White walls clean: How to Clean White Walls: 4 Easy Methods

How to Clean White Walls: 4 Easy Methods

Household and Commercial Cleaners to Make White Walls Bright Again

Tai Massimilian

Tai Massimilian is the Marketing and Creative Director at Texas’s premier luxury housekeeping company, Highland Park Housekeeping.

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Editorial Process

Updated on 07/15/23

Reviewed by

Brandon Pleshek

Reviewed by
Brandon Pleshek

Brandon Pleshek of Clean That Up! is a seasoned veteran of the cleaning industry with over 20 years of experience in commercial and residential cleaning. He is a member of The Spruce’s Cleaning and Organizing Review Board.

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The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

Project Overview

Learning how to clean white walls is an important step to keep your home looking bright. White paint shows every sign of wear and tear, but there are several easy ways to freshen them in no time.

White walls can be cleaned with household solutions like dish soap or a paste of baking soda and water, which can be applied with a wet sponge and wiped away. It’s also possible to get spotless white walls with commercial products like all-purpose cleaners and a Magic Eraser melamine sponge.

Read on for several simple methods to remove smudges, stains, and more from white walls to make them look brand-new.

How Often to Clean White Walls

Walls are usually the last things to get cleaned, often only happening during deep cleans or before important home events, like moving in or moving out. But since white walls show dust and dirt faster than other paint colors, clean them about twice per year or when stains and smudges appear. White walls will likely require spot cleaning more frequently, especially in homes with children or pets.

Equipment / Tools

Cleaning Tools

1 Sponge
1 Microfiber towel or rag
1 roll Paper towels

Materials

Cleaning Products

1 All-purpose cleaner
1 Mild dish soap
1 Baking soda
1 Melamine sponge (Magic Eraser)
Vinegar (optional)

How to Properly Clean White Walls

Assemble Your Supplies

Use a soft sponge or microfiber cloth, but extra stubborn stains might need a Magic Eraser or a scrubber brush. You likely already have the cleaning products you need in your home, such as all-purpose cleaning solutions, dish soap, or baking soda.

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
Start With Ceiling to Floor Dusting

Dust the walls with a microfiber towel or extendable duster to reach higher places. Rinse and wring it out between wipes as it gets dirty. You can add a few sprays of all-purpose cleaner.

Tip

To reach high up on walls without a step stool, ladder, or extender duster, a broom is good for reaching the top molding and removing cobwebs. You can also use a vacuum and its brush attachment.

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
Spot Method 1: All-Purpose Cleaner

Use an all-purpose cleaner with a microfiber cloth, rag, or paper towel. Choose an all-purpose cleaner with an almost soapy texture—these work best for picking up sticky messes, like food or drink. The all-purpose cleaner method works best if you catch a stain immediately.

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
Spot Method 2: Dish Soap and a Soft Sponge

Dab a dot of dish soap on the stain. Wet a soft sponge and sud up the stain. Let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe it clean with a wet microfiber cloth. Dish soap is a fantastic cleaner for surfaces all around your home. Opt for a mild dish soap that doesn’t have a lot of heavy fragrance or other harsh chemicals.

If it doesn’t remove the first time you try it, repeat the process two or three times.

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
Spot Method 3: Baking Soda Paste

Try a natural baking soda remedy for a stubborn stain. Baking soda works on most types of stains and surfaces.
- Grab some baking soda and a bowl; create a paste using three parts baking soda to one part water. It should have a slightly sticky texture, so adjust your ratio accordingly.
- Gently spread the paste on the wall with a wet sponge.
- Let it sit—the longer, the better.
- Once sufficiently soaked, clean the spot with a damp microfiber cloth or paper towel.
- If the stain persists or you want to remove an odor from the wall simultaneously, try making a baking soda paste using vinegar instead of water.
The Spruce / Sanja Kostic
Spot Method 4: Magic Eraser

Persevere if other methods fail by reaching for the big guns—a melamine eraser. Magic Eraser is the most common brand you will find in most stores. Wet the sponge and gently wipe the stain or scuff until the walls are clean. Magic Erasers are so strong that this should require little to no elbow grease.

