The Essential Guide To Cleaning Dirty Walls

Walls are the large canvas of your living space, reflecting your home's vibe, lifestyle, and living standard. While muted/neutral tones give a timeless look, darker and brighter wall colours embrace energy and vibrancy. Unfortunately, these fully customised and beautiful room backdrops tend to accumulate thick layers of dirt, scuff marks, adhesive stains, and even mould due to regular wear and tear.

Did you know that leaving walls dirty can ruin the entire look and feel of your home? So, it is imperative to create a proper cleaning strategy for different types of walls, such as painted, glossy, semi gloss, etc to prevent damage, dullness and discolouration.

Here’s a complete guide to everything you need to know about wall cleaning. With the right approach, safe, sound products, and an optimistic mindset, you can maintain clean, shiny walls all year round. These hacks are tried and tested by end of lease cleaning Sydney experts. Try it yourself and see the difference in the final outcome.

Let’s Get Started!

1. How to Prepare Walls for Cleaning?

Here are a few things you should do first before using any cleaning solvent:

• Remove picture frames, paintings and other decorative pieces from your walls.
• Remove the carpet from that area.
• Cover any nearby furniture with old sheets.
• Stock up on all the necessary cleaning products, such as dusting tools, scrubbing pads, all natural cleaning solutions, a vacuum machine, etc.

2. Dust the Walls Top to Bottom

There is no denying that dusting is the foremost step to banish loose dirt, debris and cobwebs from the walls. If you skip this process, dirt can stick to the surface when you use a water based cleaning solvent. This can scratch your walls, leading to costly repairs.

Grab a microfibre cloth or a telescopic duster and start from the top of your ceilings. Remove cobwebs, insect marks, pollen and other loose debris from the walls. You can also use a vacuum cleaner with a soft bristled brush to clean hidden areas. This is the best time to dust ceiling fans, light fixtures and fittings.

3. How to Remove Stains From Oil/Latex Painted Walls?

Oil or latex paint is one of the most common types used in Sydney homes. These are infamous for maintaining a house's pristine look when cleaned properly. If you want to remove scuff marks, sticky residue or crayon marks from the walls, always start from a small section.

Carefully wash the spot using warm, soapy water and gently scrub with a cloth or cotton balls soaked in rubbing alcohol. Gently spot clean the area and see spotless results. You can also use baking soda to treat stubborn stains. Highly trained professionals also use the same hack when conducting a budget end of lease cleaning Sydney to help tenants secure their bond money.

4. Gently Clean Satin and Eggshell Wall Finish

Flat and eggshell are the most delicate wall paint finishes. Therefore, using harsh chemicals or abrasive brushes to budge stains can cause serious damage. So, be careful and use soft bristled or a sponge like tools. To treat stains, you can use dish soap and a warm water solution.

Simply dampen a sponge in the solution, wring out excess product and gently wipe down the affected area. Don’t use a wet sponge, as it will leave streaks behind if not removed promptly.

5. Use White Vinegar on Glossy Walls

Do you want to get rid of crayon marks or adhesive stains from your gloss painted walls? Fret not! It can withstand products like castile soap or white vinegar. These are non toxic cleaners that won’t release unpleasant smell or hazardous chemicals into the air.  You can mix two parts of vinegar and one part of castile soap with two parts warm water and apply it to the affected area to treat stains. Gently scrub the area and see the spotless results.

6. How to Eliminate Mould From Walls?

You can use 3% hydrogen peroxide or tea tree oil (for delicate walls) to effectively tackle mould and mildew stains. Spray the solution, then scrub with a sponge or a Magic Eraser. Make sure your home has proper ventilation and controlled humidity levels to prevent condensation and mould growth.

7. Are Walls Included in a Bond Cleaning Checklist?

Professional end of lease cleaning Sydney companies understand bond cleaning requirements and follow a pre approved cleaning checklist to meet the landlord’s set standards. They often spot clean the walls for insect marks. However, for full wall cleaning or washing, you need to book it separately as it requires more time and energy. A full wall clean is required only if marks and stains exceed fair wear and tear. So, ask the question and clear all your doubts before making the final decision.

Infographic For DIY Tips to Clean Stained Walls

Wrapping Up

Dirty walls are the first few things people notice in a room. It is good to follow this guide and adopt the right approach to clean different paint finishes for spotless and damage free results.