Get sparkling clean walls in no time flat
A clean home just feels better, doesn’t it? If your once-pristine teal accent wall has seen better days, from toddler hands to dust bunnies, it’s time to break out the cleaning supplies. If your wall is painted with flat paint, cleaning it isn’t as easy as it would be with an eggshell or glossy finish, but it can be done! Learn how to clean walls with flat paint to enhance your home’s appearance in six quick steps.
Before getting your cleaning solution out and starting to work, there are a few things you should do. First, different paint finishes demand different cleaning techniques, so it’s important to make sure you actually have flat paint on your walls before you use this guide. If you painted the walls yourself, you probably know what kind of paint you used. If not, shine a light on the wall at an angle toward you and use the tips below to determine if you have flat paint:
If you just see the wall lighten and you don’t see a concentrated glow or the outline of the light source, then you probably have flat paint.
If you see a concentrated glow on the wall but can’t make out the shape of the light source, you likely have paint with an eggshell or satin finish.
If you can make out the shape of the light source relatively clearly, you more likely have a gloss finish on your walls.
Additionally, we recommend laying a plastic tarp under each section of the wall you plan to clean, especially if you have carpet in the area. This will prevent drips from damaging your flooring and baseboards during cleaning, as well as paint drops ruining your floors during any touch-ups you might need.
Before you begin cleaning your painted walls, make it easier on yourself by removing any wall art and rearranging your furniture. Doing this will open up the room and help you get into those hard-to-reach areas.
It’s also a good idea to tape off any electrical outlets to prevent water or cleaning solutions from damaging them or creating a risk of electrical fire. Taping around the outlet covers or removing them entirely is helpful if you think you’ll need to touch up the paint around them.
Don’t start breaking out your cleaning solutions and sponges just yet. You still have another problem to tackle: dust and cobwebs. If you dampen the walls without removing debris, your walls will still look dirty after cleaning.
A vacuum cleaner with a light upholstery brush or a duster can remove dust particles and cobwebs. Start at the top of the wall and slowly work your way down.
Now that the dust and physical debris is off of your walls, you can move on to the actual cleaning process. Grab a bucket and fill it with warm water. Then, dip a sponge or soft microfiber cloth in it, and wring out the excess water. Next, clean your wall, starting from the top and working your way down.
If you’re happy with the results, no further action is required. But if the stains remain, it’s time to bring out the cleaning agents.
"A simple soap solution is highly underrated,” says Asya Biddle, Angi Expert Review Board member and manager of The Dust Busters janitorial company in Williamsport, PA. “Dish soap and water can be used to clean anything from windows, countertops, mirrors, sinks, and walls. Depending on the brand, it may also act as a disinfectant."
Before washing your flat paint wall, you’ll need to prep two buckets. One will have a dish soap solution, and the other will be used for rinsing. To create a cleaning solution, add five to ten drops of liquid dish soap into one gallon of warm water.
Take your sponge and gently scrub your walls in a circular motion, once again starting from the top and working your way down. If you want to be more organized, you can clean the walls in sections to ensure they get a thorough cleaning. Don’t scrub too hard, though; when you’re cleaning eggshell paint walls or flat walls, you could lift the color if you scrub too heavily, creating an even bigger issue.
Once you’ve cleaned an area, rinse your sponge with warm water from your second bucket and wipe it down. After a few rinses, the second bucket may start to get soapy. So make sure that you empty it and fill it with some clean water.
You’re finally making some headway on your walls now that you’ve used dish soap to help with stains. But there might be some areas that need something a little stronger. In that case, you can create another cleaning solution using white vinegar and warm water.
Add one cup of white distilled vinegar into a bucket of warm water and mix. Then, follow the same steps; start from the top of your wall and work in small areas until you get to the bottom. However, no rinsing is needed since you’re using vinegar.
If you’re still having trouble with stains or cleaning soot from your walls, you can use baking soda as a substitute for the vinegar. Mix one-half cup into a bucket of warm water and wash the stained areas thoroughly. The texture of the baking soda should provide a little extra scrubbing power to get deep stains or soot out.
After all of your cleaning, there may still be a few stains that won’t come out no matter what you’ve tried. Scrubbing may have also left some scuff marks or removed some paint.
You can cover these blemishes with a small amount of touch-up paint. If you want to make sure the new color matches the existing finish, mix the paint thoroughly before applying and be sure to feather the edges.
Now that you know how to clean walls with flat paint, your next step is to ensure they stay clean longer. Since it’s harder to clean than other paint types, the goal is to make your next cleaning session less labor-intensive. Here are a few tips to keep your flat paint walls clean:
Place decor and furniture in front of your wall in high-traffic areas to protect it
Tackle scuff marks, dirt, and debris immediately
Change your air filters frequently to prevent dust buildup
The cost to clean walls using a professional service ranges between $170 and $480. These costs depend on the size of your walls and the amount of dirt built up over time. Cleaning flat-painted walls is a little more involved than cleaning walls with other finishes, but it’s a project that just about any homeowner can do with a little time and effort.
With that being said, we recommend hiring a house cleaner near you if you’re concerned about damaging your walls or if you have particularly heavy staining on the walls that you can’t get out, or cover up yourself. A house cleaner costs between $30 and $50 per hour, on average, but it could be worth it to avoid damaging your walls. It’s also a good idea to hire a professional to clean high ceilings if you don’t have the proper safety equipment.
Depending on the extent of the staining and soiling, you might also need to hire a local painting company to complete touch-ups after your cleaner does the bulk of the work.
You can wipe flat paint clean, but you’ll want to use a light hand so you don’t remove any paint along with dirt and debris. Flat paint lacks the protective finish of eggshell, satin, and gloss finishes, so color removal is a concern. Wipe the walls with a dry cloth and then run a sponge soaked with warm water over any stains. Don’t scrub. If the stain doesn’t lift, try adding a few drops of gentle liquid dish soap or detergent. Trying a spot test first is always a good idea.
Flat paint has a much shorter life span than other finishes due to the lack of protective gloss. How long flat paint lasts on walls will depend on sun exposure, moisture, temperature variations, how often it is cleaned, and more. While it’s impossible to give an exact number, don’t be surprised if you need to repaint walls with flat paint every few years.
Although you can use bleach to clean many surfaces in your home, using it on walls can permanently damage the color or even remove paint and expose the paint or bare walls underneath. You’re better off using a light hand, some water, and a small amount of liquid dish soap or vinegar to clean walls with flat paint. If you have mold growth on your walls with flat paint, then a professional cleaner may use bleach, but you’ll almost certainly have to repaint your walls afterward.
No, you should never use isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to clean flat paint or paint with any other finish. Isopropyl alcohol works similarly to a paint thinner, so it’s likely to liquify the paint on your walls and leave damaged or bare areas. For stubborn stains, try mixing one cup of vinegar or baking soda into a bucket of warm water and scrubbing very gently with a soft sponge. If the stain or soiling is pervasive, touch up the area by repainting the affected areas.
