09 Nov HOW TO CLEAN DIRTY WALLS AND WALLPAPERS

Posted at 10:30h in Ask the Property Makeover Specialist, Home Staging and Styling | Preparing House for Sale by

We bumped into a great post from our friends at The School of Renovating.

 

Clean walls are indeed the hallmark of a well-presented home. Bernadette Janson shares some tips to help.

 

Painted walls
This is quite a big job and is best done with a systematic approach.  Move all the furniture to the center of the room, and lay down drop sheets catch the excess moisture. Don’t use  plastic drop sheets as they don’t absorb water and become slippery when wet.Remove all wall art and place a piece of sponge on to picture hooks to protect your hands.

Get together

  • a  wall  duster
  • dry cleaning cloths
  • a large  sponge
  • a  buckets of soapy water ( preferably sugar soap)
  • a bucket of clean water to rinse
  • rubber gloves with turned up cuffs to stop the drips
  • a small, lightweight step ladder.

 In one bucket, mix a wall-cleaning solution. For normal soil levels, try a mild detergent solution to clean walls that consists of:

  • a bucket warm water
  • a good squeeze of dishwashing detergent or sugar soap

For very dirty  walls, you’ll need a stronger alkali solution, but spot-test any cleaning mixture first to ensure it won’t remove or lighten paint.

Make up a bucket of wall cleaning mixture and stir well

The second bucket should hold clean water, to be used for rinsing. Change the water  when it gets dirty

Use the duster to remove all loose dirt and dust, you may need an extension hanle to assist with heights  or , use a vacuum cleaner’s extension wand and bristle brush head to remove dust and cobwebs.

Start washing from the bottom to prevent dirty drips from forming and staining the walls. You will need to rinse over the lowerwall again when you reach the top with this will come off easily .

Use the sponge with the cleaning solution and be gentle to avoid damage to the paint. Work in small areas, washing and then rinse the area with clean water. Last, blot excess moisture with dry  cleaning cloths.

Once you have started washing a wall make sure you complete in the one session otherwise you will leave marks where you have stopped.

 

Wallpaper Cleaning 

Protect your wallpaper by keeping to these cleaning tips investment with these wallpaper cleaning tips: 

  • Check manufacturer’s guidelines. Because wallpapers differ in content and coating, instructions on care are usually supplied.
  •   Use a soft  duster, or a clean dry cloth tied over a broom head to dust the walls .
  • Old or non coated paper   Use a dry sponge, found at the hardware store. This product removes surface dirt without water. Rub gently  in long strokes.
  • Use a natural sponge lightly dampened with a solution of warm water and a small amount of liquid dishwashing detergent. Before cleaning, test the solution in an inconspicuous corner to be sure it won’t remove paper or coating. Don’t scrub too hard or allow the paper to get too wet to avoid damage. Use cleaning cloths to absorb extra moisture after rinsing.
  • Fingerprints Remove by rubbing them gently with an art gum eraser. Use a light touch to avoid damaging the area. Commercial wallpaper cleaners may also be used
  • Never use abrasive cleaners — scouring pads or powderson wallpaper . The abrasive granules can scratch the  coating.

[Article Source]

 

Thanks heaps once again to Bernadette for sharing this article.

 

If you need help cleaning and prepping your home for sale, BG Property Styling can help you! Call us at 0433 400 139 or email us at info@bgpropertystyling.com.au.