Cleaning Around Radiators in Older Toronto Homes

If you live in an older Toronto home with cast iron radiators, you already know they do two things well. They heat a room beautifully. And they collect dust in places you can barely see, let alone reach.

When the heat comes on, all that trapped dust and pet hair gets pushed up into the air. Cleaning your radiators before heating season makes a real difference in air quality and how your home smells. If your home has baseboard heaters in some rooms, the cleaning process is different; see our guide on how to clean baseboard heaters properly.

The Problem

Radiators have narrow spaces between the fins. Dust, pet hair, and cobwebs settle into those gaps all year long. The wall behind the radiator collects its own layer of grime. When the heat kicks on, the warm air rising through the radiator pulls all that debris up into the room. If someone in the house has allergies or asthma, this can be a real issue.

What You Need

• A long radiator brush: These are thin, flexible brushes designed to fit between the fins. You can find them at most hardware stores for a few dollars.
• A vacuum with a crevice attachment: For picking up what falls.
• Microfibre cloths: For wiping down the exterior.
• An old towel or sheet: To catch dust and debris on the floor.
• Warm soapy water: For the final wipe-down.

How to Clean Them

Turn off the heat and let the radiator cool completely. Never clean a hot radiator. Give it a few hours after you turn off the thermostat.

Lay a towel or old sheet on the floor underneath. A lot of dust is about to come down, and you want to catch it rather than push it into the floorboards.

Brush between the fins from top to bottom. Slide the radiator brush into each gap and push the dust downward onto the towel. Work your way across the entire radiator. Take your time. Rushing just pushes the dust around instead of removing it.

Vacuum up what falls. Use the crevice attachment to get into the base of the radiator and along the floor underneath.

Clean the wall behind it. If you can reach it, wipe down the wall behind the radiator with a damp cloth. You'll see a shadow of dust and grime that's been building up for months.

Wipe down the exterior. Use a damp microfibre cloth to wipe the top, sides, and front of the radiator. If there's built-up grime, a little dish soap in warm water works fine. Dry it after so it doesn't rust.

How Often

At minimum, clean your radiators once a year before heating season starts. If you have pets or anyone with allergies, twice a year is better. A quick vacuum around the base every month during winter helps too.

Toronto Homes with Radiators

Cast iron radiators are common in homes across Midtown, the Beaches, Leslieville, High Park, and Roncesvalles. Many of these homes are 80 to 100 years old, and the original radiators are still going strong. If you own one of these properties, our guide to cleaning an older Toronto home covers the other surfaces that need special care. They're built to last. But the narrow spaces between the fins were never designed with easy cleaning in mind.

Some homeowners have radiator covers, which look nice but make cleaning harder. If you have covers, remove them before you start. Clean the cover separately with soapy water and dry it thoroughly.

A Few Extra Tips

• If the radiator has been painted many times over the years, be gentle. Scrubbing too hard can chip old paint.
• In homes built before 1980, old paint layers might contain lead. Don't sand or dry-scrape radiator paint. Wipe only.
• If your radiator is making banging or hissing noises, that's a plumbing issue, not a cleaning issue. Call a plumber.

Cleaning radiators is fiddly work, but it doesn't take long once you have the right brush. About ten minutes per radiator, and your home will be a lot more comfortable when the heat comes on.

We clean a lot of older Toronto homes, radiators included. If you'd rather leave it to someone who does this every day, give us a call.