How To Clean Wallpapers And Walls - Wallpaper Cleaning Tactics

The wallpapers or the walls are often neglected while cleaning. People tend to ignore them completely until the kids find their canvass on them and start rubbing the crayons. Apart from attracting dust and dirt, the beauty of the wallpaper can also be spoiled by our daily habits. When you have kids at home, it becomes completely difficult to control. The habits like touching the wallpaper with the dirty hands or unintentionally standing with your feet on the wall can leave smears and smudges deposit. Whether your walls are papered or painted, whether it looks clean or dirty, you must ensure wallpaper cleaning at regular intervals to keep them gleaming and perfectly clean. Here are some of the steps that you must follow for wallpaper cleaning. It usually has 3 important segments – wallpaper dusting, stain removal, and cleaning.

Wallpaper cleaning and dusting

Vacuuming – The dust and dirt accumulation on the wallpaper is a normal thing. You cannot stop it but what you can do is wallpaper cleaning and vacuuming. Plug the vacuum cleaner on, attaching the wall brush extension to it and start vacuuming the accumulated dust from the ceiling top of the wall. Again, it will be easier if you divide the wall into small sections while cleaning. If you are facing height problem and the extension is not enough, you may take a ladder while wallpaper cleaning. Use the vacuum cleaner with gentle strokes and do not rub or scratch it.

Use a Broom and Cloth to Reach the Corners – The top corners are hard to reach areas and may need your detailed attention. Put a microfiber cloth over the broom and swipe it from the left to the right wall. Ensure that the cloth is not too dirty, as it may leave smudges on the wall. The cloth can reach you even in the hard to reach corners and remove the dirt and dust. Use it from top to the bottom for thorough wallpaper cleaning.

Wallpaper cleaning and stain removal

Remove Crayon or Grease Stains – Scrape the extra crayon by using a putty knife. Once you have cleared the surface, the crayon or grease stain must be covered with the paper towel. Now, use an iron set on the lowest heat temperature over the stain and leave it for a minute or two. The remaining stain should seep into the towel. If you have used a washable wallpaper, then take cleaning solution in a piece of cloth and wipe until the stains are completely gone.

Remove Fingerprints – The dirt and oil from your fingerprints on the wallpaper can be removed with the help of a gum eraser. Gently rub the eraser over it to remove the fingerprint stains while wallpaper cleaning. For vinyl wallpaper, use the soap and water solution for cleaning.

Ornamental and utilitarian covering for walls.

For wallpaper deep cleaning

Ensure Type - What kind of wallpaper are you using? Is it vinyl, coated fabric with vinyl or acrylic covering or the plain paper wallpaper? You can spot clean it and check if the cleaning method works on your walls paper. You may scrub the vinyl wallpaper with the soft sponge but ensure not to use an abrasive one for cleaning. For wallpaper cleaning without a protective cover, a dry sponge without moisture can help in getting rid of the dirt and dust on the wallpaper. Once you are sure about the type, you can move on to the next step of wallpaper cleaning.

Wallpaper Cleaning - Make a wallpaper cleaning solution with two tablespoons of dish soap and a bucket of warm water. The colored detergents may leave stains on the wallpaper so, it is always advised to use clear soap. Take a soft cloth, dip it in the solution, and carefully wring the excess soapy water into the bucket.

You must always test a small wallpaper cleaning area to check if the solution causes any kind of damage. If all is fine, you can continue wallpaper cleaning in a vertical direction from the top to the bottom. Always ensure that you divide the wallpaper into segments and clean small segments at a time. The soap should never be overused as it may stick the dirt to the walls.

Coloured or patterned paper that is used for covering and decorating the walls of rooms.

Wallpaper Rinsing – Take a bucket filled with fresh water and a clean cloth. Then, rinse the divided small segments with a clean damp cloth. Do not overuse the water. Dry the sections as soon as you rinse with another clean cloth to avoid the moisture from soaking in.

Conclusion

To keep your home sparkling clean, wallpaper cleaning is essential. The dirty walls and wallpapers can make your complete room appear dark and filthy. You may also check some of the ways to clean home using lemon in one of our last articles. From wallpaper cleaning to the rest of your home, it can help in the overall cleaning of your house.

Moupriya Das