Tackling Tough Wall Stains

Of course our homes get dirty and we spend a good amount of time in our day to get the cleaning done. But how many times do we think about cleaning the walls? If you are like most of us, you don't really think about it. Unless the dirt on your walls are, let's say, driving you up the wall. Here are some simple tips to help you get your walls sparkling clean.

Removing the not-so-tough wall stains

To remove simple wall stains such as small marks, you can easily do this by rubbing the stain gently with an art gum eraser. If you don't have an art gum eraser handy, you can simply rub the small mark gently with toothpaste.

Another great way to remove small marks left on your walls is to pour a few tablespoons of baking soda and add some hydrogen peroxide into a small container, just enough to make a paste. Apply this mixture to the stain on the wall and let it sit for about five minutes. This will cause the stain to bubble and it will remove the stain. After about five minutes you just gently blot with a clean, soft white cloth.

To remove an ink stain, you can apply a little bit of rubbing alcohol on a clean, soft white cloth and then blot it on the stain. Just wait about five minutes and then gently blot to remove the stain. If the stain isn't thoroughly removed, just repeat the process.

Removing the tougher wall stains

The stains that can appear on walls that are from grease, crayons, or oil can be pretty stubborn and hard to remove. You will need a different approach for these tougher stains.

You can try to use a Mr. Clean cleaning sponge, which you can find in most grocery stores. This product does a great job in removing tough stains on walls. To remove the stain you will want to rinse the sponge with a 50/50 solution of water and white vinegar. Use this in caution because the sponge can remove the paint so you will want to wipe gently. The sponge is also great in removing crayon and most black magic marker stains. This will come in handy especially for you out there that have younger children that like to draw art on the walls.

Additional wall stain removal strategies that you can use

You can also try mixing a few tablespoons of cornstarch and just enough water to create a thick paste. You will plaster the stain and wait until the mixture has had a chance to dry, this may take several hours. This works because as the cornstarch dries it will absorb the oil.

To safely remove the cornstarch mixture you will need to attach the brush attachment to your vacuum cleaner and vacuum the mixture of the wall. If you try to rub the mixture off, that could smear the mixture and that can possibly remove the paint from the wall. After vacuuming the mixture off, wipe any remaining residue with a barely damp cotton cloth.

If none of these strategies help to remove the stain, you may have to apply a primer over the stain and then paint the area with some paint you have leftover.

Just follow these simple strategies for removing tough stains on your wall, before you know it, it will be as good as when you freshly painted it.

Sources: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cleaning book