How To Keep Walls Clean You Ask?

Once you have painted the interior of your home, you can breathe a sigh of relief that it will stay relatively clean. However, over time, you can’t stop walls from attracting dirt, but with a few good cleaning habits, you can extend the life of your paint and wallpaper.

Setting the appropriate time frame for cleaning depends on when you’ve painted and how often you’re in the rooms of your home. Generally, once or twice per year should be adequate. Everyone knows how to clean walls, but not everyone knows the professional way. Here’s a list of supplies that will help you achieve the cleaning tasks detailed in the rest of this article:

• Vacuum cleaner with dust brush attachment
• Tack cloth/Cheesecloth
• Wash bucket
• Mild household cleaner
• Grease-cutting dishwashing soap
• Baking soda
• Cloth rags
• Touch-up paint
• Plastic mixing container
• Mini paint roller and roller cover
• 2-inch or 2½-inch angled bristle brush

Dusting Regularly Is Important
Walls accumulate dust just like any other item in your home and regardless of house paint sheen or type, you should dust regularly. Before you begin to wash the walls, run the vacuum with the dust brush over them. Then, to eliminate any remaining dust, thoroughly wipe your walls down with a tack cloth or cheesecloth.

General Washing
It’s best to wait at least two weeks after painting before you begin to use any water or cleaner on your walls. Generally, painters recommend you use a soft cloth or sponge with mild, soapy water. Gently wipe the wall in a circular motion with light pressure until it’s clean. Use a damp cloth after you’ve cleaned to remove any cleaner residue. Remember to wring out the cloth well because applying too much water can ruin your paint finish.

Spot Cleaning
With every busy household, stains and spots are bound to happen. To spot clean a scuff mark or stain, use a solution of equal parts baking soda and water and rub the solution over the stain, then rinse with a sponge and dry with a soft cloth. For hard-to-remove stains like grease or other tough grime, try a grease-cutting dish soap mixed in warm water.

It’s smart to test your cleaning solution to make sure it’s not too strong so it doesn’t damage your paint finish. Pick a discreet spot on your wall to perform your cleaning test. If the paint in the spot you tested still looks bright and there are no water marks left after drying, then your solution will work properly. 

Touch-ups
Little nicks or scrapes in your walls will need a bit of touch-up painting. If it’s possible to use the paint from the original can, then you should do so. If the area you’re touching up was painted with a brush originally, then use a brush to do the touch-up. If the area you need to cover was painted with a roller, use a small trim roller to touch-up.

All of these steps above will help you achieve cleaner and dust-free walls. It’s also wise to perform these tasks two days prior to starting a new interior paint job. Contact our paint specialists for other tips on how to keep walls clean and paint looking fresh! 201-804-7600