How to clean walls without ruining the paint (2024)

The walls in our home are painted with a lot of care, attention and focus. So it’s nothing short of tragic when they’re suddenly splashed with something in the kitchen, or fall victim to pen marks if you have a young family.

Luckily, you don’t need to apply a fresh coat just yet. We’ve rounded up our top tips to clean walls, and without leaving any damage behind. Whether you’re dealing with a sudden stains, everyday scuffs, or just want to give your walls a once-over, here’s everything you need to know.

Top tips to keep your walls spotless

USE BLEACH TO REMOVE MOULD FROM WALLS

USE A WASHABLE PAINT FOR EASY CLEANING

How to clean a painted wall

Before you do anything, it’s a good idea to prepare the space. If you’re planning to give the whole wall a wash, you will need to move any furniture away and protect your floors from any drips and spills with a couple of towels or dust sheets. If you’re cleaning around light switches or power sockets, protect them by covering them up and switch off the power.

Start by removing the excess dust using the soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner. Reach from the skirting boards right up to where the ceiling meets the walls and into the corners. If there’s any cobwebs up here, you can vacuum those away at the same time. You’ll need to dust your walls first as you don’t want to spread the dirt around while you wash.

Before you continue, it’s good to know what type of paint you’re working with. Some finishes are more fragile than others, including matt and satin. While paints which are high in gloss will be more durable. Consider the base of paint too; oil-based paint is more hard-wearing than latex. Don’t scrub delicate paintwork or use abrasive cleaners as it can easily take damage. Those which are more durable can still be scratched as well, so stick to a light pressure as you clean.

Now you’ll want to mix up a solution of warm, soapy water (stick to a mild washing up liquid to prevent damage). You won’t need lots of soap; a few drops of washing up liquid will be enough. You can alternatively use a sugar soap solution if you’re dealing with heavily soiled walls. Next, dunk a soft sponge into the water, and then wring out the excess until it just feels damp. You’ll also need a second bucket filled with plain water and another sponge for rinsing.

Gently wipe over your walls with the damp, soapy sponge working from top to bottom. Take care not to apply too much water to your walls and don’t scrub at the surface; gentle wiping in a circular motion is best. If this is the first time cleaning your walls, it’s a good idea to test the solution in an inconspicuous area first to check it doesn’t damage or discolour.

Leave each section to work for a few minutes and then repeat the process with the plain water to remove the soap, again working your way from top to bottom.

Finally use a dry sponge to dab any excess water away. You might want to open up windows and doors to speed up the drying process too.

How to remove stains from a painted wall

Before you tackle the stain, you’ll want to remove any excess where possible, so things don’t get worse. Place a cloth directly beneath so it won’t run down and carefully work from the outside in lifting it from the surface. Try not to spread it as you do this.

Once that’s done, you need to consider the best cleaning solution for the job; that includes taking the type of stain and paint into account. Options include:

Sometimes soap and water will be enough, so it’s worth trying that first.
If you need something stronger for greasy marks, you could dilute some distilled white vinegar with warm water (one part vinegar to four parts water). Although this is acidic, so it’s best used on more glossy, durable finishes. Diluted distilled white vinegar is handy for removing finger marks from your wallpaper too.
If you’re dealing with pen marks, a sponge eraser can help to lift stains too, although it’s quite abrasive again, so don’t apply too much pressure here and reserve it for more durable surfaces.
A classic bicarbonate of soda paste can come to the rescue too. Simply mix a tablespoon of bicarb with a splash of water. It should form a thick, gloopy paste. Apply this directly to the stain, lightly rubbing it in, and then wipe it away with a damp cloth once the stain is gone. It’s particularly effective on grease-based stains.

How to keep your walls clean

Clean little and often whenever you notice stains and scuffs. They will be more manageable if dealt with sooner.
Opt for washable paint the next time you redecorate. The GHI has tested them to find the best washable paint options.
Make sure your kitchen extractor fan is clean and switched on. The grease and smoke from your cooking can discolour your walls over time.

FAQ’s

What is the best thing to wash walls with?

This really depends on your type of paint and its finish. Generally we’d always recommend starting with a mild washing up liquid combined with warm water for painted walls. But, depending on how durable the paint is, distilled white vinegar, a magic eraser, or bicarbonate of soda can be handy for spot cleaning.

How do you clean walls without leaving marks?

As well as using the right cleaning solution, this comes down to technique. Try to work your way from top to bottom when cleaning your walls, tackling one small section at a time. Streaking can be caused by using too much water and leaving the wall saturated, so try to firmly ring out the sponge between applications, and dry where you can with a dry cloth at the end. It’s important to wipe rather than scrub as well, as this can remove the paint.

Can you wash walls with washing-up liquid?

Absolutely, so long as it’s a mild washing up liquid applied with a soft sponge, but always test first. Testing is particularly important if you're trying more abrasive cleaners too. Latex-based paint or paints with a matt or satin finish tend to be more fragile than oil-based paint, or those with a high-gloss finish, so that’s worth keeping in mind.

How do you clean wallpaper?

First, you need to check if the wallpaper is washable. If it is, you can follow the general steps above to clean it, including dusting, applying soapy water (wringing out the sponge so as not to saturate), and then rinsing with a fresh sponge and drying. If it’s non-washable, stick to dusting.