Print This Post
With these instructions you will be able to clean your walls much more easily, quicker and efficiently with better results. #clean #cleanwalls #howtoclean
Did your mom or dad ever teach you to clean your walls?
I grew up washing the walls of our home every spring and fall. My kids grew up doing the same.
Did you know you learn this, what is now becoming a lost art?
WHY would you wash your walls?
With these instructions you will be able to clean your walls much more easily, quicker and efficiently with better results. #clean #cleanwalls #howtoclean
Walls collect finger prints, grime, dust and dirt – even smoke, but they are often overlooked. However, when the walls are clean, you will feel like your house was redone! Ok…maybe not quite, but you will be amazed at the clean smell, how bright it looks and the difference in the overall feel of the home.
It’s not difficult at all, and to make it even easier, I have the BEST TRICK E.V.E.R to make it simple and fast!
At the end of this post many amazing readers share their tips and I answer questions, so make sure to stay till the end:)
Get Your Wall Cleaning Cheat Sheet to easily follow along!
To begin, you will need these basic supplies:
A floor mop with a detachable washable pad(s), and I really like using this one HERE
WHAT you are probably saying to yourself? Has Carrie lost her mind? A MOP on your WALL?
YEP!
Consider how easily you can sweep, mop, wipe down your wall, using a great sweeper-mop type tool!
I found this one that I really like because:
- it’s really sturdy
- LOVE the side attachments and how it clamps down tightly and holds in the pads/cloths
- it swivels to allow you to get into tight areas around your ceiling as I will show you
- the pads that come with this are really high quality and washable!
- the extension pole, or rod, makes it possible for a short person to reach any height, or for you to get to most vaulted ceilings with a reasonable sized ladder
Pine-Sol makes your whole house smell amazing!
Ammonia great for disinfecting and getting rid of odors as you clean
Bucket
Mr. Magic Eraser I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these! I use them ALL the time. I’d marry them….but you know, lol
Cleaning Cloths These are microfiber, thick and should last through lots of cleaning
Walls are a big part of deep, or general cleaning.
- It is best if you first move all of the furniture away from the walls in the room that you are cleaning to have full access from ceiling to floor.
- Take down pictures and have the walls completely bare.
- First dust the walls before you clean them with a water solution. This avoids streaks and a ‘mud’ effect.
With these insttuctions you will be able to clean your walls much more easily, quicker and efficiently with better results. #clean #cleanwalls #howtoclean
TIP:
Another idea is to use a sweeper like this for the job. Simply use your own cloth and push into the holes or slots already formed into the top of the sweeper.
You can use a Cleaning Cloth just as if it were a Sweeper or Swiffer replacement in the floor mop and put the edges,
With these insttuctions you will be able to clean your walls much more easily, quicker and efficiently with better results. #clean #cleanwalls #howtoclean
And use as you would the other mop to clean your walls.
With these insttuctions you will be able to clean your walls much more easily, quicker and efficiently with better results. #clean #cleanwalls #howtoclean
To clean walls using a floor sweeper or mop , and a Cleaning Cloth that has been rinsed with the cleaner of your choice,
Such as Pine-Sol (1/4 cup Pine-Sol to 1 gal of water or to your preference)
or
Ammonia. (1 cup of Ammonia to 1 gallon of water or to your preference)
Now, we are going to clean EVERY BIT of the wall area easily and effectively, so you don’t waste your time!
With these instructions you will be able to clean your walls much more easily, quicker and efficiently with better results. #clean #cleanwalls #howtoclean
Take off the Cleaning Cloth and rinse periodically as needed, making sure you have a clean cloth to work with as you clean you walls, this is really important.
To do this correctly:
Begin at the top edge of one wall and bring the mop/sweeper down towards you; either the full length of the wall, or half way, whatever is easier for you.
With these instructions you will be able to clean your walls much more easily, quicker and efficiently with better results. #clean #cleanwalls #howtoclean
SUGGESTED:
1- Clean half way down until a portion of the wall is clean.
2- Then do the bottom half.
3- Move to the next section and repeat.
Continue either process
With these instructions you will be able to clean your walls much more easily, quicker and efficiently with better results. #clean #cleanwalls #howtoclean
All the way around the room, taking care not to miss any areas.
With these instructions you will be able to clean your walls much more easily, quicker and efficiently with better results. #clean #cleanwalls #howtoclean
With the extension rod, or pole, you can reach and clean those high areas too.
With these instructions you will be able to clean your walls much more easily, quicker and efficiently with better results. #clean #cleanwalls #howtoclean
While you are it, don’t forget the ceilings:)
If you have an extension pole or rod. Use extreme caution if you are using a ladder of any type.
