Sugar soap is essential for cleaning the walls before painting them. The more preferred version is the powder rather than the liquid because it has better cleaning properties.
Sugar soap is a type of chemical cleaner usually used to wash walls before painting them, but also to refresh dingy-looking paint. You can sugar soap and reveal your beautiful walls by applying the product and then thoroughly rinsing it off.
Use warm water and an all-purpose cleaner for walls with latex paint. Wash this type of paint with a soft sponge and a safe, all-purpose cleaning solution like water, dish soap, and distilled white vinegar. Dip a clean sponge in your wall cleaner, wring it dry, and gently clean your wall.
Sugar soap will also not kill mould lurking behind walls, under floorboards or in ceiling cavities. If you're using it in its liquid form you'll need to be very careful to avoid getting power outlets wet or letting it drip onto more delicate surfaces such as furniture and fabrics.
To use Sugar Soap, simply dilute it in warm water. Using a sponge, wash the required surface with the soapy liquid. Once the entire area has been washed go over it again with clean fresh warm water, in order to rinse off the sugar soap and remove the remaining dirt or grease.
Sugar soap is great for washing walls, but for a cheaper sugar soap alternative, dishwashing detergent and vinegar do the trick. Put some warm water in a bucket with a squirt or two of dish detergent and a splash of vinegar. With your rag, wet it in the soapy water and wring it out so it's not soaking wet.
A typical example would be around 150ml of sugar soap to 5 litres of water. But you can add a little more to get a stronger solution for stubborn dirt and grease. (Bear in mind, if you have sensitive skin wear rubber gloves.)
Knowing the finish of your wall helps to determine your level of exertion to avoid damaging the paint. Generally speaking: The higher the gloss or sheen, the easier to clean, e.g. satin/pearl, semi-gloss, high gloss. The lower the sheen, the gentler you need to be, e.g. flat, matte, eggshell.
It gets the name because, in powder form, does look a bit like granulated sugar. It is just a mild detergent which is especially useful for preparing paintwork because, once it has been rinsed away, will not leave behind any residues that may hamper the adhesion of your new coat of paint.
Then once dried, providing nothing greasy or dirty comes into contact with the wall it can be painted straight onto any time after. It doesn't need to be done straight away. Let the sugar soap sit for a minute, then wipe down with a clean cloth/sponge, leave for a couple hours.
Wipe down walls before painting
Once any dry materials are gone from the wall, wipe them down using warm water and dish soap, advises Jim Nadeau. 'Wash the walls to be painted using circular motions before rinsing with water,' says Andre Kazimierski, CEO, Improovy Painters Hinsdale.
Using a mixture of Dawn dish soap and a splash of Pine-Sol with a broom handle and microfiber cloth, she explained that she uses the solution once a month to deep-clean her home, especially the walls.
No matter what type of paint you have on your wall, fill the bucket about halfway and never use more than a couple drops of dish detergent. Some alternatives: castile soap instead of dish detergent, a microfiber cloth instead of a sponge, and a long-handled, soft-bristled brush for hard-to-reach places.
Professional Painters Usually Don't Wash Walls
Washing cuts into painting time, which cuts into their income, so don't expect your hired painter to wash down your walls unless you agree to pay them more for the service. Better yet, hire a cleaner to do this work, or do the cleaning yourself before the painter arrives.
Wipe the surfaces down, then rinse the sugar soap off with warm water. Repeat this until you are sure all grime, dirt and dust has been removed.
So, sugar soap is a powerful chemical that also exists in liquid form, and it's perfect only for cleaning large wall areas, like entire rooms, basements, bathrooms. Sugar soap is essential for cleaning the walls before painting them.
The easiest way to dust a painted wall is with a long-handled dry floor mop that uses either a microfiber pad or disposable cloth, like Good Housekeeping Seal star Swiffer. If you can, remove any artwork, photos and small mirrors before you start.
A microfiber cloth is perfect and can be attached to a mop or broom so you can reach the whole wall easily. After that warm soapy water can be the answer. 'Dirty marks and fingerprints can be removed with a mild detergent and a soft cloth,' says professional painter Jan Walter of GoColorize.
How Often to Clean Walls. As part of your regularly scheduled chores, painted walls should be dusted and cobwebs removed at least monthly—twice a month is even better. You should clean smudges and dirt around doorknobs and light switches weekly.
North America
The comparable cleaning product in Canada and the US is trisodium phosphate, also known as "TSP".
There's no need for multiple cleaners – sugar soap can be used as a multi-purpose surface cleaner for the kitchen, bathroom and laundry. To make life easy, create your own sugar soap spray using the recipe above then decant into spray bottles.