Washing walls.

Jillhill, If your walls have nothing greasy on them and you are painting again, you just have to dust them off. If they do have some residue, then I would use water with a little Dawn dishwashing liquid mixed in. I was a painter for 7 years so I have learned through trial and error.

I use plain water. Guess that's not really washing the walls but to get the dust off. Our house was painted a year ago and all the walls look great right now. Does Murphy's oil soap leave a film on the walls? I know it's a good product.

LOL I haven't washed our walls since we moved into our apartment two years ago. I just wipe them down with a cloth. I read in your earlier comments that diluted vinegar works, so I think I might just try that. Does it work for everything else too? I wish I could paint our walls but because we don't own our apartment, I can't. These cream walls are so boring that I have to add pictures, paintings, and wall hangings just to add some life into our home.

I use either murphy's for wood walls or any amonia based cleanser or a vinegar dilution. vinegar is really an excellent cleanser and removes so much gunk and build up - if you have a smoker in the house you may wish to use vinegar. I am so fortunate that my smoker smokes outside. . . he always had, ever since we were going to move into an apartment that previously housed smokers and we washed the walls and ceilings which we thought were painted yellow.... nope! it was the nicotine... he promised to never do that to me and he has kept his word as far as that goes. good thing too as I have now developed asthma.

I just recently washed the kitchen walls. I had smudges two feet up all around the walls...not naming names, but she is almost two years old and always putting her sticky hands on everything! Now I just have to do the rest of the house! I just used a squirt of dishsoap in a sink full of water. It did the trick and now my walls are clean again..for a couple of days anyway.

Hi..in the UK...we have a product called Mangers sugar soap...its good for greasy surfaces etc... Now im afraid im a bit lazy..as i tend to just coat them over with paint...unless the greasy bit is too bad.

The walls in this apartment are painted white, so i usually use bleach in the bathroom and kitchen. To be honest there is so much crap against the walls and on the walls like all the puzzles we glued together and posted on boards and hung, i've never washed the walls in the living room and bedroom. . well that's not true, i wasshed the bedroom wall, but only where the bed is up aginst the wall.. The oils from our skin makes the wall look greasy so i wash that once in a while ;)

I recently read that diluted vinegar is the best thing to use so I also am going to start washing them down tomorrow and that is what I will use. I am trying to become more enviromentally aware of chemicals and I am looking into natural cleaning products.

I usually wash my walls with water and whatever laundry detergent I use. They come in such nice fragrances these days. The added fragrance helps the whole house smell fresher and cleaner. If it's good enough for my clothes and linens, it should be good enough for my walls.

Hi Jill, oh what a job, here in UK I use something called sugar soap which maybe the equivelent of the Murphy's oil soap you mentioned not sure, but a homemade one that will work is about 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup washing soda and about half cup of ammonia if you have per gallon of warm water, but vinegar and water on its own should still be pretty good. Ellie :D

hi I use hot soapy water, it works really good. I also use pine sol, but like you if I run out and don't want to run to the storee I use hot soapy water and it it amazing how it gets the dirt off. we have white walls, we live in a complex that they won't let you paint a different color if they did I sure wouldn't use white.