In the past year, people have spent more time at home than ever. And while there are pros and cons to staying in, one of the most glaring cons is the added difficulty of keeping your home clean. After a year of being confined, it’s no wonder that many families are looking to do a deep clean this spring! But what if you need to do more than vacuum and mop? Like your floors, walls can take a hit when it comes to wear and tear, so it’s important to keep them clean in order to help your home look fresh. Scuffs, stains, paint chips, and marks can age even the cleanest of rooms, so keep reading if you are wondering: “How do I clean painted walls?”
What is the Best Way to Clean Dirty Walls?
If you want to combat lackluster walls but don’t feel that it’s necessary to repaint them, try cleaning them! When answering how do I clean painted walls, depending on the types of stains and marks, there are a few different ways to get your walls sparkling clean. The first thing you need to do is establish the finish of the painted wall that you are trying to clean. Matte or flat finishes tend to be less durable when it comes to cleaning painted walls, whereas glossy or semi-gloss finishes are more highly durable and commonly used in high-traffic areas like bathroom or kitchen walls! For more delicate paints, do not use hard chemicals, make sure your sponges are wrung out completely, and be sure not to scrub too hard. If you are dealing with sturdier paint, then you should have no trouble using a mild detergent or degreaser.
What is the Best Thing to Wash Walls With?
Here are the tools and materials you need to clean your walls:
- Rubber gloves
- Protect your hands and nails from cleaning supplies with a sturdy pair of rubber gloves!
- Microfiber cloths
- Microfiber cloths are perfect for wiping down or dusting your walls and baseboard. Their soft texture helps to avoid any paint ships or texturizing while effectively cleaning the wall surface.
- Sponges
- Use a soft sponge with no abrasive sides to avoid scratching or chipping the paint or dulling the finish.
- Cleaning pails
- Have a clean bucket handy, full of fresh water and cleaning solutions if necessary. This will make the cleaning process much easier so you aren’t running back and forth to the sink to rinse your sponge clean.
- Sponge mops
- If you have high ceilings or tough to reach stains, a sponge mop can give you the added length you need! Just make sure you wring the sponge out thoroughly before using it to clean your walls.
- Dish soap
- Be careful with the cleaning solutions that you use, and take care to avoid excessively harsh chemicals or soaps to protect your existing paint job. Standard dish soap works well as both a gentle cleaning solution and degreaser.
How Do You Clean Walls Without Removing Paint?
The sooner you address issues on your wall, the higher the likelihood that you will be able to clean it off without removing the paint. If you have children, pets, or just a generally messy household, it can be difficult to stay on top of all wall blemishes. Make it a team effort and encourage those in your home to take responsibility for their messes so that they can be dealt with quickly!
Best Paint for Messy Households
If you know that your walls are going to get a lot of wear and tear, it may be in your best interest to invest in highly durable paint finishes that will be easy to clean for years to come. High gloss, semi-gloss, and satin paints are all great for high-traffic areas! For walls that have pre-existing blemishes that need to be covered, try flat or matte paint. Although these finishes are more difficult to clean, these light-soaking paints provide the most coverage and diffuse imperfections.
Let the Pros Get the Job Done Right
At Pro Painters, we work hard to make sure your paint job is done right the first time. If you need to cover chips in your paint, stain removal, want to redo your entire home, or simply want an answer to how do I clean painted walls, contact us today! We’ll help you select the correct paint to keep your home looking great!
