5 tips on keeping walls clean

Keep your walls looking great with these easy cleaning tips.

• Dusting will make your paint and wall coverings last longer by keeping dirt from building up and grinding in when you wash them.
• A lamb's-wool duster works well. Or wrap a microfibre dust cloth or clean white cloth around a broom and dust with that — a technique that's especially handy for high spots and the ceiling.
• Vacuuming with a soft-brush attachment is another effective means to dust your walls, especially when removing cobwebs in corners.

When it's time to wash your walls, you want to clean them thoroughly without harming the paint or wallpaper. Here are two solutions you can mix up yourself that are cheaper and at least as good as anything you can buy:

• Option 1: Mix 225 grams (one cup) of borax and 30 millilitres (two tablespoons) of dishwashing liquid in four litres (one gallon) of warm water. Borax is sold in the detergent section of the supermarket.
• Option 2: Mix 225 millilitres (one cup) of ammonia, five millilitres (one teaspoon) of dishwashing liquid, and four litres (one gallon) of water.

Wash the walls with a natural sponge, available at hardware or home improvement stores, or use a white cloth.

• For run-of-the-mill spots on the wall — a kid's dirty hand print, for example — mix baking soda with water to form a paste. Apply it to the spot with a soft cloth, then wipe clean with a damp sponge.
• To remove small wall smudges, just rub gently with an art-gum eraser.
• Did the kids go crayon crazy on the walls? Spritz with oil lubricant, and the crayon will wipe right off.
• Ink or marker? Use rubbing alcohol. For grease, mineral spirits is the solution.

• "Hey, why wash a wall before painting?" you ask. "The paint will cover the dirt anyway, right?" That's true.
• The problem, though, is that the paint may not stay on the wall as long as it should.
• For a long-lasting job, the paint needs a clean surface to cling to. Trisodium phosphate (TSP) is a strong cleaner that will remove all foreign matter from your walls.
• It will also make glossy paint dull, which is good before repainting because new paint will adhere better to a dull surface.
• But it's also the reason you shouldn't use TSP for general wall cleaning. Make sure to wear vinyl gloves when using TSP.

A light coating of spray starch on hallway and stairwell walls will make it easier to clean grime off and prolong the life of your paint job.