Before you start house painting in Pleasant Hill, you may want to consider the preparation steps needed to achieve the best results. Not cleaning dirt, grime, and finger prints can make a wall look bad and can affect how well new paint will stick to the wall. Follow these tips to help you clean your walls so your new paint job will look great.
It is important to know what type of paint is on your wall before cleaning it. Semi-gloss finishes are the easiest to clean and are actually scrubbable with the correct tools. Not all homes use semi-gloss paint, though. The painters may have used satin finish which can be washed and even scrubbed lightly, but you don’t want to scrub too hard. It could remove the paint from the wall. Eggshell finish can be considered resistant to dirt and prints, but may need to be cleaned around light switches where hands are most likely to leave dirt and prints. The hardest paint finish to clean is flat or matte finish. This finish will hold onto dirt more than any other finish. It is best to find a hidden area and test cleaning it to see what pressure and cleaner is best for the surface and not affect the color.
A plastic drop cloth can be placed under the area to be cleaned and will protect the floor below from water spills or splashes. Remove dust from the walls with a feather duster or dust mop. Move from side to side, from ceiling down, one wall at a time. This will keep the wall from developing dirty streaks on the wall. When the dust is gone, prepare for cleaning the walls. If you place your cleaning water near the area you’re dusting, you may get dust in the water and make the surface look worse than before.
Using a microfiber cloth or eraser sponge that is slightly damp with water and a mild detergent, gently wipe the fingerprints. You do not want to spray cleaner onto the wall directly because it can cause the color to fade. Keep in mind what finish is on your walls so you can adjust the pressure you use accordingly to avoid damaging the surface.
If you are washing an entire wall, start at the base of the wall instead of at the top. Use a mild detergent if your walls are very dirty or a solution of one cup of distilled white vinegar mixed with plain water. If you use the vinegar solution, you will not need to rinse.
Clean and rinse the wall, in about 3 foot widths, and then dry the section you just finished cleaning. A soft, clean towel is a good choice, but pay attention to be sure the towel doesn’t leave too much lint. When you’re finished cleaning and drying one section, move on to the next section.
You may want to ask for help cleaning the walls. One person can dust the walls, another can clean fingerprints and grime from around the light switches, and someone else can wash the walls. When the wall cleaning is done, you will then be ready to do house painting in Pleasant Hill.
