We have all looked at our walls at some point and dreaded the thought of cleaning them. Learn how you can do so easily on your own.
Many people eventually get walls that have accumulated a lot of scuffs and stains over the years. Getting rid of these stains can be overwhelming as most people don’t know how to go about it. You need to be very cautious while choosing a cleaning method as you don’t want the wall paint to get damaged or the finish to get ruined in any way. Otherwise, you may need to hire painters to paint the wall entirely. There are many methods and you need to be careful while choosing a wall stain removal method. This will depend on what type of stain you need to remove. Read on below to learn a few methods to remove specific stains off your walls.
General All-Purpose Cleanings
For an effective cleanup job, you need to get the right proportions while making the solution. Warm one gallon of water, add a quarter cup of baking soda, 3 teaspoons of vinegar, and 2 spoons of lime juice, and stir well for all basic cleaning purposes. Soak a wall cleaning mop or a moist towel in the solution and wipe away general stains and scuffs on any wall surface like floors, windows, or even your quartz countertops.
Removing Crayon, Ink, or Pencil Stains
You need to act quickly if you are removing a wall stain that was caused by ink, crayon, or pencil. If you have baby wipes or cleaning wipes handy, it’s really easy for you to remove crayon wall-stains. Pencil marks can usually be removed by art gum erasers or rubber erasers, as the lead used in pencils is designed to be easily erasable. To remove stains from pencils you can also use a wall mop or wet cloth dipped in baking soda.
Foaming shaving cream is a good option for dissolving stains caused by oil-based materials such as ink from ballpoint pens. You need to spray the shaving foam all over the ink stain and rub it in well. Use a wet cloth to wipe it off afterward. White chalky toothpaste can also be a good agent to remove such stains.
Cleaning Dirt
To clean dirt, you need clean cold water and some cleaning rags. Store the cold water in a bucket and soak the rags, wringing the excess water out. Use the rags to wipe the walls, removing the loose dirt in the process. Just replace the rags as and when needed. After the loose dirt is removed from the walls, make a solution of warm water and detergent or you can use laundry powder as well.
Getting Rid of General Grime
If you are looking to clean your walls of general grime, using dishwashing detergent dissolved in warm water can be a good choice. In case you are looking to use a homemade cleaner, use a half cup of apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar, a cup of ammonia, and mix it with a quarter cup of baking soda and a gallon of warm water. You can use a cloth or a sponge to clean the walls with this solution. You need to wipe the walls off with fresh water after you are done cleaning. This process removes general grime and disinfects your walls from the micro bacteria that accumulate over years. Use this method especially if you have infants or kids at home.
Cleaning Greasy Finger Marks
Most fingerprint marks around door knobs and light switches have grime in them and are oil-based. These have probably been there for a while, making them much harder to remove from the wall paint. Finger marks are made harder to remove as most homes have a matte finish paint for the interior as opposed to a gloss finish, which is easier to clean.
The best way to clean finger marks is to mix dishwashing detergent into hot water. In case that doesn’t work, you can dissolve distilled white vinegar into hot water. The perfect ratio will be half a cup of vinegar into half a gallon of water. After you clean with this mixture, you need to rinse off with fresh warm water.
If the finger marks persist, try using white chalk by rubbing a flat piece of it over the marks. The porous chalk will absorb the greasy marks, and all you need to do is wipe it off with a microfiber cloth after the marks are removed.
Removing Permanent Marker Stains
It’s quite challenging to remove permanent marker stains from your walls as they are designed to be permanent – as the name suggests. To do this, you need to soak a cotton ball with some rubbing alcohol and dab the stain with the cotton ball until the mark is gone. You may make sure you’re using an unstained piece of cotton with each dab by turning the bunch of cotton while wiping. If this treatment does not work, try applying hair spray or nail paint remover on the mark. If nothing works, apply a dab of toothpaste by rubbing it on top of the marker stain. After you let the toothpaste settle for about five minutes or so, use a warm wet towel to rub it off.
Cleaning Mildew
Mildew forms when a fungus feeds on grime or material on a wall. To remove mildew, you need to prepare a solution by adding one tablespoon of white vinegar to a quart of water. Then spray this solution on the area that is infested with mildew on the wall. You need to leave the vinegar on the wall for a few hours, using water and detergent to clean it off afterward. Enzyme-based laundry detergent can also be used to get rid of mildew. You need to carefully follow the instructions when soaking the detergent in the stain, cleaning it off with water later.
Summing Up
Knowing how to prepare the right solution always helps save time and makes the cleaning job more efficient – especially if you are out decorating your home and cleaning it on a budget. So, apply the knowledge from this article while cleaning the various stains on your walls and you will have a clean and fresh-looking home in no time. Happy cleaning!
