Houses can get dirty. If you have kids or pets, they can get dirty in a hurry. We can’t always wait for Spring Cleaning to take care of our dirty walls, and re-painting constantly is out of the question. Luckily, modern paint is very durable and washable.

What is the Best Way to Clean Interior Painted Walls?

Many people think that you need to use an all-purpose cleanser to wash your walls. This is far from true. The easiest, most effective, and cheapest way we’ve found to clean interior painted walls is simply adding a small amount of dish washing liquid to a bowl of water and getting after it with a clean rag.

Most dirt and grime will simply wash right off. This method will make quick work of areas where dirty hands have left dark dirty spots on door jams and near light switches. If your water is on the soapy side, you’ll want to wipe the area again with clean water.

If you have particularly stubborn spots, you can try adding a little white vinegar or borax to your mix. You can even try scrubbing a little with a scratch free sponge and baking soda. Better Homes and Gardens gives a little recipe to try on stains.

What About Exterior Painted Walls?

When cleaning exterior painted walls, it’s best to start by hosing off the area. If you have a lot of dirt, you can sweep the area before you hose it down. We recommend the same technique for interior paint at this point. Put a very small amount of dish washing liquid in a bowl of water and just add elbow grease.

What About Marks That Simply Will Not Come Off?

If one of your kids found a sharpie or has managed to get marks on the painted walls that simply will not wash off, wash and rinse the area any way and let it dry. At this point, your best bet is to prime and paint the area. It’s always an excellent idea to keep any left-over paint from your paint job for situations where a touch up becomes necessary. Ask your painter or painting company if they’ll leave any paint left from the job and it will be there when you need it. If you end up with a wall that has chipped off paint, touching up makes a world of difference. The new paint will look slightly different from the old paint, but if it’s in an out-of-the-way place, most people will never notice.

 When Cleaning Painted Walls Doesn’t Work…

If you can’t get your paint to come clean, it’s time for a new paint job. Give us a call over here at SurePro Painting, or get one of our online estimates. We’ll get your walls looking fantastic in a jiffy!