How to Clean Painted Walls
Posted on June 17, 2019
Over the course of the summer, more kids will be in the house more often. It’s almost inevitable that your walls will feel the commotion too. Learn the proper way to clean painted walls from our experts.
In addition to bumps and rubs, fingerprints, kitchen splatters, and scuffs are bound to end up on your walls. Don’t let your paint suffer the fate of looking dingy or old. Use the expert suggested plan to clean your painted walls. It will buy you some time between paint jobs and keep your walls looking lovely.
Prep
When you paint your walls, you first prep the area. Cleaning them is no different. Start by vacuuming the walls with the brush nozzle. You can also wipe them down with a broom covered with a towel or cloth. Use old sheets or a blanket along the floor to catch any large dust bunnies or water from the next step. Avoid plastic or tarp since it will not absorb the water and will just let it run onto the carpet or flooring.
Start Gentle
Different paint finishes will require different cleaning approaches. To avoid injury to your paint, begin with the most gentle option and work up from there. Start by very softly rubbing the marks with water on a sponge. If you see no improvement, add a bit of mild detergent.
Get Harsher
If there is no improvement in the marks, move up to an alkali solution. Before you take to a prominent mark, test this on a hidden corner of the paint in case there is damage to it. Mix warm water with non-sudsing, clear ammonia, white vinegar, and washing soda.
If you see a good improvement with this mixture, remove the mark. You may need to wash the whole wall to avoid a wash mark, or spot cleaning showing through after drying. Start with the bottom and scrub side to side. This will help hide the washing marks and give you a cleaner overall look in your paint.
If the worst should happen and the mark cannot be cleaned, there is always the option of painting. You have the choice of painting the wall, or the room and doing it yourself or hiring a pro. Call our team for a free, in-home estimate on your painting project.
