Tips To Take Care For The Painted Surfaces

Your walls, like every other surface in your home, can benefit greatly from a regular but appropriate cleaning. Cleaning your walls regularly will keep them looking great, as well as extend the life of your expensive paint job, saving you both money, time and effort not to mention hassle of re-painting your home! 

It is prudent to mention upfront that newly painted walls should not be cleaned for a minimum of 2 weeks post the application of paint to ensure that you do not damage the painted surface. When you do decide to clean your walls for the first time, it is important to check the effect of your chosen cleaning solution (a mild all purpose cleaner is recommended, that too in a diluted solution) and to test your cleaning technique itself on an inconspicuous area to make sure that you do not damage your walls. When testing, allow for the cleaned patched to dry out completely to get a fair idea of the results of your cleaning efforts, and to accurately check for damage, if any.

Use a broom covered with a cloth to clean your walls

Read on for tips on how to make your interior paint job last longer but still look fabulous, day after day.

Dry Cleaning

Dry cleaning of interior walls with a cloth covered broom or a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment will ensure that any loose dirt or debris is cleared away without giving grime a chance to settle in and permanently stain painted walls. Consider doing a dry clean at least once a month to keep your walls clean and also improve the interior air quality in your home by removing allergens like minute dust particles and fibers from walls. Using a soft microfiber cloth will protect the paint film on the wall from scratches and further ensure that dust and dirt is truly cleaned away instead of being deposited on other surfaces.

Micro fiber cloths pick up dirt effectively

Wet Cleaning

As recommended before, do a test patch to check the efficacy of your mild, all purpose cleaner and to check that your cleaning technique is not damaging the paint film on your walls. Do remember that even though the paint job on the wall may be multiple coats of paint, in reality it is still a film of color on the surface of your wall and therefore extremely easy to damage. When using water or a liquid cleaner, use as little as possible, apply soapy water with gentle pressure and a sponge that has been dipped in the solution but squeezed to get rid of extra solution. Post cleaning with the soapy sponge, wipe away dirt or excess solution with a clean, wet sponge. Allow wet walls to air dry.

Use a sponge and mild soap solution to clean walls

Different types of paint react differently to being cleaned with water or soap solution and information on cleaning different paint types follows soon in more in depth advice on Hometriangle to help you keep your walls sparkling clean.