With these instructions you will be able to clean your walls much more easily, quicker and efficiently with better results. #clean #cleanwalls #howtoclean
Get Your Wall Cleaning Cheat Sheet to easily follow along!
Next Step
After the walls are finished, working with a clean cloth, wash off the light switches and the electrical plugs with the
Ammonia or Pine-Sol solution that you have chosen to use.
With these instructions you will be able to clean your walls much more easily, quicker and efficiently with better results. #clean #cleanwalls #howtoclean
Clean well all the door jams, doors and any other stationary parts, as they catch lots of finger prints and dirt.
With these instructions you will be able to clean your walls much more easily, quicker and efficiently with better results. #clean #cleanwalls #howtoclean
For black scuffs on your walls Mr. Magic Erasers work really well – however it can take the gloss out of your glossy and semi gloss paint on your wall.
Meaning you can see every spot you have cleaned. You may want to avoid using these on walls that are not white. Test on an inconspicuous spot to see how a Mr. Magic Erasers will work on your paint before using on a main area as this is not the case on all paint. You will love the feel and the smell of your home once you are finished the walls!
Do you know how to clean your baseboards? I’ll show you how HERE
My AWESOME readers have shared their tips with us and you will find them below – do NOT miss them:)
Tips –
The product ratio is recommended by PineSol to use 1/4 cup of Pine Sol to 1 Gallon of water. Recommended by HowStuffWorks the recipe is: Mix 1⁄2 cup vinegar, 1 cup clear ammonia, 1⁄4 cup baking soda, and 1 gallon warm water. Caution: Wear rubber gloves, and work in a well-ventilated area when using this powerful solution. (http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-hints-tips/cleaning-organizing/how-to-clean-your-walls-and-ceilings.htm–
————
*Be sure to begin at the bottom and work towards the top to avoid drips
————
Mary shares: In our family we use a cleaning mixture of baking soda, ammonia and vinegar added to a gallon of the hottest water your hands can handle, although using rubber gloves is advised because ammonia can be harsh on sensitive skin. This mixture all but cleans by itself, so be careful where you set your rag down. It is advisable so rinse the walls after washing and you will notice they are even more clean if you do rinse. this is safe for painted surfaces, and some of us have tried it on other surfaces as well. Try it on patio furniture, tires, kids play equipment kitchen cupboards, the possibilities are endless although I would not use it on wall paper, wood furniture or laminate surfaces. The precise measurements can be found on arm & hammer baking soda and bo peep ammonia. Try it, you will be AMAZED!!! Oh, it leaves such a fresh, clean smell to your home, you will look forward to spring cleaning! 🙂
————
Angela Shares: I keep a bag of “CLEAN” mismatched or damaged socks, at all times and use these for both cleaning furniture and as a generic Swiffer® Sweeper® Floor Mop. I take a few of them and layer them over each other so I get a nice thick cleaning pad, which takes off more gunk off the walls without having to go over the same thing twice. I have a bag in the laundry room that I just toss socks with holes or are fading in their color or got too small. FOR FURNITURE I take two socks and put them on my hand like I am making a sock puppet and then spray my furniture polish on to the socks instead of on the furniture because I feel it gives it a deeper and a buffed shine.
————
Sara asked me: Any tips for dealing with textured walls? I think the builder was going for “orange peel” but ended up with “rub your skin on this wall and bleed.” It tends to destroy paper products and tear towels after prolonged use. 🙁
My answer: Those heavy textured walls are really difficult I know we used to have them when our kids were young and getting crayon out of them was really a chore…the easiest solution would be an air compressor to blow out all the dirt and a power washer to clean the walls. But, since that would really be a mess, here’s some tips for you: Use the brush attachment on your vacuum and clean the walls getting in all the cracks and crevices really good to get the dust so you don’t have mud when you wash. Then get two buckets. One with clean water and one with warm water with a little bit of all-purpose cleaner or even mild dish soap. Now, put on an old cotton sock on your hand. This will clean without leaving bits and pieces on the wall like a sponge will. Now dip into the soapy bucket and begin at the BOTTOM of the wall and give it a good wash; working towards the top. If you want, or need, get in there with a soft bristled scrub brush, tooth brush or even finger nail brush if there are some tough areas. The reason you want to start at the bottom is because of the drips from this type of cleaning; this just makes life so much easier and the drips are easily caught. USING EVEN STOKES OF YOUR CLOTH, BEGIN AT THE BOTTOM AND GO TO THE TOP TO PREVENT STREAKS. Now, after the washing, comes the rinsing. Rinse out your sock really well and repeat the process, but with clean water, again with the bottom of the wall first, working towards the top. AGAIN, USING EVEN STOKES OF YOUR CLOTH, BEGIN AT THE BOTTOM AND GO TO THE TOP TO PREVENT STREAKS.
