Do Walls Need To Be Cleaned Before Painting?

Washing the walls before applying primer and paint is one of those things that almost everyone agrees upon. But it isn’t clear whether there are any advantages to doing so. 

The question of how much cleaning is enough has been debated for decades. There are plenty of people who think that washing the walls is unnecessary, while others swear that it’s vital. So we asked three different painters about the matter. Here’s what they had to say.

There are plenty of reasons to consider washing the walls before priming. It helps ensure a smooth finish and prevent problems down the road. Also, it can make the job go much faster and you have a chance to check out the overall appearance of the wall.

Finally, it lets you see how well the primer adheres to the surface, which can give you clues about whether you’ll need to use additional layers of primer.

Below, we discuss some basic concepts that might be useful if you are looking to know how to perform the cleaning yourself. 

How To Clean Walls Before Painting

Cleaning your walls before painting them is very important. The paint won’t adhere well if there is any kind of residue on the wall. Dust, dirt, and grime can cause problems when applying paint. You’ll end up spending more time trying to fix the problem after painting instead of enjoying your finished project.

A few reasons why cleaning is important, are listed below:

• If there is excessive dust on the walls, it will affect the quality of the paint job and result in poor paint bonds,
• If the walls are dirty, they won’t dry properly.
• If the walls are not cleaned well, they will look messy after the paint dries.
• If the walls are wet, they will shrink during drying.
• If the walls are damp, mold will grow on them.
• If the walls are dusty, they will attract loose dust particles.
• If the walls are greasy, they will attract grease spots resulting in loose paint. 
• If the walls are stained, they will stain the paint.
• If the walls are uneven, they will cause the paint to crack.
• If the walls are damaged, they will damage the paint.

Following are a few cleaning steps that you should be mindful of before cleaning your walls.

Remove Dust From Walls Before Painting

Painting walls can be tricky. If you want to avoid having to re-paint the room again, make sure to clean it thoroughly beforehand to get a properly clean surface. This helps ensure the paint sticks properly. 

Therefore, get rid of dust or sticky dirt from walls before you start painting. Using a duster, remove anything stuck to the surface of the wall, such as cobwebs, dust, or even leaves.

Use a tack cloth in circular motions to wipe away any excess dust. If necessary, use a vacuum cleaner to suck up any remaining residue.

Wipe Down Walls Before Painting

Once any dry material is gone from the wall, you’ll want to clean it up using warm water and dish detergent. This will help prevent paint from staining anything else on the wall. Next, let the walls air dry before applying a primer coat. 

Remove Grease Stains From Walls Before Painting

Walls that have been marked up with crayons and chalk should be thoroughly washed down with warm water and a mild dishwashing liquid using a damp cellulose sponge. The same applies to greasy walls.

Cleaning walls for painting purposes can help prevent staining during the paint application process. Grease stains can occur for many reasons, including food spills, cooking oil drips, and even soap scum.

Cleaning walls before painting using mild soap and water is usually enough to clean them as part of the process of preparing walls.

However, kitchen walls might accumulate grease, while the walls in children’s rooms might have crayon marks and in this case, you may need to use trisodium phosphate (TSP), also known as sodium triphosphate.

Note that phosphates are increasingly being banned due to environmental concerns. The alternative is to use a product called phosphate-free TPS, which works just like TSP but does not contain phosphates. Major paint manufacturers in the US also produce products in this category.

The best way to remove grease stains is to wipe them down with a damp cloth dipped into warm water mixed with mild detergent.

Be careful not to rub too hard and risk scratching the surface. If necessary, try cleaning the area again with another damp cloth to get a glossy finish. You may want to apply some stain remover to the spot as well.

Clean Up The Room

Painting is one of those DIY projects that people do themselves because they don’t want to pay someone else to do it. But there are some things you shouldn’t do while working on a wall.

Major paint companies suggest that you should never put anything down on the floor. If you’re putting something down on the floor, you might pick it up and throw it on the wall. 

You should use a roller to apply paint onto drywall. Remember to use paper drop cloths to cover your floor If you use a foam roller, we suggest using masking tape to protect the area around the edges of the wall where you plan to paint.

When you’re finished, it is a good idea to clean the room after cleaning the wall to make sure the painting isn’t compromised. 

If you don’t clean walls before painting, it could compromise the results of your efforts. You may not end up getting a perfect finish. You might end up with a poor paint job because of dust, grime, or residue left behind by previous layers.

And even though you cleaned your wall properly, there are still some things you can do to make sure you get a good finish. You can hire professional painters if you are looking for high-quality cleaning and painting services.