What is a good home cleaner for painted surfaces?

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What is a good home cleaner for painted surfaces? We’re getting ready to paint a few rooms and want to make sure the surface is clean and well prepared.

Does anyone have a homemade solution? I know that Pine-Sol works, Ammonia mixed with water, etc. Any suggestions?
 
Baking soda and water solution works just fine on painted walls if it’s just ordinary dust and oils you are trying to remove. There are instructions on the box for making a good cleaning solution.
 
Della said:
Baking soda and water solution works just fine on painted walls if it’s just ordinary dust and oils you are trying to remove. There are instructions on the box for making a good cleaning solution.
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Great idea, but don’t you have to go back over the area to remove the residual baking soda film .ie. clean/scrub the area > then wipe down with a damp cloth to remove film? Since we have several rooms to paint I was hoping for a one step solution.😃
 
Water with vinegar and a little detergent (dish soap, baby soap, etc) works well too!
 
for large wall cleaning clean them the way you’d clean the floors…with a mop!!!😃 One of those o’ceder ones with the sponge attached works really well. They’re also cheap enough to get a new one (or a new head) so that way you don’t get floor dirt on your walls.
 
also realize that glossy paints on the walls often need special primers before you can even do a primer in the color you want.
 
Spic and Span works great on walls, floors and pretty much every other surface.
 
Thanks everyone for your suggestions. They are all good. I like the vinegar cleaner, but wondering if anyone has tried an Ammonia based cleaners?

The wall mopping is a great idea.👍
 
GratefulDad said:
Thanks everyone for your suggestions. They are all good. I like the vinegar cleaner, but wondering if anyone has tried an Ammonia based cleaners?

The wall mopping is a great idea.👍
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Ammonia could be too harsh for some latex-based paints. If you still have the paint cans the instructions for cleaning should be there. Or, you can go to the paint manufacturers’ websites to see if they have cleaning instructions for their brands.
 
I have found nothing works better than a damp microcloth. Just wet with warm water and squeeze. You can get them at the grocery store and many other places. Libman makes them and they are sold in the sponge/mop section of the grocery store, but other companies make them too. I found the dollar store ones to be too thick though. It has great cleaning power and it won’t leave any soap residue that you have to wipe off before you can paint. You’ll want to use it for all your cleaning! I hardly ever have to use soap. If I am cleaning greasy surface I will use a bit of grease-relief dish soap, but usally all I need is the damp microcloth. I thow them in the wash or in the dishwasher between uses.
 
My dad told me the first time we painted to use a solution of TSP and water so that’s what we’ve always used before painting.
 
My dad also says TSP is the best. I think it depends on how dirty the walls are and how long it’s been since they were washed–and maybe the type of paint. In any of the houses where my parents have lived, since they are heavy smokers, they needed the strength of TSP. If you don’t smoke, you would probably have good luck with milder cleaners.
 
I wouldn’t use any solution on any indoor walls. I would just use hot water and then cover everything with a good coat of primer, which you should do anyways. I’ve heard too many horror stories of latex paint not adhering well after someone uses something to clean their walls before painting. That’s why God invented Kilz.😃

Then again, I’m paranoid like that.
 
Third vote for TSP. Painted in the old house we just purchased last fall, and it worked really well, I think. All the DIY and paint company sites that I looked at recommended it.
 
And a 4th vote for TSP. I’ve always been told it is a necessary step before painting.
 
rayne89 said:
My dad told me the first time we painted to use a solution of TSP and water so that’s what we’ve always used before painting.
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Have you guys used TSP on the inside of your house? I have use on the outside of the house to prep with, but not the inside walls?🤷
 
I’ve used TSP on interior walls in my house. No problem. I think it is a great product.
 
GratefulDad said:
Have you guys used TSP on the inside of your house? I have use on the outside of the house to prep with, but not the inside walls?🤷
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Yes, I’ve never painted the outside -we have vinyl siding ;). I do remember my dad saying to rinse well afterward -which we did. It’s been a while since we’ve painted. We’ve never had problems.
 
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