Cleaning Tips: Make Your Walls Sparkle!

If you’re tired of seeing dirt marks and stains on your walls, take a look at our tips! We’ll show you how to get them squeaky clean without having to repaint them!

Not many people know that you can actually wash your walls. If your walls aren’t too badly scratched or worn, you can most certainly wash them to get them as good as new! Time to roll up your sleeves and read on to find out how to tackle this big task!

Cleaning Painted Walls

Cleaning walls is a hard job, so be prepared! Push all your furniture to the center of the room and lay out canvas drop cloths to catch soapy drips. Avoid using plastic tarps. They don’t absorb water, and can create a slippery surface when wet. To protect your hands and remind you where to put your pictures back, cover picture nails with a piece of dry sponge.

Supplies:

1) Lambswool duster

2) Cleaning cloths

3) A natural sponge – Avoid colored sponges since they can deposit dyes on light-colored walls.

4) Two buckets – One filled with cleaning solution and one filled with clean water for rinsing.

5) Rubber gloves

6) Step stool

Preparing Your Buckets

In one bucket, mix a wall-cleaning solution. For normal dirt, use this mixture:

– 1 gallon warm water

– a good squeeze of liquid dishwashing detergent

For extremely dirty walls you’ll need a stronger cleaning solution, something similar to what an Industrial Cleaning Company would use. Always spot-test this mixture before using it on your entire wall. You don’t want it to take off any paint! Try this strong cleaning solution:

– 1 gallon warm water

– 1 cup clean non-sudsing ammonia

– 1 cup white vinegar

– 1 cup borax

Your second bucket should hold clean water. Change the water when it starts to look dirty.

Get Rid of Dust First

Dust is easier to remove than mud, so always remove dust first before soaping up the walls. Circle the room with the duster, wiping the walls and woodwork from the top down. You can use a vacuum cleaner to remove any cobwebs that might be lurking in corners.

Start From the Bottom Up

While washing your walls, you will get drips. If the drips run down dry, dirty surfaces, they’ll dry and create muddy stains. Avoid this by washing your walls from the bottom up. Dip the sponge into the cleaning solution and and rub the wall gently. Work in small areas and rinse the sponge periodically. Blot excess moisture with a cleaning cloth.

How to Wash Wallpaper

1) Check the manufacturer’s guidelines – Wallpapers differ in content and coating, so always check with the manufacturer before washing.

2) Dusting – Always dust the wallpaper before washing.

3) Non-coated wallpaper – Use a dry sponge. You can find these at any hardware store. It lifts and removes dirt without water. Rub it lightly against the wallpaper to remove dirt.

4) Washable wallpaper – Use a natural sponge lightly dampened in warm water and a small amount of dishwashing soap. Always do a spot-test before washing the entire wall. Don’t scrub hard or allow the wallpaper to get too wet.

Photos: iVillage, Webmd, House Cleaning New, Itn Cleaning, Greensax.