Warning

Use caution on gloss and semi-gloss painted walls. The Magic Eraser can leave a noticeable “dull” spot if used aggressively while scrubbing. Melamine sponges should only be used on white walls; otherwise, this magic little powerhouse might remove colored wall paint.

The Spruce / Sanja Kostic

Tips for Keeping Walls Clean Longer

Spot-clean regularly to keep stains from soaking into the wall.
Vacuum carefully to avoid dirt from the floors getting onto the walls.
Dust ceiling to floor, especially on ceiling fans. Running a ceiling fan sprinkles dust all over your home, which gets stuck on the walls.

How to Clean Soot Off of Walls

How to Clean White Walls in 6 Easy Steps

If you’re hoping for a modern-yet-timeless feel in any room of your home, consider painting your walls white. For one thing, white walls immediately make a space feel bigger and brighter. Plus, with a blank canvas to build on, you can incorporate just about any style (or color) of furniture and decor into your space. As Instagram-worthy as fresh white walls may be, take warning—they require their fair share of maintenance.

As with anything light-colored, over time, your white walls will put dirt and signs of wear and tear. But with the right strategies, you can keep your white walls clean using a few simple things like dish soap, a duster, and a non-abrasive sponge. Here’s how to clean white walls effectively, step by step, according to experts.

According to NeJame, white walls typically require a thorough cleaning about every six months or so—that’s when they typically start accumulating noticeable dirt and debris. If you have kids or animals who sully your space, you may want to clean your white walls more frequently. Still, NeJame says, most homeowners may not clean their walls as often as you would think.

“Wall cleaning used to be something that every good homeowner or cleaning service tackled twice a year, and now it’s something that is not done nearly as often as it should be,” she says, adding that if you use a cleaning service, they will likely charge you a surcharge to clean the walls.

Common signs of white walls in need of cleaning include:

Of course, you don’t have to wait for a bi-annual clean or for any of these signs to pop up. NeJame recommends using your judgment on when it’s time to freshen up your walls.

To effectively clean your white walls, you’ll need a few tools:

Klaus Vedfelt / Getty Images

It likely took some time for your white walls to get dirty, so it’ll take a bit of time to amply clean them. Fortunately, you won’t need any fancy tools or cleaners to get the job done. Here’s how to clean white walls, one step at a time, according to the pros.

Step 1: Start With a Blank Slate

Before you actually start cleaning, ensure you’re starting with a blank slate. Remove anything that might be hanging on the wall and set it aside. (Now’s a great time to dust those off, if you want to go the extra mile.)

Step 2: Dust From Top to Bottom

Dirt isn’t the only enemy when you’re restoring your white walls to their once-bright state. Prior to washing, thoroughly dust your walls from the ceiling downward. You can use any type of duster, even a microfiber cloth—but NeJame suggests using your vacuum’s dust-brush attachment for a deeper clean. If you don’t have a duster attachment, try a dry-mop head wrapped with a soft, clean cloth.

With your chosen tool, dust from top to bottom, being careful not to scratch the wall with the rigid parts of the mop or vacuum.

Step 3: Create Your Cleaning Solution

Now, for the fun part: Grab a bucket and fill it with a gallon of warm (not hot) water. Then, NeJame recommends adding a squirt of gentle dish soap. You won’t need as much as you think.” “Less soap is actually better because it’ll help you rinse the soap thoroughly after you finish,” she says. “Soapy residue left on a wall ends up attracting dirt later on.”

Step 4: Spot Test

So you don’t accidentally damage your walls or paint job, test an inconspicuous and small area of your wall with your soap solution. Try washing a section of walls that’s normally hidden behind your couch or a painting; NeJame says you want to make sure your soap and water solution won’t do damage to the pigment or sheen of the paint.

