it gets too bad. ;-) I got mine at Lowe's, but don't see it on Libman's website any more. Below is a link to a website that shows similar products. I don't know anything about the site, but it looks good. If you get one of these, you might want to order several extra covers so you can change covers as needed and can save them up to wash at one time.

Here is a link that might be useful: Microfiber mops

"May I suggest, however, that you learn to live with a less than perfectly clean house? Just make sure you clean before taking photos, like everyone else does. :)"
Thanks greywings. I've been getting down on my hands and knees with a small brass bristle brush where floors tolerate it and an old toothbrush elsewhere. Getting tiresome to say the least.

Graywings, Don't U have a Dyson and a central vac? I just thought U did. I use a vac 4 everthing and why bother with a Swifter or paper towles?

Yes, I have both, and I use my central vac on the floor with the hardwood. BUT, if I were the sort of person who cleaned my floors every day instead of, ahem, less frequently, then I would probably look for something easier to grab - like a swiffer.

Get an old-fashioned wool dust mop from www.vermontcountrystore.com. It's washable and they work great.

hands+knees+sponge=clean

Personally, I love the look of large old fashion Victorian baseboards, but you are so right, it is just one more thing to clean. Baseboard simply cover sloopy construction. I appreciate seeing a straight wall to floor finish with No baseboard. Ya know, they could make a sheet rock base to be the tidy straight floor finish and then slop cut and patch above. Another beauty is recessed marble, flush under the wall to the floor.
Love my Scubba but wish it could clean right to the wall, I have to do that by hand. They should invent a pointed shape that does only floor/wall joints and corners.

We have 2 large in-out dogs who blow hair,
and the husband without hair forgets to remove shoes after yard work, golf, tennis (clay courts.. yuk). Kids are grown and gone but always welcomed along with their pets and the world's most wonderful grandkids who NEVER leave a mess? Dream on.

I could not live without central vac.(extra long hose). Remove floor attachment and put a cheap plastic extension (no bristles)and run it along the baseboards. Bristles collect stuff, and it takes time to clean them.

Buy extra extensions to reach tall ceilings to get cobwebs and ceiling fixtures.

We have no carpets.
I remember the place where carpets met baseboards: UGH.

Where we installed new stone floors, the baseboards are the same stone, cut to go 6" to 8" up the walls. No more painted baseboards that get messed up when floors are cleaned.

50 yrs. housekeeping + kids (20 yrs. working) I've learned that using the right materials when renovating/building, and finding the right ways to clean those materials makes life so much nicer.

I still have questions about steam floor cleaners. No sure it would be worth the $$.

A very fluffy dust mop gets into the corners for me. It has long "yarn". It is removable to put in the wash. I donÂt wash it every time, but beat it against the side of the house. I use it on both tile and wood floor. The Swiffer does not work well for me. It just pushes it around and I still have to get out a dust pan and little brush. The yarn dust mop "captures" the dust.

I have the micro fiber mop that catbird linked too. I love it and it is very wide! Bought it at the Flea Market in Florida, when we go back I'm going to pick up and extra dusting head. The wet one works wonderful, just use a spray bottle and spray water on the floor, then go over with mop.
Kathy G in MI