Our walls go through normal wear and tear, more so if you live in a house with children, pets, or clumsy occupants. It’s normal to find spots, stains, or dirt on your walls in high traffic hairs, like doorways and near sinks appliances. Washing your walls with any old spray and sponge can damage the paintjob and make an ugly colourless spot where paint used to be. Here’s how to wash your walls without damaging your paintjob.

Latex-Based Paints

No matter if your walls are gloss, semi-gloss, or matte, you can easily clean walls with latex-based paint without damaging the colour. You just have to remember a few simple rules.

  • Don’t get fancy. You don’t need special wall spray to remove dirt and stains from you wall. In fact, that’s a one-way ticket to unwanted streaks that stay behind. You only need a few simple household ingredients to effectively and safely lift grease and grime without touching the paint. Use a few drops of dish detergent or a few tablespoons of white vinegar distilled in water. Either of these solutions will get rid of dirt just fine.
  • Wring out your sponge. The wetter the sponge, the more likely your wall will get streaky and splotchy. Your sponge only needs a small amount of moisture to do the trick, so be sure to wring it out as much as possible before you apply it to the wall.

Oil-Based Paints

You’ll likely find oil-based paints in the kitchen, hallway, and other high-traffic areas because it is naturally more durable than latex-based paint. Because it’s a bit tougher, you can use a mild degreaser, which you’ll likely have to do in the kitchen. Before spraying the walls to hide the evidence of pasta sauce, wine, or coffee, here are a few things to remember.

  • No abrasives. You may have stubborn stains that just don’t seem to want to listen, but there’s never an excuse to use a scrubby or Brillo pad to get it off. This is an easy way to damage the paint, scratch the walls and leave a mark. Instead, use old rags or wall sponges.
  • Avoid dyed cloths. Dyes from rags or cloths can transfer onto the wall when wet, so it’s best to use old material that has been washed over and over again or undyed cotton.

When Washing Doesn’t Do the Trick

There are some stains or spots that are too old or too dark to ever fully go away. But you don’t have to live with a splotchy wall forever. If you want to give your home a wonderfully clean look, a new paint job may be the most sensible option. Contact Ottawa–Gatineau Painting today for a free quote.