————
Linda asked: I live in an old house with real wood paneling at least 50 years old. What is the best way to clean them? The ceilings are paneled as well. I want them to gleam!
I replied: I haven’t had to work with wood paneling in quite a few years, since I was a young teenage actually, so I can’t say I’m an expert in any fashion. I searched a bit and I think I found you a really credible website with some terrific information that should help you in several ways in dealing with wood paneling. The link I found is: http://www.housecleaningcentral.com/en/cleaning-tips/living-area/clean-wood-paneling.html I hope this helps
————
Christine asked: How often would you suggest wall cleaning?
I replied: A good guide is spring and fall. Weekly or at least twice a month, if you have kids, or a lot of people coming in and out, I like to use the magic erasers (make sure to test in a non-conspicuous area and follow manufacturers instructions), a pail of water with a bit of vinegar in it and wipe the high traffic areas and get all the finger prints, marks and goo off to keep it nice and clean appearing. Even if I can’t paint often, or have ‘NICE, Expensive’ things in my home, if it’s clean – or pretty clean, lol, (it’s good to be able to feel like you live in a home, you don’t want a museum atmosphere, that’s for sure) I find I’m more comfortable and so are those who come to visit.
Get Your Wall Cleaning Cheat Sheet to easily follow along!
Copyright Carrie Groneman, A Mother’s Shadow, 2015, 2019
Recognize A Blessing And Be A Blessing Today
Great advice and huge thank you to Jody for sharing here today! Have a great weekend and hope you are on the mend now, Carrrie still 😉
Another tip:Nicotine off walls-scrubbing bubbles-or generic equivalent!
Now THAT’s a GREAT tip Dara. I’ll add this to the list on the post for everyone to have access to. Thank you so much for sharing!
What about hairspray over spray on semi gloss paint?
Hey Brenda, I searched for you to find the answer of how to clean hairspray on painted walls; I have that same problem and so glad you asked me to figure this one out. While looking I found this site that has some really good information and ideas of how to clean all the gunk off. It’s here: http://www.sistersshoppingonashoestring.com/get-hairspray-residue-off-bathroom-walls Thank you so much for coming by and please visit again!
Downy Fabric Softener takes hairspray off walls and doorknobs without damaging the paint or finish.
I did not know that Donna! I’m so glad you shared that with us so we can use that awesome tip. I love Down Fabric Softener for un-wrinkling clothes, so this is another reason to love it:)
my dad had me wash the walls with a bit of kerosene in the water. At the time we were all smokers and walls were discolored. The kerosene did the trick for nicotine so I’d guess it would work on hairspray.
Hello Sharyn, that is an interesting tip:) For taking off hairspray we use some acetone (fingernail polish nail remover) on a non-lint towel as linked in the post, and use a little elbow grease if needed on the wall. So glad you stopped by with your experience and hope you enjoy more posts on A Mother’s Shadow in other Lost Arts, Musings and the topics.
Would the scrubbing bubbles work on cheap paneling? I live in a rented house so I have to be careful at what I do. Also, I can’t stand the smell of wood cleaners. But love pine sol. Grew up with the stuff. Thanks Carrie and Dara.
Hi Lynn! Thank you for asking this question. I searched around since I’m not sure on this and I found a few that said yes they used scrubbing bubbles for paneling and a few that said not to – so that was confusing. I did find this link though that I hope will help you: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/easiest-cheapest-way-clean-paneling-make-shine-90068.html If you have any more questions, or if I can help, just let me know and I’ll keep looking. Thanks again for coming by:)
Hi there, I absolutely love this idea. Can you please provide the amount of each item to use?
Joanna, thank you for asking this question! I have updated the post with the increments for the ammonia and the Pine Sol. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I found that if I use the swiffer dry cloths first, most of the dust/spider webs/etc. come off before cleaning with a wet cloth
Fabulous idea Irene! That really is a good tip to take off the dry dirt and debris before using the wet cloth on the walls. Thank you so much for sharing this with us, and making the cleaning even more efficient.
I don’t wash walls very often…that duty was always assigned to our oldest [kid] whenever he got into big trouble! He’s become so good at it that you could have collaborated with him on this post…he would have had a few tips and tricks to share I’m sure! 🙂
PLEASE send them! I would LOVE to include any tips and tricks; anything helps. I miss my kids doing the baseboards for the same reason, lol.
