Tuesday, May 14, 2013

How To: Clean Walls


Like everything there is a way and a way not to clean walls. Much of the time scrubbing too hard or with the wrong chemicals can damage the paint, finish or wall paper and scrubbing too soft won’t get the job done. Fortunately Complete Supply Company has the answers and the products you need to get your walls looking like new.

The frequency in which you clean is an important part of keeping your walls looking nice. If you clean to often you could damage the paint or wallpaper but if left for too long the fingerprints and dust build-up can make it very difficult to clean and you may have to repaint. It depends on how quickly your walls become dirty. If you start seeing fingerprints or dirt on your wall it is probably time to clean. Different walls require different techniques. If you are not careful you could accidently remove coatings or paints and have to repaint the area. Wallpaper is even easier to damage.

The first thing that should be done when cleaning any wall is to dust the wall and remove as much dirt as possible before getting the wall wet. A feather duster is the best tool to use or if you have out of reach places an overhead duster may be helpful. The equipment and technique for cleaning the wall varies slightly depending on if you are cleaning a painted wall or a wallpapered wall. The painted wall is not as delicate as the wallpapered wall and therefore you can use a moderate cleaner. Mr. Clean works very well. You will also need a bucket of clean water, a bucket with a moderate cleaning solution, a soft sponge and several dry, clean towels or you can use paper towel. You start cleaning the wall bottom to top and proceed in circular motions. Once the section of the wall in cleaned, rinse if off and dry it with a towel. It is important that a painted wall not remain wet for very long so only clean a section for about 2 minutes before you dry it off. If there are sections of wall that are still dirty, wait until the wall is completely dry before cleaning again. Keep in mind, not all painted walls are the same. Some are more delicate than others or may have coatings that require a more gentle cleanser. Often organic or natural cleansers are the best choice. 

This is also the case with wallpaper. Because wallpaper is so much more delicate than paint it is more tedious to clean. Unlike most paints, wallpaper requires a much gentler approach. For starters, the cleanser should be delicate. Once again, a natural cleanser is often the best choice due to their gentle nature. The Seventh Generation All-Purpose Cleaner is a great option. Other than the cleanser all the material is the same. Two buckets, one with mild cleanser solution and one with clean water and several clean, dry towels. It is important to use as little water as possible on wallpaper so when rinsing, use a damp sponge, not a wet sponge, you want to avoid dripping if possible. Wallpaper takes longer to clean because each section can only be wet for about 1 minute before it should be patted dry and not rubbed dry.

Other useful cleaning tools include the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, for pesky spots or try Green Works All Purpose Cleaner when you need a more gentle cleaner.

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