How to wash painted walls? [useful tips for different types of paint]

Wet cleaning of walls provides an opportunity to thoroughly clean the house and refresh the appearance of the rooms. Despite the fact that the process itself takes a lot of time, washing painted bases is not a difficult task. The main thing is to correctly determine the type of coating, then choose the most suitable method. It is advisable to carry out this procedure in late spring or early autumn. This will speed up the drying of wet walls using open windows.

An important condition for a comfortable environment in a house or apartment is the absence of dust and dirt on the walls Source archidea.com.ua

Preparatory work

Before you start wet cleaning, you must remove all decorative items (paintings, posters, mirrors) from the wall. The remaining fasteners in the wall are marked with small pieces of bright tape so as not to injure your hands during cleaning.

All furniture in the room is moved to the center. A polyethylene sheet is laid along the baseboards (this will help protect the floor from moisture).

Painting soap

It happens, of course, that water alone is enough. However, in most cases it is necessary to use paint soap.

Painting soap diluted in water will remove not only dust, but also other contaminants. Here, even greasy stains will not be the limit. Therefore, in practice, it is recommended to use this type of soap to wash walls before painting.

Painting soap contains a mixture of two types of soap - potassium and sodium. They are characterized by a dense consistency and beige color.

Painting soap is available at most hardware or hardware stores. It's worth noting that this is not an expensive product. It is sold in various packages - usually from 0.5 kg to 20 kg.

The method of using painting soap is indicated on the packaging. In practice, it all comes down to dissolving soap in a small amount of water. The water should be warm. 0.5 kg of painting soap is dissolved in approximately 12 liters of water. Please check the manufacturer's instructions for details. Painting soap is an inexpensive solution, since prices start at about 80 rubles (the price, of course, depends on the capacity of the package and the manufacturer).

Cleaning a wall covered with water-based paint

The water-based emulsion is very easy to wash off with water. Therefore, walls covered with this type of paint are washed only in exceptional cases. For work, prepare a very weak soap solution and a soft sponge (hard brushes are prohibited from use). Alternatively, instead of soap, you can use a solution of baking soda (3 tablespoons of soda are dissolved in 10 liters of water).

Attention: before use, the soda solution must be filtered so that small, insoluble particles do not scratch the wall.

How to clean various painted surfaces

At first, it is important to find out exactly what composition the surface was painted with, so as not to damage it during washing. Among the most popular coloring agents it is worth noting the following.

Water-based paint

It is produced on the basis of water, so the finish is sensitive to the influence of moisture. It is advisable to clean walls painted with this composition using a dry method, since there is a high risk of damaging the paint layer. Otherwise, it is necessary to strictly follow the recommendations for wet cleaning of surfaces painted with water-based emulsion.

For processing, only a soft sponge is used; increased friction is unacceptable. The best detergent under such circumstances is soapy water. Any concentrate is diluted in warm water, whisked thoroughly until a stable foam forms. Another option: dilute baking soda (3 tablespoons) in 10 liters of water.

Attention! Water-based wall coverings should be washed very carefully, using a small amount of liquid.

If the wall is painted with water-based paint, then it is advisable to wet clean such a surface with a soft sponge Source xn--90aibchjc2ankc9k.xn--p1ai

Wash walls coated with oil or alkyd paints

This type of finish is maximally resistant to moisture, abrasion, and any mechanical stress . In addition to liquid detergents, walls coated with oil or alkyd paint can be easily washed with ammonia solution. It is enough to dissolve 1 tbsp in a liter of water. ammonia and moisten the sponge in the resulting product and thoroughly wipe the contaminated surface.

Using vinegar

A cleaning solution containing vinegar is suitable for most painted walls. White table wine vinegar should be added to the water. You need to take 240 ml of this product in a bucket of warm water. You need to prepare 2 buckets of water. The first will contain a cleaning composition, and the second will contain ordinary clean water. As the water becomes contaminated, it needs to be changed. Finally, rinse the walls with clean water.

Important! To care for painted walls, do not use products containing ethyl alcohol. It is bad for paint and can destroy it in some places.

How to clean painted walls

Regardless of what paints the wall is painted with, wet cleaning is carried out in the following sequence:

We prepare two buckets. One with cleaning solution, the second with clean water.
Dip a soft sponge or rag in a soapy solution and begin to wipe the wall. Wet cleaning starts from the baseboard, smoothly moving up the wall, all the way to the ceiling.
During the cleaning process, smudges and stains must be immediately removed with a cloth soaked in clean water. If soap smudges dry out, they will be very difficult to remove.
After the wall has been washed, wipe the surface again with a clean damp cloth and then with a dry rag.

Attention: the wall should not be left wet, as moisture can ruin the paint.

How to carry out the procedure without streaks?

For washing, prepare a soft sponge and a fabric that absorbs moisture well (for wiping dry).
Next you will need 2 buckets. A detergent (usually liquid or solid soap) is dissolved in one of them, after which 9% table vinegar is diluted (1 glass per bucket of water). It is vinegar that is used to combat stains. The second bucket is left empty for now.

The washing process is as follows:

The sponge is moistened in the liquid, wrung out and the surface is treated with it (from bottom to top).
All drips should be wiped off immediately with a dry cloth, as it will be difficult to remove them afterwards.
The dirty washcloth is rinsed again in water and wrung out thoroughly. Repeat the procedure again.
An empty bucket is filled with clean water, the sponge is thoroughly rinsed and the walls are treated (to remove the chemical).
Immediately wipe the walls dry (so that there is no dampness left anywhere).

