What’s the Best Way to Clean Your Walls Before Painting?

Making sure you have clean walls is an important step to take before you begin an interior painting project. It ensures that your paint has the best chance to bond to the wall surface for the long haul.

Below you’ll find some ideas for best practices on cleaning your walls prior to any interior painting project.

Should You Clean Walls Before or After Making Repairs?

Focusing your efforts on cleaning before you make repairs is the right way to go, as the spackling, plaster, mudding, caulking, texture, etc. that you apply to your walls will need clean surfaces to bond to, as well.

Of course, you don’t want the water you use in cleaning the wall to absorb into anything that it shouldn’t. If any sheetrock or other water-absorbent surface is exposed, avoid putting water on it until after repairs are done. Brush or vacuum out any debris instead.

After you’ve patched things up, you may need to lightly scrub down the wall again to remove any haze – but be careful not to damage the repairs you just made. Repairs freshly done are ready to be primed and painted without washing.

Do You Have to Wash Walls Before You Paint?

Washing your walls is an important step to take before you begin either an interior or exterior painting project. It removes the dirt and grease that can form a layer underneath the new paint you’re applying and prevent it from bonding to the wall surface properly. This means that given enough time, your new paint may begin prematurely peeling, bubbling, or falling off. Washing your walls also helps to eliminate or dull stains that may penetrate through new layers of paint.

Should You Use Chemicals to Wash Your Walls?

In general, chemicals are not needed. Warm water will remove dust and other water-soluble residue. A mild detergent like Dawn® or even 2-3 tablespoons of plain vinegar in a gallon of water can be used to remove grease resulting from handprints or cooking. But you don’t need to go crazy with chemicals, and don’t use anything that will take off paint, as it may lay a poor foundation for the work you’re about to do.

How Should You Scrub Your Walls?

You will need the following:

• Soft sponge (not the dish cleaning scratchy kind)
• Towel
• Ladder or step stool
• Bucket of warm water and soap, vinegar, or other cleaning chemical you’d like to use

It’s pretty simple – set up your workspace so that you can easily access the entire wall’s surface – you will need to clean the whole thing equally. Get your sponge damp and move in small circles with gentle pressure – you’re not trying to scrub the paint off or anything. After you get an area cleaned, dry it with a towel. Check the wall in good lighting to make sure there are no streaks left over, and clean again if the wall is still dirty.

Check out this video from Sherwin-Williams for more information on preparing an interior wall for paint:

If this talk of how to clean your walls before painting has you less than excited to get started, call the interior painting pros at Mt Hood Pro Painting. From cleaning to cleanup, we’ll get your walls covered.