can you use vinegar and water to clean walls before painting?

Wondering if information technology's okay to wash your walls earlier painting using vinegar? Or mayhap you lot're only here to find out HOW to clean walls with vinegar.

Today, we're covering all things related to cleaning walls and prepping them earlier painting — including the use of this common cleaning staple.

We'll find out if it's okay to simply paint over the dirt and grime (or not), as well as when you lot'd desire to use a vinegar solution for washing the walls. So I'll guide yous through, step-by-step, on how to clean walls with vinegar before painting.

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Can You But Paint Over Dirty Walls?

Why not just paint over all the dirt and gunk? Later on all, everyone does it.

While modern paints are pretty good at adhering to whatever surface, and you could just comprehend it up with a couple coats of paint, doing and then might event in chipping or peeling down the route (source).

Why have that gamble? It's best to practice it right from the start and ensure that your handiwork holds up to the exam of time.

A Word of Alarm: Even if your walls appear clean, they commonly have a thin coat of dust and oils from fingerprints. And so, if you paint over them without washing the walls get-go, they could later show up as stains on the newly painted surface.

Can You Wash Walls With Vinegar?

Absolutely! Vinegar is a more wellness-witting alternative to commercial cleaners, and it's really piece of cake to apply.

In rooms where at that place's footling traffic and no humidity or cooking grease, you could probably get away with wiping walls down using patently water. But in high traffic areas, and peculiarly kitchens and bathrooms, you lot'll want to use something a little tougher.

Vinegar is tough on grease while being gentler on us.

When cleaning painted walls with vinegar, I volition suggest that you spot test your walls first, especially if you lot're just doing routine cleaning and don't program on painting over them.

While vinegar shouldn't harm your paint's finish, it'due south always a expert idea to test an camouflaged area before getting started in earnest.

Supply List

Washing your walls with vinegar before painting them is pretty unproblematic, and you lot don't demand much to become started.

Assemble up the post-obit:

– vinegar

– h2o

– a couple of large buckets

– cleaning cloths and/or cellulose sponges

– coarse material (for glutinous residue)

– pace ladder

Additional items you might need for prep:

– spackling paste

– paint scraper/putty knife

– sanding sponge

One time you accept everything ready, it'south time to get started!

How to Wash Walls Before Painting (Using Vinegar)

Step 1: Remove Nails from the Walls

It'll be easier to wash the walls if y'all don't have to navigate around nails or other items, so you'll want to remove them and fill in the holes with spackling paste, allowing it to fully dry earlier washing the walls.

Step 2: Scrape Cracked or Flaking Paint

Employ a paint scraper to remove flaking paint, and smooth out pocket-sized imperfections using a fine-grit sanding sponge.

Also, peel off tape and remove sticky residue at this fourth dimension. If something is really glutinous, you can soak a rag or sponge in undiluted vinegar and hold it over the gluey spot for a few seconds. Then try to scrape information technology off with a coarse cloth.

(Yous may need to repeat this step a few times until the stickiness is completely gone.)

Pro Tip: If y'all accept little ones who treat your walls equally their personal canvas, try a magic eraser to remove stray crayon marks.

Step iii: Vacuum and Dust Cobwebs

The quickest and simplest way to remove grit and cobwebs is with a vacuum hose, and then attempt that if you can. Otherwise, a broom should do the trick.

Step iv: Patch any Holes or Cracks

Fill up in blast holes (if yous haven't already) and cracks using spackling paste. Use a putty knife to remove backlog spackle from the walls.

Allow it to dry fully according to their instructions before attempting to launder the walls.

Step 5: Make full a Bucket With Vinegar and H2o

You'll want to take hold of a couple of buckets, filling one with half water and half white vinegar. Fill the other saucepan with evidently h2o.

Step 6: Wipe Down the Walls and Rinse

Wet your clean material or cellulose sponge with the vinegar water and, starting at the top of the walls and working your way downwards, begin wiping them down in a circular motion.

Avoid soaking your cloth/sponge with too much of the solution, or you lot'll end upward with a moisture mess!

Make certain to rinse the walls with clean water (and a different sponge) equally yous go. Replace the make clean h2o oftentimes, and replace the vinegar-h2o solution as needed.

(Got mold or mildew? This article volition aid you get that cleaned upwardly.)

Step 7: Permit to Dry out Thoroughly

If the walls are visibly wet, yous tin can always dry them with a clean, lint-costless cloth. That said, you'll still want to allow plenty of time for the walls to dry out. They should feel dry out to the impact.

If you paint clammy walls, y'all could end up with a host of problems (such equally baking). Trust me, yous don't want to deal with that!

What's Next?

One time you take cleaned and prepped the walls, information technology's time to get started painting! Of form, you'll want to remove outlet covers and tape effectually fixtures, plus lay plastic on the floor and over anything you lot can't movement out of the way.

And that'due south it. Piece of cake peasy, right?

It can definitely be fourth dimension-consuming to launder walls before painting (with vinegar or without), merely information technology's not complicated, and it'south certainly worth it. I'd hate to have you encounter problems in the future and have to start once more from the beginning.

Have yous encounter bug with painting over dirt and grime? Is there annihilation else you need to know well-nigh how to make clean walls before painting? Permit me know in the comments!

Ready to purchase your pigment? These are the 10 all-time pigment brands for gorgeous interior walls.

OR…

Need help choosing a color? Here'south how to cull a wall colour that you won't instantly regret.