Grime, tar, dirt, and all sorts of other debris can easily get collected on your walls. Dirty walls make a home look really bad and in order to bring back that glory once the walls had, they need to be properly cleaned from time to time.
It is okay to wash your walls every 2-3 months, especially if there is a smoker living in your house. Sometimes with multiple smokers in the house, walls need to be cleaned every month to make sure they stay appealing and new-like.
Debris and tar from the cigarette smoke can build up on the wall and they can start to appear yellow and smell smoke-like. To clean the walls, typically it is okay to use dish soap which is considered a mild cleanser and won’t damage the wall.
So how do you clean your home without damaging the paint with dish soap? Let’s see what experts at Encore Painting have to say about it.
Cleaning Your Walls Properly With Dish Soap
Our experts recommend following the steps written below to clean your walls without damaging the paint.
- Start by pouring 2 or 3 drops of dishwashing detergent into a bucket. A mop bucket will do just fine.
- Fill the bucket with at least ¾ portion of warm water. The use of tap water is highly recommended for this job.
- Dip any rag or sponge in the warm water and hold it inside until it is completely soaked. Now lift the rag or sponge up and wring it out by twisting it hard.
- Now place this piece of rag or sponge on the wall and wipe it with an up and down motion only. You can add more soapy water to your sponge whenever needed. Try to stand on a step stool or a ladder to reach higher places, avoid leaning on these things to avoid unnecessary injury.
- Once you have cleaned enough, dump out the dirty soapy water in a drain or outside your home. Rinse the bucket again with fresh water and rinse the sponge or rag to clean them both.
- Now dip the rag or sponge in the clean water once again and wring it by twisting it until most of the water has left the sponge or rag. Now wipe the soapy residue left by the previous sponge off from the wall.
- Let the walls air dry for a couple of hours. If you have a ceiling fan, turn it on. Avoid cleaning your floors or dusting when the walls are drying up. If the walls are not dried up, they could collect the dust from cleaning, so avoid cleaning until the walls are fully dried up.
This should leave you with a clean wall for at least 2-3 months. If you did not have your home repainted in the last 4-5 years, cleaning this way might not work and you may need to have your walls repainted.
Keep in mind that paint has a life of its own and can only help a wall shine for a set number of the period until it starts to permanently get dirty. If you want a new paint job done, get in touch with Encore Painting. We have years of experience in providing interior painting services in Texas and the surrounding areas. We only use the highest quality paints that are clean-friendly.