Varela recommends waiting a few hours after testing so you can tell if the paint has been damaged. Flat and eggshell paint are particularly prone to staining and discoloration, he says.

Step 5: Clean The Walls

Soak a cloth or sponge in the liquid, and wring it out well so it’s damp but not soaking, which will prevent watermarks and paint bubbling. Then, wash your walls gently in sections, using circular motions. Because water will drip as you clean, it’s best to start at the top of the wall and clean your way down.

Step 6: Do Detail Work

After you thoroughly clean your actual walls, you can also use your sponge to clean your baseboards and trim, too. If you can still see marks or dirt on any area of your wall, this is where melamine foam (also known as a Magic Eraser) come in handy. Simply wet the foam, squeeze out excess water, and gently rub on affected areas. Don’t go overboard, since the foam’s abrasiveness could damage your wall’s finish.

It’s not necessarily the most convenient route, but if you desperately need a refresh, you can always paint over them. Here are a few telltale signs it may be time for a new paint job, according to NeJame:

Keep in mind that it’s tough to paint over “just the dirty spots” on a wall because fresh paint will appear a different color than older, faded paint jobs. But you may be able to get away with it. “Usually if the paint is newly painted in the past 2 years and you get a scuff on it, you can likely touch up with the paint you have left over,” NeJame says.

One sign that you may need professional cleaners’ assistance is brown drippings on your wall that won’t disappear no matter how much or thoroughly you clean. Varela says these stains are often due to nicotine residue, which may have occurred in your home due to the previous owners. “If this is the case, you should contact professionals to remove that,” he says.

How to Achieve a Squeaky-Clean Dishwasher in 5 Easy Steps

White walls in the interior: organicity, style and space
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White walls are versatile, so they can be a suitable backdrop for spaces that reflect the character and interests of their owners. Regardless of the style of the interior, white works well if you choose the right shade and combinations with furnishings. In most museums, the walls are painted this color for a reason. Against their backdrop, works of art look great. And all the attention is focused on them, and not on the paint under them. Therefore, the white gallery background in recent years has migrated from exhibition halls to living quarters. Spectacular photographs of rooms with white walls flash daily in social media feeds. But there are no less opponents of this design decision than fans. Moreover, what some consider advantages, others call disadvantages. So, white – boredom or purity? Facelessness or soil for creating a light, spacious and unique home?

The contradictory psychology of white walls

The psychological interpretation of white is based on the traditions of symbolism, which is characterized by an understanding of the duality of the world: evil and good, bad and good, black and white.

White is associated with perfection, innocence, fidelity, tranquility, peace and security. The key concept in his perception is purity. He does not hide or hide anything in himself, thereby invoking intuitive trust. But not all white color seems serene and clean. Some consider it cold and harsh. Rooms with white walls cause peace and inspiration for some, and cold and loneliness for others. Color associations are not necessarily universal. Colors can have different meanings in different cultures. In the West, white is often associated with weddings, hospitals, and angels. And in the East, it is symbolically associated with death, sadness and mourning. Therefore, the attitude towards the interior in white tones, including the walls, is so ambiguous.

However, white is unique. It is achromatic, like its eternal antipode – black, as well as some shades of gray. They are perceived by the eye differently than chromatic colors. In fact, white is a fusion of all the colors of the spectrum. Symbolists lay in it such a meaning – the unification of everything material in one truly spiritual one. However, oversaturation shows the negative side of even the most positive phenomena: excessive white can cause detachment, boredom, deep disappointment.

Design arguments for and against

White walls in one room can evoke a “wow!” reaction, while in another they look dull and featureless. Therefore, before you finally make a choice in their favor, it is worth comparing all the pros and cons, applying them to your home.

White walls have many significant advantages.

