At first glance, cleaning a wall and baseboard or trim seems like a pretty cut and dry task. It’s a wall.
So maybe you grab a cloth and then you open your cleaning supplies cabinet…but there you pause. What can you clean a wall with? Will cleaning a stain just cause a larger stain? Will it strip away the paint or wallpaper?
Obviously, you are not the first person to have this problem. This task can be a little more work than you initially thought, but not too much more.
Imagine what a couple stains on the wall would do to the beauty of this otherwise pristine living room!
You’ll need a different approach for each type of wall you clean. You’ll use different products for wallpaper walls versus painted walls.
Baseboards and trim require a completely different method because of their molded, wooden surfaces.
Worry not, though. We will cover everything you need to know in this short explanation.
Before you begin, you’ll want to pick up a couple items for cleaning walls of any style. You’ll need:
- At least one microfiber cloth
- General, multi-surface cleaning product
- A non-abrasive and clean sponge
That’s it. Not so bad. Let’s begin.
Cleaning a Painted Wall
Painted walls are one of the easier tasks to deal with. This is because many paints are actually designed to handle light cleanings. These types of walls can handle gentle multi-surface cleaners.
Make sure you move all your furniture away from the wall you are cleaning. Cover the furniture if you’d like.
When you are ready to begin cleaning, address any stains or scuffs first. These will require a little added attention.
Use your multi-surface cleaner to remove any scuffs. But make sure to consult and follow the directions and safety guidelines on the label.
Don’t scrub the spots, that will damage the paint. Instead just wipe gently until the problem disappears. Once you have eliminated the spot by wiping it away, just allow the area to air dry.
Cleaning a wall made of wood
You can use the same methods for cleaning walls made of wood as you would a painted wall.
Before you clean a wooden wall, you’ll want to dust it off. You can use a cloth or a duster. Get rid of as much as possible before beginning. Dust and cobwebs are a pain to deal with if they get wet.
Again, like painted walls, You should attack stains, scuffs, and marks first. Use your multi-surface cleaner to remove any scuffs. Remember to follow the directions and safety guidelines on the label.
How to clean wallpaper
Generally, there are two types of wallpaper. The kind you can wash and the kind you can’t. Commonly just referred to as “washable” and “unwashable” wallpapers.
If you are unsure which type of wallpaper you have, you can spot test an area first and wait to see if there are any adverse affects to applying cleaner.
If your wallpaper is washable, then you’re in luck. You can clean it using the same methods as you would a painted wall.
If your wallpaper is unwashable and has been stained, you can and should go with dry methods of cleaning, like dusting, first.
Don’t apply water to your unwashable wallpaper. Instead wipe away any dirt and dust you can with a dry cloth.
If there is a stain you need to treat, you can try applying heat.
You can do this with by pressing an absorbent cloth over the stain and then run a hot iron over the cloth. This works well with removing dried grease stains from the wall.
Make sure your iron isn’t so hot that it may burn the cloth or the wall itself.
How to clean baseboards and wall trim
Cleaning baseboards and trim is a lot easier than dealing with walls. There are a lot of ways you can mess up a wall, but a baseboard is just wood.
All you really need need is a duster, a general multi-surface cleaning product and some clean water.
First, dust your baseboards and trim down.
Then scrub them gently with your cleaner. Make sure to always follow instructions and safety labels. Don’t scrub with anything abrasive that might scratch or damage the wood.
Rinse off with clean water and let air dry.
And that’s all there is to it!
