5 Best Tips For Cleaning Walls Before Painting

If you want to revamp your home, then painting your walls is an excellent way to glam up your space that has lost its charm. Maybe those walls look super boring, and the old paint is chipping off; it is only embarrassing to have guests over, and the overall dullness can get to you. Cleaning walls before painting is the only way to start this project.

Painting your walls with lively colors is the best way to revive your house. But, cleaning them is essential before you take up the life-changing challenge.

Most homeowners question whether they really need to wash their walls? We say “absolutely.” While there can be many ups and downs during the painting process, having dirt accumulated on the walls shouldn’t be one of them. Once you have a clean and dry wall, it can prevent disasters like an aesthetic miscarriage and sometimes even health hazards.

Hence before you roll up your sleeves and dive right into a bucket of paint, you should be thinking about the things you will need to clean up those boring walls that are bringing you down day in and day out.

Do You Really Need To Clean Your Walls?

If you are still thinking about whether you need to go the extra mile before you start with the exciting work and unleash your creative beast, let’s take a moment to catch a breath. Some paint brands say that you must wipe your walls clean before you apply paint on them, and some expert painters stress that washing your walls before you get your paintbrush ensures that all that grime, cobwebs, dust, and stain that lives on your walls are gone before a paint coat is added. Using lukewarm water with a simple mild soap can ensure that you end up with the best-looking wall that is painted perfectly.

Are You Tempted To Avoid It?

The thought of skipping cleaning your walls can be a very tempting idea. Who likes to go through the hustle and bustle of fetching the right products to wipe off the walls with soaps and then wait for them to dry? Only dedicated people will do so if they want to avoid problems like mold formation, mildew, and many more problems.

Sometimes issues like paint blistering can be a pain that may or may not require you to start your painting project all over again. Hence, we recommend that before you take out all your paint brushes, you get hold of all the detergents and cleaning products.

How Can You Start Cleaning Walls Before Painting?

If you are wondering how to start with scrapping off the stubborn dirt, grease, and oil from the walls, you are at the right place. You can follow some steps to ensure that your walls turn out to be squeaky clean.

1. Fetch The Right Products

Before you start preparing to paint the walls, you need to understand that cleaning them requires some basic tools and knowledge. While there is no right way to clean the walls, most of them can be cleaned using warm soapy water and a sponge.
However, if you are thinking of cleaning your kitchen walls, then you may have to go the extra mile; since the walls are coated with oil and grease, it becomes even more difficult to get rid of the grime. For that, you will need to wash with a grease-cutting detergent, add it to water and make a solution. Once you rinse the walls with the mixture, you must wash the walls with clean water to remove the leftover detergent. Rub the walls with a cloth and let them dry.

2. Remove Mildew

Mildew is a type of fungus found on walls; if you paint on them, you will never get a good-looking wall. Hence you need to address the mildew before you can get your paint brushes. Add bleach to 3 to 4 cups of water and make a solution; then, you will be required to apply the mixture to the affected walls and allow it to work its magic for a few minutes.
Once the solution settles on the walls, you can scrub the area using a moderate soft brush and then clear out the area with clean lukewarm water. However, before you start this process, you must ensure that you put on the right protective gear, such as gloves and goggles.

3. Vacuum

If you are seriously thinking of cleaning walls before painting, it is recommended that you also vacuum the walls to get rid of any particles resting on the wall before you start applying any paint. This will give you a smooth surface, and you can easily start washing your walls once the vacuuming is done.

4. Sand The Walls Before You Paint

Do you have those rough spots on your walls that annoy you every day? They can be a real hassle during a paint project, and they must go before you apply a coat of fresh paint on the walls. The best way of cleaning walls before painting involves using sandpaper or sanding blocks to try and even out the surface. You can also wipe away the leftover dust using a wet cloth; however, you must ensure you do not skip this process if you have an uneven surface.
Sometimes you need to smooth out the wall if it was previously painted using high-gloss paint; if that is the case, you should use fine-grit sandpaper. If oil-based paint was used to paint the walls, use medium-grit sandpaper.

5. Use TSP

TSP (trisodium phosphate) is a chemical formula mixed with water to make an alkaline-based cleaning solution. When you use the mixture, it quickly reacts with the grease and oil on the walls, which are too stubborn to go away on their own. TSP based solution is the perfect formula to rinse your walls and get an excellent smooth surface. You can use the solution in the kitchen where the walls may have grease and in bathrooms where there is soap scum and other debris.

Furthermore, if your previous paint was high-gloss, then using TSP to clean the surface will act as a sanding technique. Use a sponge while cleaning your walls and let the surface dry on its own.

Conclusion

Cleaning walls before painting is a great way to kick-start your painting project. If you think your walls look super dull and boring, and you need to spruce them up with a little bling and bright colors, then painting them is the best way to go about it. However, to ensure that you get the best results and no disappointments, it is always best to clean your walls by following the tips outlined above.