Like a canvas, the sheer hue serves as a backdrop for interior accents, making floors, furniture, fireplaces and doorways pop.
If the room has a lot of different details, eclectic elements, white walls will help tie it all together.
Stains, mold, water marks – none of the dirt can hide on white surfaces. And the sooner you notice them, the easier it is to deal with them.
The ability of white to reflect light favorably affects indoor plants, which in turn purify the air, make the house more beautiful and healthy.
White walls in the interior of the bedroom will become a kind of protection from the colors and chaos of everyday life, contributing to calm and tranquility.
Painting the walls and finishing them all in white allows the eye to move around the room without interruption. This effect visually expands the space.
White walls match all other colors, are easy to paint over, and standard white paint is usually one of the cheapest.

What is an advantage for some owners, others see as a disadvantage. For example, if we are talking about the soiling of white walls. Someone would prefer to notice the dirt in order to immediately get rid of it. And someone does not want to devote too much time to cleaning, so they would prefer that the stains remain invisible.

The reflectivity of white can also be seen as a disadvantage. Depending on the surrounding objects, under certain lighting, this color will take on different shades: for example, the orange house opposite, the green garden outside the window, or the blue closet in the room. Therefore, before you paint the walls white, you need to take into account many nuances.

Shades of white and how to choose the right one for wall painting

White is not a synonym for boring monotony. Like other colors, it has many shades. The slightest differences between them can affect the same space in completely different ways.

There are two types of shades of white:

cold: pure white, bluish, grayish;
warm: with yellow, red or brown patches.

To see the differences, you need to attach samples to an A4 office sheet. And in order to decide on the right shade, you need to answer just a few questions.

How much natural light is in the room?

Rooms that receive plenty of natural light look best in cool or pure whites. And for rooms with minimal or poor daylight, warm ones work well.

What style of furniture will take up the space?

Cold, austere white colors are perfectly combined with modern furniture in a minimalist style. But a space with an ethnic or traditional vibe looks better with warm yellowish or beige shades of white. But country and Provence allow you to experiment with different options.

What contrasting colors are used in the interior?

Rooms with warm accents – red, pink, orange, yellow – can be painted warm white. And blue and green – in cold shades.

Which type of coating should I choose?

Matte white finishes look velvety and absorb light.

Semi-gloss and glossy form reflective surfaces. They are easier to clean. Eggshell creates a balance effect between matte and shine.

When choosing paint on the Internet, you need to remember that the shades on a computer or phone screen look different. Gadgets are good for narrowing down your choices and focusing on a few of the best options. But before buying, it is better to get a sample and evaluate it under different lighting in the room whose walls will be painted.

The secret of organic white walls

Choosing white for wall painting doesn’t mean giving up bright accents in the room. They make the house unique and reflect the individuality of the owners. The use of white as a basis makes it possible to dominate other colors, thereby allowing the owners of the house to reflect their inner world in the interior as much as possible.

There are many decorating techniques to get the most out of white interior walls. They have been used in design for a long time. An example of this is Greek, Japanese, Moroccan and Scandinavian interiors. The clean minimalist feel of the white wall is offset by more colorful furniture, original rugs, handmade textiles and artwork. This contrast is the secret of a successful interior.

To soften the whiteness of the walls and add coziness to the room, it is worth using additional light sources: sconces, small chandeliers with warm bulbs, and not LEDs with a cold tint.

No matter how many disputes arise about the beauty, relevance and relevance of white walls, they do not go out of fashion and give a special charm to many interiors of various styles.

White walls in the interior: a versatile and practical solution

Many people still think that white resembles a hospital and looks very boring. Someone, on the contrary, believes that white is a sign of luxury and wealth. Which side are you on?

During our work, we often created interiors in light colors and decided to tell more about the nuances of working with light walls.

