What is the Best Way to Clean Painted Walls?
Dirty painted walls pose a housecleaning challenge. Not all paints stand up to rigorous cleaning, and if people are too hard on paints with certain types of finishes, they may end scrubbing off paint. On the other hand, not cleaning regularly can mean walls stay dirty or look dingy even after they’ve been cleaned. The first tip on cleaning painted walls is to clean often. Don’t let fingerprints, smudges, or marks amass for long periods of time. Too much accumulating dirt may eventually be impossible to take off, and people may end up having to repaint instead of clean.
Dirty painted walls pose a housecleaning challenge. Not all paints stand up to rigorous cleaning, and if people are too hard on paints with certain types of finishes, they may end scrubbing off paint. On the other hand, not cleaning regularly can mean walls stay dirty or look dingy even after they’ve been cleaned. The first tip on cleaning painted walls is to clean often. Don’t let fingerprints, smudges, or marks amass for long periods of time. Too much accumulating dirt may eventually be impossible to take off, and people may end up having to repaint instead of clean. Second, look to the paint finish on the wall. If the paint is an oil-based enamel, as might be present in bathrooms and kitchens, use a soft sponge and a mild detergent cleaner. Follow the same guidelines for latex enamels, but be sure to only keep walls wet for about a minute at most. The order of easiest to clean finishes is glosses, semi-glosses and satins.