If you want to clean your walls, you can do that with flat paint relatively easily. Flat paint is very user-friendly paint that will allow you to clean your walls very effectively. It won’t create a rough patch of paint; instead, it will be smooth, easy to apply, it will look past all the imperfections, and it will provide a very smooth, and pleasant finish. In this article, we will discuss how to clean walls with flat paint.
Although it is very effective for this use, you will have to be very careful about how you use it. The biggest downside of flat paint is that it’s very easy to smudge, and it is not exactly the most durable material out there. You will find flat paint most commonly on ceilings where the danger of smudging and people walking over it is close to zero.
But still, it can be very effectively used for walls, too. One thing that you must keep in mind is that it might (or almost certainly, will) lead to smudging on your walls. In that case, the question of how to clean the smudging will arise.
But this is not what this article is about. Instead, we will talk about how to clean walls with flat paint without making a mess. During the process, you will want to make sure that the paint is not damaged in any way.
Do You Already Have Flat Paint?
Of course, you will have to know if you have flat paint walls in the first place. You can find this out very easily, by just looking at the wall and making some quick analyses.
The main feature of the flat paint is not its texture, but rather its look. Flat paint is very good for hiding imperfections on the wall, so you will find it very often. But the easiest way to spot the flat paint is by looking at whether it reflects light. Flat paint has a matte finish, which means that it should not reflect light; in fact, it will reflect 0-10 percent of the light, even from an angle.
Using flat paint is very simple, and at the same time, very effective. That is why it is so common in many areas. It is the standard choice for inner areas, such as walls and other pieces of the interior design. Here are some of the features of flat paint:
- It hides imperfections of the wall pretty easily, prior to and after painting it on the wall.
- The surface will have a smooth, and uniform appearance than with some other paints.
- You will barely notice any scratches or nicks on the wall, as it is very resistant to those situations.
How to Clean Walls with Flat Paint
Starting with really strong conditioners and cleaning materials is certainly not the best idea. Start small, and work your way up from there. The wall can get smudged quite easily, and you might ruin it if you are too aggressive from the very start.
First, prepare the walls for cleaning. Remove the dust from the walls with a dust feather or a vacuum cleaner. Clean all the particles and possible obstructions on the wall.
Then, you can start working with the methods we provide here for how to clean walls with flat paint. You can easily remove smudges, smears, and all sorts of stains with a few simple, but effective methods. Here’s how to clean walls with flat paint.
With Plain Water
As we said, start with less aggressive methods and move up to more aggressive ones if these fail at the start. All you will need is a soft sponge and some water. Water can be quite effective for this task, so give it a chance.
It’s better to use a very gentle and smooth piece of cloth or sponge that you will rub the wall with. If it is too rough, you can make a right mess from the start. Start wiping with water and the sponge to see if it works, and try to remove the stain altogether. If you can’t completely remove it, then you have established that a stronger solution is required.
You can use the melamine sponges that are unlikely to ruin the flat paint walls. If you have a darker-colored wall, then this sponge might leave white residue on the wall. You can simply clean that with a towel straight after the cleaning, with a blotting action.
You can start rubbing the stain with the sponge very slowly, and try to become more aggressive if you see that the stain is coming off. If you tackle the stains as soon as possible, then you might be able to avoid using any cleaning solutions altogether.
If you can’t get everything out with just water, try using vinegar and see if that works. If not, move on to the next solutions.
Use a Detergent
If you were unable to treat the wall with plain water, then you can consider using a laundry detergent. However, you need to be careful with the amount of detergent you use, as it is quite an aggressive solution for flat paint walls.
Here’s how to clean walls with flat paint with a detergent. First, pour one gallon of water into a bucket, and add a tablespoon of detergent into the water. Mix it thoroughly, and then use a rag and dip it into the mixture. Then, start wiping until the stain comes off.
It would not be a bad idea to try the solution first on an inconspicuous area to see if it damages your walls at all. If you find that it works nicely, then you can start using it for your flat paint walls.
One thing to note is to do the cleaning with a circular movement, and to clean the soapy material off the wall once you stop cleaning. You can do that with a dry towel by performing a blotting movement. Detergents are usually quite effective at cleaning flat paint walls, although they can cause some damage.
Use a Foam Cleanser
If the above solutions fail, then you can resort to a more powerful solution: the foam cleanser. But you will have to be very careful with this method. It can cause damage to your flat paint if the cleanser is too strong. A good idea would be to test the cleanser before use to see if it messes with your paint, just like with the detergent.
Here is how to clean walls with flat paint using foam cleanser. First, spray the cleanser onto the wall. While doing this, view the instructions on the packaging of the cleanser, just to make sure you will use it properly.
According to the instructions, leave the cleanser on the wall for a set amount of time. Then, wipe it off using a damp rag, and avoid scrubbing the cleanser with the rag. Instead, do this gently and very slowly as to not damage the neighboring areas.
Alternative Methods
Apply Touch-Up Paint
If you can’t get it off with the methods we discussed above, you can try these alternative methods of how to clean walls with flat paint.
The first one is to apply a thin layer of touch-up paint onto the stain, or the area that was possibly damaged during the cleaning process. You can buy the paint, just make sure that it is of the same color as the wall.
Gently feather the color with a brush. Be sure that you don’t make too noticeable lap lines. You might have to repaint the whole wall.
Repaint the Wall
If all else fails, you still have the option to repaint the wall completely. You can use the same paint, or you can opt for a more glossy, and powerful paint. The choice is yours.
If you enjoyed reading this article about how to clean walls with flat paint, you should read these as well:
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The post How to clean walls with flat paint without ruining them appeared first on Impressive Interior Design.
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