How to Clean Walls Without Removing Paint – Quiet and Reliable

Even if we clean almost all the surfaces of our home regularly, we tend to neglect our walls. Indeed, the vertical surfaces of our homes don’t get as dirty as the horizontal ones. But it becomes necessary to clean our walls from time to time.

Early spring or late fall is the ideal time to give your walls a deep cleaning. However, those who own pets, especially dogs, or smoke indoors will need to clean their walls more frequently.

Besides, once in a while you may come across some stains or dirt that won’t go away no matter how much you wipe. That’s why we have put all instructions throughout the article to let you know how to clean walls without removing paint.

Fortunately, the materials you need, to get rid of these stubborn spots, are already lying in your kitchen!

How to clean walls without removing paint – Ways to clean walls without removing paint

Dust it off!

The first step to your cleaning regime should be dusting. Your walls will not accumulate a significant layer of dust. But it might have some loose dirt or grime on the surface. You have to get rid of it first before wet treating your walls, as rubbing it will only make things worse.

You can use a clean and soft cloth, feather duster, vacuum cleaner with a ‘dust brush’ attachment, or even a rag attached to your mophead or spare applicator to clean your walls. Just make sure that the equipment is clean and dry.

Now that the pesky dust is off of your walls, you can proceed to target the more persistent issues.

Use a Detergent and Water Solution

This is a classic solution made with ingredients readily available in any household.

Make a soapy solution by mixing a gallon of warm water with a teaspoon of mild detergent. Soak a soft sponge or rag in the solution and wring the excess water completely. You may also use a sponge mop for this. Clean your walls in up and down strokes until they are clean.

Finish off by wiping the walls with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.

Water and Vinegar Solution

An age-old method to keep your white walls in pristine condition. Besides the maintenance of white paint, it can be used to get rid of greasy stains on your walls.

All you need is a cup of distilled white vinegar in a gallon of warm water. Use a soft sponge to apply the solution to your wall and gently wipe away the stains. Wipe your wall with a damp cloth and let it dry completely.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of the miracle ingredients lying in your kitchen that can do almost everything. Sodium bicarbonate absorbs grease and helps you get rid of oily fingerprints, scuff, and crayon marks from your walls.

Mix three parts baking soda with one part water and gently use a towel to apply it to the offending mark. Let it sit for a while. The baking soda is slightly abrasive and will catch onto the grease and shed off when you wipe it away.

Be sure to be very gentle and do a patch test on the wall first.

Cornstarch

If you’re looking for a quick and easy fix for a small grease stain, then cornstarch is going to do the job for you.

Take a small amount of cornstarch (enough to cover the stain) and apply it to the spot. Let it sit for some time and gently scrape it off with a blunt object. Follow up by cleaning with an all-purpose cleaner.

Fabric Softener

Yup, you read it right. You can use fabric softener to spot-clean your walls as well. If you have dogs who love to bump their little noses after playing outside on the wall or chuck their toys on it often. Then you have to deal with scuff marks quite often.

Fabric softeners are a handy and a lot less harsh alternative to remove scuff marks. And they smell good too!

Mix half a bucket of warm water with a cap of your regular fabric softener. Soak a scrubbing pad or a dish brush into the mixture. Gently scrub the area until the marks are gone. Wipe the area with a clean cloth and let it dry.

White Chalk

Limestone is the fastest oil-absorbing sedimentary rock. Hence, chalk does a wonderful job at absorbing oil and grease stains from walls. But make sure you’re using white chalk because colored chalk will not do the job, rather it will make the stain worse.

Take a stick of white chalk and create a soft edge on it. A sharp edge may leave scratches on your wall. Rub the blunt edge on the greasy spot and leave it for a while. The chalk will absorb the oil within minutes. Gently remove the residue with a microfiber cloth.

Bleach

We hardly recommend bleach to clean interior walls. However, if you’re dealing with molds, then bleach is the only thing that will work. Sodium hypochlorite is a disinfectant that kills surface-level molds.

Dilute one part bleach with three parts water and mix in a spray bottle. Spray it onto the wall, saturating the moldy areas thoroughly. Let it sit for some time. Gently scrub the stains and wipe with a clean cloth. Let the area dry properly.

Precautions

Every paint has its unique chemical structure. So no matter how mild a cleaning solution is, always patch test on an inconspicuous area to see if your paint can handle it.

Combining and using various chemicals can be potentially hazardous. So wear gloves when mixing or applying the solutions. Ventilate the room to avoid chemical fumes. Lastly, cover your furniture, switches, power plugs, and electric sockets while cleaning.

Final Thoughts

Cleaning and maintaining your walls may seem daunting. However, the result is equally gratifying. With little patience and care, you can succeed in keeping your walls and successively your home in flawless condition.