You can also use most non-abrasive multipurpose cleaners on this type of paint or make your own by mixing one teaspoon of liquid dish soap and ¼ teaspoon of white vinegar into one quart of water. This cleaner should work on most latex paints. Finally, oil-based paints can take a slightly stronger cleanser.
Latex-based paint responds very well to vinegar or dish detergent. Add just a few drops of dish detergent or a few tablespoons of vinegar to approximately half a bucket of water. Once these solutions have been mixed together, use a soft sponge to gently remove dirt and grime from your walls.
Mix three or four drops of dish detergent in half-filled bucket of water. (Or you can go “old school” and do the cleaning with vinegar: Use two or three tablespoons of distilled white vinegar to a gallon of water. Using vinegar to clean a painted room can be surprisingly effective.)
Practicing preventive maintenance means less time spent scrubbing walls later. To help keep walls clean, vacuum painted walls with a soft brush attachment. Then wipe them down with a cloth-covered broom or mop (spray with a dusting agent for best results), or use an electrostatic dusting wipe.
Because it's such a mild cleaner, dish soap is an ideal first line of attack for dirty walls. A mixture of 1 ounce of your favorite dish detergent per gallon of warm water removes general dirt from most surfaces as well as smudges from walls with a gloss or semi-gloss finish.
Steps For An Expert Clean
Add about ¼ cup of your favorite Pine-Sol® scent to a gallon of water. Dip a sponge, rag or cloth in the mixture and wring out until it's lightly damp. Then, start wiping down the walls from top to bottom, using Pine-Sol® at its full strength on stubborn marks.
Sugar soap will help cut through stubborn stains – on your walls, benches or floors – but you will need to change up your tools of the trade. Switch out the soft sponge for a non-scratch scourer and pour the non-diluted sugar soap concentrate straight onto it.
Here are a few multi-purpose wall cleaning options to choose from, including a budget-friendly DIY recipe: Diluted sugar soap in a spray bottle (1/2 sugar soap and 1/2 water) The Pink Stuff Multi-Purpose Cleaner. DIY Natural Wall Cleaner Recipe: 1L water and 1/4 cup vinegar or 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar.
Create a Gentle Wall-Cleaning Solution
You can mix a little bit of dish detergent with water for a gentle solution. You can also mix vinegar with water. If those two aren't enough, you can use a mixture of a half cup of vinegar, a cup of ammonia, a quarter cup of baking soda, and a gallon of water.
You may be able to adequately wash walls using plain warm water. If there are stains or marks, use soapy water (especially if crayon-happy children live in the house). Make a mixture of water and a small amount of mild detergent.
Household bleach, also known as sodium hypochlorite, is a staple in every home. You should wear protective gloves when handling bleach since it could be extremely harsh on your hands. undiluted bleach will destroy the paint on the wall, so do not use it.
The Swiffer Sweeper floor mop is a go-to cleaning tool for homeowners with hard floors, but did you know that it's also perfect for dusting walls, trim and other hard-to-reach areas of rooms? Attach a dry cloth to the Swiffer's rectangle end and swipe it along the wall to pick up dust, cobwebs and dirt and more.
All-Purpose Cleaner
Mix 1/3 cup of bleach, one gallon of water and one teaspoon of Tide powdered laundry detergent. It works amazingly well on walls, bathroom surfaces and pretty much everywhere else!
The best solution for cleaning walls is plain warm water. To clean grease off kitchen walls, add a few drops of dish soap to cut through any accumulation. Simply dampen a sponge with your chosen cleaner and start scrubbing. The water will attract dirt, preventing it from ruining your new paint.
Vinegar is a great all-purpose cleaner and can also be used to effectively clean walls. You can create a simple cleaning solution with vinegar and water. Even though it's a natural solution, be sure to perform a spot-test before proceeding.
Always start at the bottom of the wall and work your way to the top. While it may seem counterintuitive, it's easier to clean drips off a clean wall than a dirty one. Overlap the cleaning areas to prevent streaks. Walls that are painted with a gloss or semi-gloss paint generally respond well to cleaning.
Some disinfecting wipes are safe to use on painted walls. Second, look to the paint finish on the wall. If the paint is an oil-based enamel, as might be present in bathrooms and kitchens, use a soft sponge and a mild detergent cleaner.
Wipe on the wall with a sponge and then dry thoroughly with a towel to prevent streaking and water damage. Be careful when disinfecting light switches or door knobs that you do not let the disinfectant (Lysol spray, for example) run down the wall. The paint finish will be damaged.
Soak a soft cloth in warm water and then thoroughly squeeze it out. Put a small bead of mild soap on your cloth and work it up into a few small patches of suds. Using circular motions and working from top to bottom, rub the plaster wall with the soapy cloth. Thoroughly rinse the cloth in warm water and ring dry again.
Because it is acidic, full-strength white vinegar can be damaging to painted walls while oil-based paint finishes should never be cleaned with white vinegar as it can cause discoloration. Flat finishes, on the other hand, can be cleaned with diluted white vinegar (approximately 10% vinegar mixed with 90% water).
This match made in heaven has been a household staple for a long time and I make sure to keep it handy. To make the solution is simple and easy on the wallet! Pour equal parts of vinegar and Dawn into a spray bottle. Gently shake, then spray liberally onto the surface to be cleaned.