How to clean a painted wall

Over time, your walls can become quite dirty. Everything from splatters of food to make up and crayon marks can leave streaks on your wall.

But fortunately, you don’t need to cover it up with a fresh coat of paint and you can instead clean it. It’s not a difficult process and you just need to be gentle. Here’s how to clean a painted wall.

1. Dust the wall first

Dust or vacuum the wall to get rid of excess dust and dirt. If there's a specific mark you want to clean, you only need to dust that area. 

2. Dip a sponge in water

For most marks, all you need is a soft sponge and warm soapy water. For the majority of paints, you need to use a soft sponge and not a scouring pad.

However our paint is extra scrubbable and can handle a scouring pad, so if you’ve got some particularly stubborn marks you don’t have to worry about damaging the paint.

Light marks can be dabbed away with warm soapy water. You should use this approach first for all marks as it can be quite effective.

All you need to do is dip the sponge in water and wring it out. This will stop excess water from running down the paint and causing streaks.

You should wait two weeks after painting before you wash your wall.

3. Gently rub the mark

Warm soapy water shouldn’t affect your paint, but just to be sure test it first on a small patch first. If the paint is fine, lightly rub the mark in a circular motion to get rid of it. This should work for most marks but if you’re trying to remove, pencil, crayon, rub marks or marker pen – you might need to tackle a different approach.

For tougher stains, you can try a multi-purpose cleaner or baking soda diluted with water. Again, dip the sponge in the solution, wring it out and rub the mark in circular motions. You might need apply light pressure for really stubborn marks.

You should completely avoid any product that contains alcohol as this could break down the paint and leave marks.

Gloss finishes are tougher than satin and eggshell but they can scratch easily, so be careful when you’re scrubbing.

4. Maintain your paint finish

Regular cleaning will help your paint finish last longer. You don’t need to completely wash it, just use a duster or the soft bristle attachment on your vacuum to regularly clean the wall.