The walls accumulate much more dust than you imagine, regardless of the finish. To achieve a clean wall, first remove all pictures and wall decor. Second, move furniture away from the walls so you can easily access it. Finally, when you start cleaning, dust the walls from the baseboard up to the ceiling with the wall brush on your vacuum or a soft wall brush. Pay special attention to corners, baseboards, and moldings because those places can collect the most dust and cobwebs.

Clean stains fast

To maintain a clean wall, food stains should be cleaned as soon as possible to remove any solid particles. If grease stains remain, use cleaning fluid with an absorbent mix such as Fuller’s earth clay or tailor’s (French) chalk. For ink splatters, carefully blot the stain as soon as possible with a damp cloth. The next step is to apply fuller’s earth or tailor’s chalk as you would a grease stain. If the ink stain persists, you can try using ink erasers as another option.

wood paneled walls

Wood paneled walls rarely need more than dusting. However, if they start to look dehydrated and dirty, you can clean them with a soft cloth along with liquid wax. Rub the panels continuously with a clean, soft cloth until you can touch the wall without leaving fingerprints. If your wood-paneled walls are painted with gloss paint or enamel, avoid cleaning these types of walls with soap. The use of soap on enameled surfaces often leaves a distinctive film.

wallpaper

Daily wallpaper care includes immediate removal of marks or stains. Light stains and pencil marks can be removed with chewing gum. Crayon marks can be removed with a soft sponge and cleaning fluid, although this should be tested on a small piece of wallpaper first to ensure the cleaning fluid won’t ruin the wallpaper. Warm soapy water can be used if the paper is washable.

washable wallpaper

Even if the wallpaper is labeled washable, you should still test it before you start working on it. Use warm soapy water and a soft sponge and carefully test the paper by rubbing it with a little water with a light dab. If the colors don’t run and the area dries properly, you can go ahead and wash the wallpaper. Washable wallpapers can be cleaned with warm water made with mild white soap or a mild detergent. Continue as above, being careful not to apply too much pressure as you rub. Remember to be very careful when washing wallpapers as using too much water will soak the wallpaper and weaken the glue.

Delicate Wallpaper

To clean thin and delicate wallpapers, use lukewarm water without detergents or soap. Always work from the bottom up. This is important as water dripping down a dirty wall leaves a streak that is not easy to remove. Also, change the water when it gets dirty so as not to soak and clean the wallpaper with dirty water.

Lacquered wallpaper

Lacquered wallpapers can be easily washed with warm soapy water or detergents. Wax-coated wallpapers for walls can be simply cleaned with a damp cloth. Specialty cleaners are essential for fabric covered walls.