Cleaning Interior Wall Prior to Painting

[Mike]

What is the desired method for cleaning interior walls before painting?

Thanks,

Mike

[mark Ransley]

it depends on what they are contaminated with Be specific as to Contamination

[3GCPO]

TSP solution found at most hardware stores.

_\ \ \ | / / / _ ( ' 0 - - 0 ' )

-----ooO----(__)----Ooo----- 3GCPO

[Mike]

Yes, I read about TSP but I'd like to find something that doesn't require rinsing.

Mike

[peter]

Next time your hands are really dirty and you go to wash them, look what happens. Are they clean before you rinse them? Or is the dirt still there?

Would it be different with your wall?

You're paying money for paint, you're investing your time. The amount and quality of the prep work will determine how long before you must do this again. If you wash and rinse thoroughly and use a high quality paint, it could be a decade or two before it needs painting again. If you scrimp, it could be next year when it needs painting again.

BTW, when I use TSP before painting, I use a solution three times stronger than specified on the box. I also find the job is easiest using a sponge mop--preferably with a new sponge. If the surface is really dirty or the room is a bathroom or kitchen, I wash and rinse at least twice. Sometimes more.

Good luck.

Peter

[Mike]

Thanks for the advice.

Mike

[mark Ransley]

AS i Said Be specific , Grease or AIR DIRT are different .............. and different in time and cost

[Mike]

[Mike]

Bedroom walls. No grease. Air dirt.

[montana]

Mike- What everybody is telling you is true. There isn't a good no-rinse cleaning agent, and if you use a floor (sponge) mop, the work will go very quickly. Rinsing twice and leaving it for a day is the way to go. As a DIY gal, I've tried every shortcut in the book and they really aren't worth it.

[Dusty]

I guess I ought to be ashamed to admit it, but I have only vacuumed living or bedroom walls before painting. That is if they had only air dirt. And I have never had a paint job go bad. So maybe they do not need cleaning solutions and rinsing before painting.

[George E. Cawthon]

Like others stated, use TSP, but you don't need to rinse. I wash with TSP using an old wash rag, wiping most of the fluid off. I never rinse, and I never have paint failures. How much you wash depends on how dirty the walls are. If you have crayon marks and other such stuff you need to get it off, but if it is just regular dirt that accumulates you just wipe over it and scrub a little to remove finger marks. I generally use about 1 gallon of solution for a room and use an old wash cloth that is wrung out enough so it doesn't throw water around; but my walls aren't very dirty. The main purpose of washing for me is just to cut the sheen a bit. If you have had renters, children, or other people that are hard on the walls, then by all means wash more carefully and let dry before painting.

[peter]

Or maybe you've never had a paint job go good and you don't know what it's like. There may be a higher standard of quality than what you're used to.

[Mike]

Montana, I now see the right way to do it is wash and rinse twice which I'm going to do.

Mike

[Mike]

No dirt is visible. The house is in the city. I'm going to wash and rinse.

Mike