Whether it’s a soothing paint color or funky wallpaper, your wall painting sets the tone for life in your Southern, NJ or Philadelphia, PA area home. But they reflect the stories told in your home as well; they tell the tale of muddy days, missteps and spaghetti experiments. No matter how careful you are, the inevitable will happen to your walls. Not just the expected dust and cobwebs, but scuff marks, fingerprints and random stains from the wear and tear of daily life. So, how do you care for your dirty walls and restore them to their former glory without hauling out your painting tools and recoating?
Here are some wall-cleaning tips from basic upkeep to complicated stains that will keep you loving your interior paint colors for years.
Basic Cleaning– You may have noticed some dusty spots while curled up on the couch with your favorite book. No worries, this is a simple fix that can be easily taken care of during spring cleaning or in an afternoon’s work. First dust your walls using a dry, swiffer-style floor pad. As it is already on a stick, it will help you reach up to the ceilings with ease. Follow up by wiping them down with a well-wrung-out sponge and your favorite, gentle cleaning product. Consider covering your carpeted floors with a sheet if drips are a concern.
Wallpaper Care– Wallpaper differs in finish as it does in pattern, so be sure to check the manufacturer’s guidelines before attempting to clean it. With wallpaper, it is always better to clean them with the least amount of moisture possible, especially at the seams. Use a dry sponge to remove dust and remove stains gently, avoiding any harsh cleaners or chemicals.
Fingerprints– Does your house look like a crime scene, full of fingerprints? Protect your well-chosen painting and decorating ideas. Skip the scrubbing and let a standard piece of white chalk do all the work. Rub the fingerprints with the white chalk softly, on an angle, so as not to scratch your walls. Then let it sit for 5 minutes and it will absorb the oil. When the time is up, wipe up the chalk with a dry, microfiber cloth. Then, add a little water to the cloth for a final wipe and presto! No more prints.
Flat and low gloss paint– Flat paint is designed for ceilings and low traffic areas and as such it can be difficult to clean when stains come in to play. A magic eraser can work wonders on many marks and scuffs. However if things are a little greasy and your stain has soaked into the paint you may want to consider touching it up with a fresh spot of paint as your easiest solution.
Scuff Marks– If you have a school eraser on hand, try using that to remove scuff marks off your walls. Start with a gentle rub and see if that removes the residue, monitor the paint finish to be sure that it’s not being damaged at all.
Stains and scuffs are as diverse as the homes they happen in, so if the above tips do not work out, give us a call. Our professional painters would love to help you with some troubleshooting and discuss a fresh coat of easy to clean, semi-gloss paint to cover your stubborn stains and bring vibrant life back to the walls of your Southern, NJ or Philadelphia, PA home.
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Contact Cherry Hill Painting of Maple Hill, New Jersey, for all of your interior and exterior painting needs.