Learn to clean your walls like a pro with our easy step-by-step guide, featuring expert tips. The process is budget-friendly, utilizing common household items you likely already have.
While you may diligently clean your floors and counters daily, wall cleaning is often overlooked in home hygiene discussions. Yet, investing a little time in cleaning your walls can significantly enhance your living space, ensuring your carefully designed and furnished home shines without the interference of cobwebs, grime, scuff marks, or smudges. Below, we provide a comprehensive guide with answers to your wall-cleaning queries and valuable insights.
How to Clean Walls Without Damaging Paint
Cleaning walls is a straightforward DIY project that requires no special skills or equipment. Our tips are suitable for various wall types, including those covered with wallpaper or different paint finishes.
This applies to all types of wall paint, whether latex, oil-based, eggshell, semigloss, or flat. According to Day, the type of paint doesn’t impact the cleaning process. To safeguard your paint, avoid abrasive or ammonia-based substances and opt for gentle products.
The basic supplies we’ll detail below are mild enough for most wall treatments, ensuring effective cleaning without causing damage. Not all cleaning products are automatically safe for walls; even if labeled as “all-purpose cleaner,” they may contain harsh chemicals. Day recommends avoiding bleach.
Signs It’s Time to Wash Walls
The best indicator for wall cleaning timing is your own judgment. Clean your walls when you notice they need it.
Consider the traffic the wall receives; playroom and kitchen walls, for instance, may require more frequent cleaning due to handprints and food splatter. While it’s not necessary to clean interior walls regularly, an annual cleaning ensures a fresh appearance.
What’s the Best Way to Clean Walls?
Cleaning your walls is a straightforward DIY project that doesn’t require any specialized wall cleaner—chances are, you already have everything you need at home. The choice of cleaning materials depends on the wall treatment and its resistance to various substances.
You might not need all the items listed below, and you can swap some depending on your preference. According to Tamara Day, the technique you use is just as crucial as the cleaning agents. Common items for wall cleaning include:
- Liquid hand or dish soap
- Water
- Soft cloths, rags, or a soft sponge (microfiber cloths are recommended)
- Tack cloth
- Two buckets
- Stain remover
- Vacuum with dust brush attachment
- Baking soda (use with caution to avoid damaging the finish)
- Foam craft brush
- Hydrogen peroxide
DIY Wall Cleaning Steps
Step 1: Prep Your Space
Before starting, move furniture, protect floors with towels or drop cloths, and take precautions around electrical outlets. If needed, move furniture away from walls to access all areas.
Step 2: Dust Your Walls
Begin by dusting the walls, using a vacuum cleaner with a dust brush attachment to remove dust and cobwebs. Follow up with a tack cloth or a foam craft brush to ensure all dust is gone.
Step 3: Prepare Your Cleaning Solution
In one bucket, mix a few drops of clear liquid hand or dish soap with warm water. Fill another bucket with at least a gallon of warm water for rinsing. Soak a cloth in the soapy water solution, wring it out, and you’re ready to clean.
Step 4: Test a Small Spot First
Always test your soapy cloth on an inconspicuous area to ensure it won’t damage the material. Be cautious, especially with delicate surfaces like wallpaper or matte paint.
Step 5: Wash the Wall
Starting from the top and working your way down, use the soapy cloth in light, circular motions to clean the entire wall. Apply minimal moisture to avoid streaks, watermarks, or paint damage. Use gentle pressure in your circular motions.
Step 6: Remove Stubborn Stains
For stubborn stains, use a baking soda and water paste or hydrogen peroxide, depending on the type of stain. Apply the solution gently and allow it to lift the stain. Use a stain removal pen or magic eraser for smaller stubborn stains.
Step 7: Rinse the Solution Off
After cleaning the entire wall, rinse away the solution with a cloth soaked in clean water. Be cautious not to use excess water to prevent water stains.
Step 8: Dry the Walls
Gently run a clean, dry cloth over the surface and allow the walls to air-dry. Ensure walls are completely dry before replacing furniture or wall hangings.
How Long Does it Take to Clean Walls?
Determining the exact time needed to clean walls involves various factors, making it challenging to provide a specific duration. Your skill level, attention to detail, assistance from family members, the number and size of walls, furniture movement, and unique features in your home all contribute to the overall time.
While it’s highly variable, cleaning walls typically falls on the lower end of the DIY effort spectrum. For an average American home, this task can usually be accomplished in a day or even a weekend afternoon.
How Much Does it Cost to Clean Walls?
Cleaning walls is a budget-friendly DIY project, eliminating the need for contractors or specialized equipment. Assuming you have typical household cleaning supplies, you may not need to spend any money to get started.
Even if you need to purchase supplies, the cost is minimal, often just a few dollars. The most significant potential expense might be a vacuum cleaner with attachments, but this can be a valuable long-term investment with multiple uses.
How to Keep Your Walls Clean
To maintain scuff-mark-free walls, the key is preventing scuffs and dust in the first place. Give your walls regular attention to minimize dirt accumulation. Focus on cleaning high-traffic areas, especially problem spots like light switches and doorknobs. With children and pets, vigilance becomes crucial.
Additionally, don’t overlook seemingly outdated cleaning methods, as Tamara Day recommends incorporating dusting into your routine for long-term wall cleanliness. Regular care is the best strategy to preserve the pristine condition of your walls.