Useful tips

Wet cleaning of walls can only be done in a well-heated room . Otherwise, low air temperature and high humidity may cause mold to appear on the wall.
The walls are washed at least twice a year. The first time is in the spring, after the heating season ends. The second is in the fall, before the house starts heating.
To prevent stains from remaining on the surface of washed walls, during wet cleaning it is necessary to change and rinse sponges and rags more often.
Talc will help remove greasy stains from the wall. It is enough to sprinkle the dirt with dry powder and leave it for half an hour. Afterwards, the talc along with the dirt can be easily removed with a damp sponge.

Taking into account all the recommendations for proper cleaning of painted walls, you can easily and quickly achieve ideal clean results in your home.

Is it possible to wash painted walls? (1 video)

How to remove stains

When washing painted walls, it is important to properly remove any stains. The latter arise for many reasons, but often as a result of the adhesion of grease along with dust. Such contaminants can be cleaned in several ways, using different compositions. Before treating any stain, you need to make sure the product is safe. To do this, it is tested on an inconspicuous area. Otherwise, there is a risk of ruining the finish and leaving streaks.

If there are children in the house, then traces of small, dirty hands often remain on the walls. Source domovei.com

Dish gel

Dishwashing detergent diluted in warm water will help get rid of even heavy dirt on a painted wall. To remove old greasy marks, it is recommended to use undiluted products. Fairy, Aos and Frosch are great choices. They are applied to the problem area (in concentrated form) and left to dissolve residual fat. After using most of the gels there are no traces left.

After a while, the product and dirt are wiped off with a rag. Moreover, intensive wiping of the base is not required: the rag is only moved up and down. If excessive soap is produced, it must be washed off carefully. Then it is important to dry the wall with a paper towel.

Fairy dishwashing gel does an excellent job even with old greasy stains; it should be used in concentrated form Source r-ulybka.ru

Starch or talc

Perfectly removes fresh stains: oil splashes, traces of food residues. First, press a napkin tightly onto the contaminated surface so that it absorbs as much moisture as possible. Then the spot must be sprinkled with dry starch or talcum powder and left for a couple of hours. After the specified time, the base must be thoroughly cleaned with a broom. If there is still any mark left on the wall, you can use the dish soap method.

Dry products are often used to remove greasy stains on painted walls: they absorb moisture and grease and are then easily removed Source domovei.com

Ethanol

An alcohol-containing composition will help get rid of rust, ink and grease stains. First, a piece of cloth is generously moistened with liquid, then the smeared area is thoroughly wiped. If necessary, the wall can be washed later. It is also possible to use an alcohol wipe: carefully remove dirt from the surface without damaging the base.

Shaving foam

Perfectly dissolves various contaminants, including greasy ones. A small amount of foam is squeezed onto the coated surface, rubbed a little, and left for three hours. As soon as the stain has dissolved, the remaining product along with the dirt should be removed with a soft cloth. If necessary, it can be slightly moistened.

Shaving foam copes well even with complex stains on the surface of a painted wall Source domovei.com

Home remedy for children's drawings

It is also worth remembering home remedies for removing light stains. Baking soda turns out to be extremely useful in practice; with the help of a damp cloth, it will remove even dirt caused by using crayons...

Preparing for cleaning

Traditionally, the most contaminated rooms are the hallway and kitchen. There, the maximum amount of dust settles on the walls and ceilings, which must be eliminated first. If you skip this stage and immediately begin wet cleaning, the appearance of the paint will be hopelessly ruined by gray-black stains.

The easiest way to go over painted surfaces is with a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush. Wiping with a flannelette or any other cotton cloth with lint wrapped around a mop or broom will take a little more time. You can take an old towel for this purpose - terry or waffle.

If you have a wood-burning fireplace or stove, it is important to remove all soot from the walls and ceiling. If a vacuum cleaner and a dry rag do not cope with the task, remove the black coating using a wide paint brush.

During work, you need to protect your eyes and respiratory tract from dust. Large sunglasses and a respirator are suitable for this. But a medical mask allows small dry particles to pass through, so it is useless to use.

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Detergents: do's and don'ts

For washing walls and ceilings painted with water-based paint, only liquid household products that do not contain solvents, bleaches and other caustic components, including essential oils, are suitable.

Also, you should not use cleaning and washing powders - they do not completely dissolve in water and can eat into the coating. Then it will be difficult to get rid of the persistent chemical smell in the room.

Removing stains

Most often, stains form on the walls - next to the switches. The fat that is on every person’s fingers dries to the paint layer by layer, forming an unsightly, greasy “edge.” It is extremely difficult to get rid of this pollution. If the surface is white and matte, professional cleaners recommend lightly rubbing it with a light-colored eraser. In all other cases, it is better to wash off the old paint and apply a fresh layer of emulsion.

You can remove children's drawings from the walls if they are made with a simple pencil and occupy a small area. Here again the eraser will come to the rescue. But traces from an alcohol felt-tip pen will disappear only after repairs are carried out.

Grease that gets on kitchen walls and ceilings is first softened. To do this, apply a solution to the contaminated area with a sponge, which consists of 4 tablespoons of soda or table salt and a liter of water. This method is effective for fresh stains; old ones cannot be removed.

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How to care for tiles

After preparing the surface, wash the surface with a soap solution. When washing tiles, it is worth considering that you cannot use powdered detergents, as they can damage the surface and leave unpleasant marks in the form of white stains.

A quick and high-quality way to wash tiled surfaces is to use a bottle equipped with a sprayer filled with acetic acid. After spraying the liquid, wipe the walls with a lint-free cloth.

Let the walls in your home always be clean!