Cleaning Those Dirty Walls

Cleaning walls is one of the easiest—but most time-consuming—chores. You don't need your wash your walls every week, but an occasional cleaning will make a lot of difference.

White walls are not difficult to clean. You will need to be more careful with colored or textured walls. Before you use a cleaning product on the wall, try it in a small, hidden area to ensure that it doesn't distort or chip the paint. Kitchen walls need to be cleaned more than others. Grease from cooking is carried through the air onto the walls. This makes it important to use a degreasing soap.

For just the occasional cleaning, you can just spot clean. Get a rag or cloth wet with a little soap, and rub off the spots. Other options are baby wipes or a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Another regular cleaning is to clean the baseboards. Just use a warm, soapy cloth. If you have small children, you have probably had to deal with crayon on the wall. Sometimes you won't be able to remove it without painting over it, but it's best to try before you repaint. One method that may work is to blow-dry the crayon. The wax should melt and you should be able to wipe it away with a rag.

The easiest way to do a more thorough cleaning is to use a mop with a sponge head. First, take down any pictures or mirrors you have on the wall. This will help you to get the walls completely clean. Also, the dirty water can splash and get on the frames. Fill a bucket with warm water and a degreasing soap, such as Pine-Sol or Mr. Clean. Start the mop at the top of the walls and mop downward. The dirty water will drip down, so you don't want the dripping water to ruin your hard work. After you mop, use the clean towels to dry the walls. If you don't use the towels, the dirty water may streak. Change the water in the bucket if it turns gray. If the water gets too dirty, washing your walls with dirty water will make it pointless. Another option besides a mop is a Swiffer Wet. Make sure you change the wet pad enough, so the walls are getting clean.

A few times a year, use the mop to thoroughly clean your walls. To keep up your walls being clean, spot clean them. It may seem tedious, but keeping your walls clean will help your house look newer and nicer.