From cleaning tips to DOs and DON'Ts, follow these steps to ensure that your walls look as good as new, for longer.
- Most wall paints (like emulsions and washable distempers) can be periodically cleaned with a mild soap water solution. However, stubborn and very old stains are difficult to remove from the film.
- Cleaning can be done at least 2 weeks after application of finished coat for removing the dust collected on the surface.
- Special care should be taken for the passages, kitchens and children's rooms.
- Every month, keep a day aside to clean the walls. Use a sponge and mild soap solution and lightly scrub the areas that have stains. Heavy scrubbing may result in permanent damage to the paint film.
- In case of severe staining (like spilled food) clean the walls immediately before the stain dries up.
- Children's rooms are likely to get dirty far more quickly than the rest of the house. Hence it is advisable to get a single coat of paint done every two years or so. However one must ensure a mild sanding of the surface with emery paper 400 to make the surface conducive for fresh paint application.
- Check your walls periodically for signs of paint flaking or peeling. This could be the first sign of water leakage or seepage problems. The moment such problems are noticed, get a contractor to look at the problem area. If the problem is localised (only occurring in specific areas) and the source of water seepage is detected, have it rectified immediately to prevent the water seepage from spreading further. This might require repainting one or two walls. Ignoring the problem however will aggravate the matter and will turn out to be much more expensive later.
- Enamel paint on the doors and windows exposed to sunlight loses its gloss over time. It is a good practice to apply a single coat every two years to keep them looking fresh. However one must ensure a mild sanding of the surface with emery paper 400 to make the surface conducive for fresh paint application.