Use dryer sheets for baseboards. They work great on dust removal.
GREAT tip Pat! I really appreciate your help so we can make cleaning easier and faster in any way possible. Thank you for your time and tips here.
You have to clean the walls????
Thanks Jody. I knew my mother and Granny did it, but I assumed houses were so modernized these days, they were self cleaning. 😉
Carrie, thanks for having Jody over.
Sisters are wonderful!
Oh, Melinda, you crack me up! That’s a good one and when your house does clean its own walls, pretty please tell me how to get mine to do it. I’m so lucky to have Jody; I’ll pass this on to her. Thanks Melinda.
Oh did i ever enjoy this one, now i must first mention that the older i get the harder it is for me to do these chores, along with this my short 4’6 height really causes problems for me.. I have a hard time cleaning my over head fans for this same reason, i am a young 73 but also have back issues and getting over four broken ribs. I would just like to find someone to help me wash my windows !!!!!!!!!!
Great tip on cleaning walls, how about the ceiling ??
Wow! You are a tiny gal, and I’m so impressed with all you do! Take care of yourself with your back problems and those ribs my friend. I would like to find someone to do my windows also, lol. Jody will be teaching us how to clean the ceilings and the fans in her next installment in the series. Sure appreciate your stopping by Mary.
Hi Carrie, haha now if only your sister could come to my house and clean for me!
Thanks for sharing this great cleaning tip at Cooking and Crafting with J & J.
Enjoy the week.
Julie xo
Julie, I’m with ya! I wish Jody would ‘practice’ on mine! hahaha. Thanks for stopping by.
These are great tips and actually this was something my mother just did not too long ago! 🙂
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
This make the job look so doable! I’m pretty short, so a big reason I often skip this job is that it requires stools or ladders or climbing on things that probably shouldn’t be climbed to use just a cloth in my hand. Thanks for the inspiration – I’m going to give this a try!
This certainly makes this chore seem manageable. Somehow I doubt that the pine sol will get this pesky crayon off the walls, though. 😉
Maybe the Mr. Magic Eraser will work??? Thanks for stopping by!
Lestoil will take it off. I learned this after reading Harold and the Purple Crayon to a three year old.
Great tip Fred! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you come by often.
Try baby wipes for the crayons on the walls. Hope this helps you.
No way!!! I will be trying this for sure very soon. I appreciate your tip, Tea and for your time to give us this awesome tip!
I know this thread was a while ago but, WD-40 is the fastest Crayon Removal I have found. And if by some accident of fate you should end up with something like tar on your wall… It’ll take that off as well (AND leave the paint on the walls!!)
WOW! Now that is a new one, and it’s always good to have WD-40 on hand for so many uses, and this is a GREAT way to use it also! Thank you Melanie for sharing with us.
Magic eraser does work on crayons and sharpie markers.
What a GREAT tip Dawn! That really helps to know with kiddos in the house, whether they are ours, grand-kids, or visitors, it’s good to know that for future reference! Thank you for the information:)
Great tips! I have to admit, I don’t clean my walls very often! Miss you lots Carrie! Sharing your post on Twitter!
I’ve missed you too Ashley and glad to see you again!
I love this idea, I hate washing walls because I need a ladder and a bucket. Then when I’m just getting things done I need to get down and move the ladder, then when I get back up I need to change the water or I drop the cloth! UUUUUUGGGGGGGGG! This would be so much easier. And putting a washcloth on my swiffer? Brilliant! I haven’t used mine in ages cause I refuse to break the bank for swiffer soap and pads! But I still have the mop itself! Yeah! Thanks for linking to #WAYWOW
Awesome idea since I have cathedral ceilings in my kitchen that are extremely hard to reach around the cupboards since our fire.. the swifter idea is going to work great!!
It is so easy-peasy with this trick! And you’ll love the other tool also. Thanks for checking in and I hope you enjoy the other cleaning posts also.
What about washing / cleaning the walls that are wallpapered?
Hello Lynne, I’ll have to see if we can address that one! What a good question because many walls do have wallpaper. Thank you for bringing that one up.
i always use a round sponge mop and a bucket. Works very well.
That’s another great idea Virgina, thank you for letting us know how you clean your walls. It’s always so nice to have options. Please let us know more of your tips for cleaning.
Do you recommend this for matte (flat paint) walls?
