wall cleaning

[MattNC]

Anyone here have experiencing with cleaning walls? I've done a little bit of Google searching on the subject, but wanted to see if anyone here had any ideas. I should probably just paint them instead, I've just never done that before, nor do I really have much time to do it.

[Suich]

1. What kind of paint? n/t

[Katina]

2. spot cleaning

or overall. If your paint is flat paint, forget it and just repaint. If it's eggshell, you have a better chance at cleaning it.

[NMMNG]

3. Most paints are washable nowadays

I normally use a mild soap (like dish soap) and water. If that's not effective, such as on scuff marks, a Mr. Clean "Magic Eraser" will get rid of nearly anything. The only drawback of that is it ends up taking some paint with it so you'll need to be careful not to rub to long or hard--you don't want to rub down to the drywall or whatever other color is under the current paint job.

[Katina]

5. Magic Eraser is amazing

my son had put scuff marks on my ceiling. I still don't know how, but the eraser took it all off without changing the color. No repainting! :D

[Karenca]

4. i washed my bathroom

walls, right before the paint job.
I washed them with plain water and one of those long squeegee things.
They definitely looked brighter.

[Whoa_Nelly]

6. If you're asking about cleaning the wall as a prep to paint

Use TSP and a sponge. Rinse with clear water and sponge. Let dry for about 30 minutes to an hour (depends on your local humidity), then Paint :)

TSP isgreat for wall prep before painting because it removes any residue of daily living (it's the phosphates in it that clean...)

TSP powder can be found at most of the 99¢ Only stores


Here's a good article on it, and the ratio of TSP:water solution

http://www.masterhandyman.com/columndetails.cfm?pubdate=20001021

<snip>
To deep clean walls, start from the bottom with a mixture of 2-ounces dry measure of TSP per gallon of warm water. If the walls are extremely grimy you may have to increase the proportions to 4 ounces of TSP and add 1 cup of ammonia. This is strong stuff. Wear goggles, a long-sleeved shirt and rubber gloves. If possible make it a two-person job. One person washes, the other rinses. Use long-handled sponge mops so you don't have to climb ladders. Change the rinse water after every wall.

[Richard Steele]

7. If they are very dirty, you need to clean them before repainting anyway.

But you can cheat abit with a specialty
shellac-based primer.

I can recommend Zinser's 'B-I-N' primer/sealer personally; I'm sure there are others.

http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=10

[OhioBlue]

8. I've cleaned my walls with

just a regular "Mr. Clean" type solution diluted in water. If they're very dirty, you may have to do this by hand with a sponge. I've also used a sponge type mop on my walls. I'm short and the mop made it much quicker so I didn't have to use a ladder or step-stool.

[MattNC]

9. thanks for all the info

really appreciate it!