No matter how well you’ve gone about completing an exterior painting or interior painting job, nothing stays pristine forever. Things get dirty. The process can be slow, such as dust and dirt settling on surfaces over time, or it can be quick and messy such as Junior making their next crayon masterpiece on your wall. Below we will go over a few common stains and how to properly remove them from your painted walls.
Dust/Dirt
Dust, light dirt, cobwebs, etc. in homes from Middletown to Narragansett, may seem troublesome, but these pesky problems are pretty easy to take care of. The first step for any stain removal is to place some sort of towel or drop cloth around the cleaning area where the interior paint had been affected by the stain. This will protect your floor from any cleaning solution that may run down the wall as you clean. After we have placed our cloth, use a vacuum attachment or a dust mop to remove excess dust and debris from the wall working from the top of the wall down. Take a container (a mop bucket) and fill it two thirds with some warm water and as a small amount of dish soap. Using a sponge dampened in the solution, lightly wipe the wall down from top to bottom rinsing and repeating with the sponge as needed. Dry the wall with a non-abrasive cloth or towel such as terrycloth.
Crayon
If you have little ones, you know they can be creative and messy. Having a creative child is wonderful, but sometimes that creativity can end up in undesired areas, like the walls of your home. If you come home to some unwanted crayon art, there is a pretty easy way to tackle those stains and you probably already have it in your house. If you apply a small amount of baking soda to a damp cloth and gently scrub the painted areas it will usually lift the markings from the wall without much effort. Since baking soda can be slightly abrasive, test it on a part of your wall that isn’t highly visible to make sure it doesn’t damage the interior paint you have chosen. After you have scrubbed the area wipe off any excess water or baking soda and dry off the wall.
Marker
This is another common stain that can be really easy or difficult to remove depending on the type of marker used. If it’s washable, a light mixture of water and dish soap can most likely handle the job. If it is permanent the process can be tricky. Many people have luck with stain remover sponges (Mr. Clean Magic Erasers), or harsh chemicals such as alcohol with varying levels of success. It is highly recommended that you test these approaches in an inconspicuous area to see how they will affect the paint on your walls.
If you are looking at removing numerous stains, or if you are dealing with tougher stains such as grease or smoke, you may want to consider repainting those areas of your home. Whether it’s advice for cleaning your current walls, or embarking on a home decorating project in South Kingstown, we would love to hear from you. The paint contractors at DMP have the experience to give your walls the perfect finish. Contact a DMP home painter online or by telephone at (401) 789-2181 for a free consultation.
