The Real Estate Browser Volume 9, Issue 11 | Page 24

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Volume 9 Number 11 – Say you saw it in The Real Estate Browser of Lynchburg — 23
How to Get Stains & Grease Off Walls
Learn how to clean 7 tough stains off your walls — and ensure a lasting paint job.
You can’t wait to cover up that nasty beige on your
walls, but as you take a close look at all the areas you’re
gonna have to prep you see a lot of grime, gunk, and
stuff that looks too stubborn for your standard vinegar
wash.
Any cleaning rookie can wipe off dust and cobwebs.
But it takes a cleaning pro to scour grease stains, water-
marks, and kids’ crayon and ink wall art.
Kitchen Grease on Walls
Grease is an occupational hazard of cooking. If only
it wouldn’t ind it’s way onto your walls and cabinets,
trapping all kinds of gunk. Yuck!
Good news. Any decent dish soap can remove grease
stains on walls.
For small stains, mix: 1/4 teaspoon of soap in a cup
of warm water, and wipe. Rinse with clean water, and
blot until dry. Clean stubborn grease stains with solu-
tion of 1/3 cup of white household vinegar with 2/3 cup
of water.
Dirt and Grime Buildup
The oil from your hands gets onto walls, cabinets,
doors, and door frames. A wall eraser, like the Mr.
Clean Eraser ($3 for 4 pads), easily wipes away these
stains.
Wet the sponge and rub gently to avoid taking bits of
paint off with the stain.
Or make your own homemade wall cleaning sponge:
• 1 cup ammonia,
• 1/2 cup white distilled or apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• one gallon of warm water.
Wipe the solution over walls with a sponge (or
cloth), and rinse with water.
Crayons
Wall erasers work like a charm on crayon marks. If
they don’t do the trick:
• Rub marks with toothpaste (not gel).
• Erase marks with an art gum or a pencil eraser; use
a circular motion.
• Swipe marks with baby wipes.
• Sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge and scrub
marks.
Permanent Marker
Permanent markers are tough to remove from walls.
Soak a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and dab the
stain. Or spray marks with hairspray, then wipe drips.
Ink
Ballpoint ink, which is oil-based, often melts away if
you use foaming shaving cream, dry-cleaning solvents
such as Carbona, or nail polish remover.
Make sure you open windows when using cleaning
solvents and polish remover.
Mildew
Mildew is a fungus that eats soap scum and body
oil. To remove from walls, spray with vinegar water:
1 tablespoon white vinegar to 1 quart water. Also, try
an enzyme laundry detergent; follow the pre-treating
directions on the label. Blot it on the stain, and then
rinse thoroughly with water.
Water Stains
After you’ve solved the problem that caused the
water stains, rinse with a solution of 1 cup bleach to 1
gallon of water to prevent mold and mildew from grow-
ing. Thoroughly dry with a hairdryer or fans. If bleach-
ing doesn’t remove water stains, you’ll have to repaint.
Prime the walls with a stain-killing primer, such as Kilz
Paint.