Tips On Cleaning Before Painting 

If you’re one of our regular readers, you know that we often comment on the importance of prep work before a paint project has begun. Painting over spider webs, dust, and debris is a surefire way to have imperfections on your newly painted walls and ceilings. 

Prep work and comprehensive cleaning are two critical steps that should take place prior to any paint project. When you hire our painting team, we take care of all of this for you from the top to the bottom of the room or rooms. 

However, if you have taken on a DIY paint project, here are some tips on what to clean and how. 

Dust the Ceiling & Walls

It’s always a good idea to start from the top and work your way down the surfaces of a room. Take a mop or, if you’re tall enough, a cloth and dust every inch of the ceiling and walls. Pay close attention to the corners where dust and spiders love to weave their webs. 

Don’t forget to take off outlet covers and faceplates and dust all along these areas as well. 

Wipe Down Walls

Once you have dusted the ceiling and walls and taken off surface dust and debris, now it’s time to get serious. Fill a bucket with warm soapy water and use a cloth to wipe down the walls. You may need to scrub in some areas where stains have been left. 

Stains could include food splatters, chair rubbing marks, toothpaste splatter (in bathrooms), and fingerprint smudges and grease stains. Each type of stain will take a different level of elbow grease, but the idea is to create a clean surface to allow the new paint to adhere to properly. 

After you have wiped them down, allow them to dry thoroughly before moving on to the next steps. 

Trim & Detail Work 

Many New England homes have detailed molding and trim work that are architecturally interesting. Make sure you use a brush to clean in the crevices to make sure you are not painting over dirt or dust. Lack of cleaning these areas will most definitely lead to peeling and bubbling later on. A few extra minutes “detailing” your trim work can mean a longer lasting paint project. Plus, detail work can really pop when it is cleaned and painted! 

Windows & Caulking 

While you have your cleaning gear out, it’s also a good idea to wash your windows and wipe down the caulking along the edges of the glass. This will give you a good idea if the caulking is damaged and remove any excess dirt and grime that is on the windows, window sills, or window frame. 

Need more information on cleaning and prep work before you start your paint project. Check out our blogs on prep work. 

Categorised in: Interior painting, Jerry Enos, Painting Challenges