Unlike horizontal surfaces, it’s easy to forget that the vertical surfaces in your home require cleaning as well. While you can definitely get away with doing this less frequently than other areas of your home, such as the kitchen counters or your floors, they should still be done.
One worry that many people have is that cleaning your walls incorrectly will damage the paint and cause it to peel or become discolored, but it’s actually much easier than you might think.
To clear up any lingering doubt, we’ll discuss the best way to clean your walls, including how to avoid any damage and what the best type of cleaner for your walls is.
Can You Use Vinegar To Clean Walls?
Vinegar is great for cleaning any stubborn stains or grimy spots because it’s stronger than regular detergent. It can also be used as a good natural alternative to chemical cleaners.
The best method is to mix one cup of white vinegar with a bucket of warm water and use a sponge or microfiber cloth to clean the walls.
You don’t need to rinse off the solution with water afterward, but do make sure the walls are dry to avoid any water streaks from forming.
How Do You Clean Dirty Walls Without Damaging Paint?
What’s worse, dirty or damaged? If you’re not careful when you’re cleaning painted walls, there is the potential that you could end up ruining the paint and the overall appearance.
When you’ve spent time and money doing up your home the way you like it, the last thing you want is to damage anything.
For anyone living in rented accommodation, this could even mean losing their renter’s deposit to cover the costs of repainting the wall.
Luckily, there are a few ways to minimize the risk of damaging painted walls when you clean them.
One is to make sure that none of the tools you’re using to clean the walls, including sponges, microfiber cloths, and dust mops, aren’t going to scratch the paint while you clean.
Here are some other tips for cleaning dirty walls without damaging the paintwork:
- Pay attention to the type of paint. Paint finishes like flat, satin, and eggshell are less durable than others, so you should only use mild or natural cleaners to gently wipe the walls down – gently being the operative word, otherwise, you run the risk of accidentally taking off some of the paint in places, leaving patches on the wall.
- Avoid any harsh cleaners, whatever paint finish it is. Using cleaners that contain harsh chemicals can result in the paint on your walls breaking down in places, causing patchiness that probably looks worse than it did when the walls were dirty.
- Spot test small sections of the walls first. To save wasting a bunch of time cleaning only for your walls to end up looking worse than before you started, spot test an area of the wall that’s discreet or somewhere out of the way to see how it turns out. This will show if the cleaner you’re using will cause any problems with the paint.
- Start at the top of the wall and wipe your way down. This will help prevent watermarks from forming behind you as you’ll wipe away any drips as you work.
- Use a damp, not wet cloth or sponge. If whatever you’re using to clean your walls with is too saturated then there is more chance that you’ll be left with streaks or watermarks, or it could even ruin the paint finish where it seeps into the walls.
- Be mindful of the cloth or sponge color. When you’re cleaning white or light, neutral-colored walls, be careful that the color from your cloth or sponge doesn’t end up transferring and leaving smears or stained patches.
What is a Good Homemade Wall Cleaner?
These days, people are being more conscious about the chemicals they use in their homes, which is causing many to turn to make their own, natural alternatives where possible.
We’ve rounded up a few of the best homemade wall cleaner solutions that you can whip up at home from things you should already have lying around.
Simple Wall Cleaner
This is one of the best wall cleaning solutions that you can make at home using just three natural ingredients; water, liquid dish soap, and distilled white vinegar.
Mix two cups of water with a teaspoon of liquid dish soap and a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar in a large bowl, stirring well until it’s all combined.
This should work well on lightly soiled walls using a microfiber cloth dipped in this solution, or a sponge for tougher spots.
Wall Cleaner to Remove Water Stains
Despite our best efforts, mold and mildew can find their way into our homes and wreak havoc on our beautifully designed interiors.
Your walls are particularly susceptible to this, but this homemade cleaning solution should make for light work of heavily watermarked walls.
In a large bucket, mix two household ingredients; one cup of bleach and one gallon of water.
Use a cloth or sponge to soak the stains in the solution and then dry the affected area. It’s best to use a hairdryer or fan to ensure it dries thoroughly.
Baking Soda Wall Scrub Cleaner
Baking soda is a staple in the homes of those who prefer to use natural cleaning products due to its ability to cut through grime and grease without being too harsh on your surfaces.
This means it’s gentle enough to use on painted walls, even if the finish is gloss or latex.
To make this, mix a quarter cup of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of water to form a paste. You can use a little bit more of either ingredient until it reaches the desired consistency.
Apply to the affected areas of your wall and scrub gently with a soft cloth, then wipe these areas with another clean cloth to remove the dirtied paste, and hopefully the stains with it.
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