Hello Laura and thank you for asking that question. I would definitely see if you can find any instructions for your particular paint brand on the can itself, calling a paint store, or even googling the brand. If none of that works, you might try cleaning the walls in a non-conspicuous area to see how it affects the walls. I hope this helps and happy cleaning:)
Hello!
While washing my walls with my swiffer, I discovered that the dry swiffer cloths work much better than a wet rag of any kind! It was amazing, and soooooo much time was saved! I couldn’t believe how well they worked! No more messy water for me! Try it and let me know what you all think!
That is a great tip Tracey! Thank you for coming by to give us more options and tips to make cleaning the walls easier and quicker. Anything faster for this job is better!
How often would you suggest wall cleaning?
A good guide is spring and fall. Weekly or at least twice a month, if you have kids, or a lot of people coming in and out, I like to use the magic erasers (make sure to test in a non-conspicuous area and follow manufacturers instructions), a pail of water with a bit of vinegar in it and wipe the high traffic areas and get all the finger prints, marks and goo off to keep it nice and clean appearing. Even if I can’t paint often, or have ‘NICE, Expensive’ things in my home, if it’s clean – or pretty clean, lol, (it’s good to be able to feel like you live in a home, you don’t want a museum atmosphere, that’s for sure) I find I’m more comfortable and so are those who come to visit. Thanks for asking such a great question Christine.
Uff…washing walls is my least favourite job in the house… I pass the vacuum cleaner up and down the walls, but it does sometimes leave marks and my walls are all super white. But this is way better and I easier than holding up the vacuum cleaner. It’s a great tip, Carrie, it cleans better too I bet!!! On parts like the stairs, which are high it’s a great way to reach the top! Thanks for sharing this! Have a great weekend!!!
Thank you so much Katrin for stopping by and it really does work slick and fast on the walls, you’ll have to give it a try next time you wash them. I appreciate your visit!
Okay I live in an old house with real wood paneling at least 50 years old. What is the best way to clean them? The ceilings are paneled as well. I want them to gleam!
Hello Linda and I’m so glad you stopped by with a question. I haven’t had to work with wood paneling in quite a few years, since I was a young teenage actually, so I can’t say I’m an expert in any fashion. I searched a bit and I think I found you a really credible website with some terrific information that should help you in several ways in dealing with wood paneling. The link I found is: http://www.housecleaningcentral.com/en/cleaning-tips/living-area/clean-wood-paneling.html I hope this helps and please let me know if you have any other topics you’d liked covered in my Lost Art Series.
Swifter with microfiber cloths and Murphys Oil Soap OR AMISHMILK. If not shiny enough try lemon or orange polish. Apply THIS coat. Let rest and run over with a clean old thirty on your swiffer. I rubber band and can turn it when it gets too oily.
THAT is a GREAT tip Nancy! Thank you for sharing and I will definitely be giving your trick a try next time. Please drop by anytime with tips; we’s love to hear them.
Hi, Carrie! I remember my parents used to clean the walls, but can’t remember when I forget about it. I must confess I don’t clean walls too often…
Hugs,
Pili
Hello Pili, I hope this tutorial helps a bit if you need a refresher, or a reminder why you don’t want to do them, lol. Thank you for stopping by.
Ran across this post again, and I’m so happy I did. When I was hanging the Christmas decorations I ran into a bunch of spider webs, UG! LOL the worst thing? I left them there, I didn’t want to deal with them, then this post popped back up, I think it’s a sign to clean my walls when I take them down. Hmmm, now I think I’ll leave them up for a bit! LOL
HAHA, you’re my kind of gal Nikki. My sister wrote that post for me and I’m trying to get her to come over and help aka wash my walls, lol.
Will this work for soot on walls from using a ventless gas log? I don’t want a smeary mess.
I’m not sure on this one. I would recommend googling and seeing what cleaner would cut the soot. I remember as a kid one house I lived in had a coal furnace and there is a definite soot that comes from certain fuels. Sorry I can’t be of more help, but thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you find other posts that will be helpful to you and that you enjoy.
I keep a bag of “CLEAN” mismatched or damaged socks, at all times and use these for both cleaning furniture and as a generic Swiffer® Sweeper® Floor Mop. I take a few of them and layer them over each other so I get a nice thick cleaning pad, which takes off more gunk off the walls without having to go over the same thing twice. I have a bag in the laundry room that I just toss socks with holes or are fading in their color or got too small and with 4 people in my family you can count on a steady supply of these socks, lol.
FOR FURNITURE
I take two socks and put them on my hand like I am making a sock puppet and then spray my furniture polish on to the socks instead of on the furniture because I feel it gives it a deeper and a buffed shine.