Do We Need to Clean Wall Before Painting?

Do We Need to Clean Wall Before Painting? There are various ways we can improve our homes. One of those ways includes painting our walls. But before you start painting your walls a particular color you like, you have to start prepping them.

Cleaning your walls is one of the best ways of preparing your walls for a paint job. DIY-home painters often ignore this step when painting. But if you want your walls to be painted neatly, you must clean them first.

When you Must Clean your Walls

Most modern paint manufactures work better with walls that are clean and free of dirt and grime. Experts recommend that you wash dirty walls with detergent and water. This is usually a critical step a painter must take before painting walls in their homes.

Sometimes, opting to skip the cleaning step could result in a rough-looking paint job for your home. But several major paint manufacturers have different recommendations for how you should clean your walls. Here are a few of those manufacturers and their recommendations:

• Benjamin Moore- This well-known paint brand recommends that you wash your walls with a sponge and warm water. However, if your kitchen walls have been exposed to grime or oil, try washing with a solution of water and grease-cutting detergent. Finish cleaning your walls by wiping them with a damp cloth.

• Valspar- Use a sponge map to clean your ceiling and walls before using this paint manufacturer. Use an inorganic powder called trisodium phosphate (TSP) and water to wash the walls thoroughly. Be sure you are moving from top to bottom to clean all walls and moldings.

• Sherman Williams- Wash the walls and trim to remove cobwebs, dust, and grime. Sherman Williams recommends that you use a mixture of lukewarm water and mild soap before you paint to prevent it from adhering. Use a slightly damp sponge to rinse your walls.

When you Don’t Have to Clean your Walls Before Painting

In some cases, you can eliminate this step before you start to paint. However, your walls must be clean and dirt-free. They must have not been touched very often. Excessive dust must be missing from your walls. More importantly, there must not be any pets in your house.

If your walls are free from these items, it wouldn’t be necessary to start the cleaning process. However, rooms such as the kitchen and bathrooms that involve cooking or bathing always need to be cleaned before painting.

Materials Needed to Wash your Walls

The standard tools you need to start washing the walls require the basic bucket of water, a sponge, and a detergent. But there are other materials you must have to do a thorough job in washing. Here are some other materials you need in your kit:

• Fans
• Paint Scraper
• Putty Knife
• Razor Blades
• Painter’s Tape
• Vacuum
• Plastic Film

Using some fans will help dry the walls after washing them. Many people use painter’s tape around the trims and baseboards. Utilizing most of these materials will help you achieve a clean wall before painting.

Steps in Cleaning your Walls

Now that you have all the materials, you can now start cleaning your walls. Try following these steps to achieve thoroughly clean walls:

1. Remove any cobwebs or other dust particles with a broom. Be sure to address any mildew first. The best way to remove this is to clean with a sponge and a solution of three-to-four parts water to one part bleach.
   
   Be sure you are wearing goggles and gloves while doing this. Allow this solution to set before scrubbing the mildew on the walls. Rinse the area with clean water.
   
2. Clean trims and baseboards with a lightly moistened cloth. By removing the dust off these areas, the painter’s tape will stick easily.
   
3. Use the bristle attachment of your vacuum to remove any dust and dirt on the floor areas near your walls.
   
4. Start washing the walls where you want to paint. Use a sponge and a bucket of warm water mixed with a mild detergent.
   
5. After washing the walls thoroughly, rinse the walls with a damp sponge and clear water.

Do We Need to Clean Wall Before Painting? – Conclusion

Follow these basic steps in achieving the deep clean your walls need. By properly cleaning them before painting, your home will start to feel like a whole different place for you and your family.