How to Clean Walls with Flat Paint: Most Effective Ways!

A wall that is smudged up, tainted, and has marks all over it, is never attractive and can kill the entire look of your room! That is where the ‘How to clean walls with flat paint’ concept comes alive.

Flat paint is a go-to option for most people. Simply because it is matte and does not reflect light at all. In addition, it can easily be accessible. So, you may also have your walls painted with flat paint.

But this common choice has a huge drawback too! It easily accumulates dust particles and is prone to smudging. So, you may already have faced this issue and are in search of solutions! Don’t worry! Let me walk you through the entire process of how to clean walls with flat paint!

Now before we embark on the process, let me tell you a handy trick; less is more! Flat paint requires delicate handling so as not to damage the integrity of the layers and some simple methods are enough to remove stains.

The Required Material to Clean Walls

1. Clean Piece of Cloth
2. Warm Water
3.  Vinegar, or Lemon/Lime
4. Foam Cleanser/Detergent
5. Special Paint Erasers
6. Paint
7. Paint Brush
8. Ladder

Process of How to Clean Walls with Flat Paint

Image Credit: Maggie Zhan

Now, we’re going to start with the simplest methods of cleaning walls with flat paint and then move to heavy ones.

A. Cloth or Sponge

Dampen the sponge/clean cloth with some warm water and gently rub at the smudge. If the stain is fresh and not too adherent, it will easily come off.

B. Vinegar, Baking Soda, Diluted Lime Water

These can be very effective in cleaning the walls with flat paint. Use any of them in a small quantity and rub them off gently on the wall.

C. Detergent in Cleaning the Flat Paint Walls

Mild detergents that are not too harsh on the paint can also do the job. It is very effective in terms of stronger stains that do not come off easily with water alone.

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D. Customized Sponges

If all the above methods fail, you can use melamine-based foam sponges. These ‘magic erasers’ are designed to remove deep smudges. It is, in fact, the most effective one of how to clean walls with flat paint. But be careful as they tend to leave a residue that has to be cleaned up afterward.

E. Touch-up Paint

If the paint is fresh and isn’t too faded then a new coat of paint can also be fruitful. However, you can only do this when the rest of the paint isn’t too old, or the new patch would stand out in strong contrast!

F. The Last Straw

If the smudging is too big or too deep and just refuses to come off, then your last resort is to pick up the paint and brush and re-paint the entire wall! Yes, this requires time and effort but you’ll also end with a brand new and clean wall!

These are the effective ways of how to clean walls with flat paint, pick the one that suits your walls best.

Tips & Tricks of How to Clean Walls with Flat Paint

Image Credit: JESHOOTS

And now let’s have a look at some of the ways to make the most of your paint. These might sound basic, but following them will not only make the paint last longer but also will help make the cleaning process easier!

1. Clean the smudge as soon as it’s made. Do not let it sit and become stronger.

2. Do not be too vigorous in your efforts. Gentle rubbing will do the trick in most cases. Going in hard and strong will only cause your paint to fade off!

3. Regularly dust the walls with a sponge or vacuum even if you do not spot any large smudges. It will keep the walls clean and the paint fresh for a longer period.

Read More: How to Fix a Sagging Fence

4. Deep clean the walls once or twice a year. You’ll notice that your paint lasts longer and the walls become visibly refreshed with the process.

5. Pre-test on a small and hidden patch. It is indeed very important for you!! It ensures that the agent you’re using won’t be too harsh on the paint and will not damage it in the process. You don’t want your paint to come off along with the smudge tool, do you?

6. Work from top to bottom. In this way, you can clean the drips as you come down and reduce the amount of work being put into it.

Conclusion

So, these are the things you may consider while looking for ways of how to clean walls with flat paint. Don’t let that smudge irritate you any longer! Now you know how to get rid of it. Let’s get to it straight away and have walls that are spick and span alongside a new look!