WHY WASH WALLS

Walls get dirty just like ceilings do. Dust and dirt float through the air and stick where they land. Walls can also attract more dirt in kitchen areas where cooking is done with oil and the grease more readily attracts dust and dirt.

WHAT TYPE OF WALLS DO YOU HAVE?

My walls are drywall with washable paint and this method has always worked great for my needs.  

This is IMPORTANT: Before using these tips test the method on a small area that is out of sight (maybe in a closet?) just in case. You don’t want your paint to not hold up to this process but I have never had a problem on ANY of my walls including my chalkboard wall.

HOW TO WASH WALLS IN 5 EASY STEPS

STEP ONE

First, remove artwork and other objects from your wall.  If possible, remove nails so you start with a smooth surface.

STEP TWO - HOW TO DUST WALLS

Use a long-handled brush of Swiffer-type tool to clean the room. 

Remove cobwebs and dust bunnies carefully without pressing them against the wall. If you do, it will leave a smudge.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU HAVE HIGH CEILINGS

If you will be washing areas that you cannot easily reach, attach the cloth, smooth side out, to any Swiffer-type floor cleaner.   Start at the top of the wall working your way from top to bottom.

Stop often to shake out your cloth. You will be surprised at how much dust has been grabbed and that’s another reason to use a cloth that works well.

Once you have completely wiped the dust and dust bunnies from the wall, rinse out your cloth with fresh, clean water.

DON'T SKIP THIS STEP

Dust baseboards using the smooth side of the cloth or a microfiber rag. This step is necessary because you don’t want any dust build up from the baseboards to get into your water or on your rag and make a mess.

I used the same rags for this entire process but you can switch out to fresh ones if you prefer.

CLEANING SOLUTION RECIPE

Mix your cleaning solution in a bucket: 1/4 cup white vinegar to one quart (32 ounces) of warm water.

*Always test your homemade cleaning solution on a small and inconspicuous area first before using. 

You’re going to want to use two buckets; one with the cleaning solution and another with clean, fresh water for rinsing.

Place your cloth/rag into the solution, squeeze it out well and start washing.  Squeezing out the cloth well is an important step; while cleaning your walls you don’t want to make a mess with water dripping down walls and/or onto the floor.

WHERE TO START

Start at the top of the wall near the ceiling and work your way down doing so insmall sections.  You don’t want to get ahead of yourself. Trust me, I know this from experience! If you do, you will end up with a streaky end result. 

Another way to avoid streaking is to slightly overlap each section you clean working from clean to dirty. 

Once you have thoroughly cleaned one section (top to bottom), using the cloth that is in the fresh clean water, squeeze water out from the cloth and go over the section of wall you just washed; one section at a time.

Next, take a dry cloth and dry the wall you just washed and rinsed then move on to another section of the wall replacing water as needed so you always have both clean solution and clean water for rinsing.

Once done, stand back and enjoy the clean walls!

SOME EXTRA WALL WASHING TIPS

• To stop water from running down your arm while washing your walls, use some old fashioned wrist sweatbands or wrap a washcloth around your wrist and keep it in place with a thick rubber band.
• To remove crayon marks from walls use either baby wipes or a cloth damped with water and dipped in baking soda.