Cleaning Painted Walls: Local Painters Give Tips

It’s dreaded but bound to happen. Scuffs and dings in walls are inevitable. A rogue pencil mark or small imperfections may be easily cleaned from the wall. Not every mark requires a new room painting and we’re here to help you clean them. Here’s what our local painters suggest for cleaning painted walls.

Cooking splatters, rough housing scuffs and stinky fingerprints can be removed with a cleaning protocol our professionals suggest. It’s tough enough to remove marks, but gentle enough to preserve paint. This can extend the life of your paint and keep your rooms looking crisp.

Preparation

Cleaning efforts are not that different than painting. Preparation is key to a good outcome. Start by vacuuming the walls with a brush nozzle. A broom wrapped in a towel will do just as well. Put a blanket or large sheet down on the floor to catch any larger dust bunnies, or water from the next step. Avoid plastic tarps, since the water tends to run off and onto the floor.

Gentle

When dealing with painted walls, you want to start with the most gentle options first and work your way up. Start with a soft sponge and water to dab at the mark. If there is no progress, add a mild detergent like dish soap.

Stronger

If you’re not seeing any progress, step up the soap to an alkali solution. This will require a test patch on a hidden portion of the walls. Give it a test try behind a bookcase or sofa to make sure your paint can withstand the washing without damage. Use a solution that is warm water with non-sudsing clear ammonia, white vinegar and washing soda.

After doing a test patch, if there is no damage to the paint, try to remove the mark. Your wall may show spot washing after the cleaning dries. If this is the case, clean the entirety of the wall down so it matches. You’ll end up with less noticeable marks and a cleaner wall.

Cleaning sponges

More than once, a cleaning sponge has saved a wall from complete repainting. There is a good chance the sponge could further damage the paint. Once again, a test patch will be key. Try the sponge in an out of the way area of the room to see the outcome before you attack the mark on the wall. This should be the last option, since the sponge can remove finishes, paint and everything on the drywall if you’re not careful with them.

Strongest

So if you have tried each of these options with no luck, there is always painting. You could match the paint, add an accent wall or paint the whole room. The options are nearly endless when it comes to opening a bucket of paint.

Have marks you need removed and can’t make progress with? We’re here to help! Schedule a free, in-home estimate today. We can fix drywall and sheetrock damage, sand, prime and paint over impossible to remove marks, and make your house look great again!