Contents

Pros and cons
How to match white
How to choose the shade of white
What style to decorate
How to refresh your home
Interior design ideas

Pros and cons of white walls

Advantages of	Defects
1. Expands space. Visually, the room looks more spacious, there is a feeling of lightness.	1. Emphasizes all irregularities. The surface to be painted must be brought exactly under the level, as light colors draw attention even to small irregularities.
2. Brightens up the apartment. White reflects light, making rooms look brighter.	2. Gets dirty quickly. Small spots visible on light walls. Even washable materials will need to be cleaned frequently.
3. Can be combined with different textures and colors. Pure white is much easier to combine with different colors. You don’t have to be a professional to create a beautiful design.	3. Gives a faceless feel. Sometimes bright interiors seem boring. But this feeling can be removed using different shades of snow-white and bright accessories.
4. Never goes out of style. A neutral color that can be used as a backdrop for any style or design. No wonder the walls in the galleries are often painted in light colors.
5. White paint will not fade in the sun. High-quality paint does not turn yellow, repairs always look fresh.
6. The interior is easy to update. It is enough to rearrange or change accessories to make the interior look different.

How to combine white color in the interior?

White is an achromat: it is neutral. According to the laws of physics, it can be decomposed into all other colors of the spectrum, so it is universal and combined with shades of a different spectrum.

Designers’ opinion. In addition to snow-white, black and gray, the interior should have no more than three colors. This is a rule of thumb so the design won’t be overloaded. In this case, you can use different shades.

What floor color to match with white walls?

Depends on the lighting: the more light in the room, the darker the floor can be. A proven solution: calm natural tones, wood texture, stone imitation.

Tip: Do not use light grout on very light tiles. Dirt will quickly clog into the seams, and the repair will look untidy. Alternative – contrasting grout will be an unusual design solution.

What color to dilute the white interior?

As an additional neutral color, you can use beige or coffee for a warm interior, shades of gray for a cold one.

What furniture goes well with white walls?

If you want to create a contrast, black or dark brown furniture will do. This option will look good with a dark floor.
A calmer neutral solution – beige and gray furniture.
White furniture is suitable for a monochrome interior. But you need to carefully monitor that all the furniture is of the same tone.

How to beat white wallpaper?

You can choose textured wallpaper for painting – light colors delicately emphasize the pattern.
There are two kinds of wallpaper to choose from, one is plain and the other is patterned on white. In this case, one wall will become accent and set the mood for the interior.

Which curtains are suitable?

Light curtains are more suitable for small rooms with windows on the shady side. For large sunny rooms, you can use more contrasting dark or bright curtains.

It is better that textiles repeat the colors that are already in the interior (colors of furniture, floor, accessories).

How to choose a shade of white?

For gray and cold climates, it is better to choose warm, cozy tones. They will not create a sense of hospitality and sterility.

If you live in an area where the weather is more sunny and warm, you can paint the room a cooler shade. Then there will be a feeling of freshness and coolness.

Interesting fact

In English, there is an expression “off-white”, that is, “off-white”. In the interior, it is not a pure color that looks better, but its shades.

You can use several shades of white in one interior. For example, decorate niches and openings with colder or darker colors.

For this:

choose the main shade of paint;

add a drop of another dye (for example, reddish and orange will create a warmer tone).

Don’t be afraid to experiment, combine blue, red and yellow pigments to create a beautiful complex shade of grey. The dye must be added quite a bit so that the color remains light.

To find out what tone will look best in the room, make some test paints. That is, apply several shades of paint on the wall in two layers. Wait for it to dry and see which version looks better in different lighting conditions.

Alternative. Paint a few squares of drywall, get a kind of “samplers”. They can be applied to different walls, transferred from one room to another, in order to understand where which shade is more suitable.

What should be lighter than the wall or the floor?

Walls should be lighter. In this case, the room will seem more spacious, and the floor will balance the lightness of the interior. A light floor and dark walls are a more extravagant option.

What shade of white does not get bored in the interior?

The snow-white color does not bother, as it is neutral. If you are bored with the interior design, you can simply change the accessories. But warm tones look much more comfortable for the eyes.

How to balance the white palette in an apartment?

Use the 60/30/10 principle.

The main background color occupies 60% – this is usually the walls, ceiling or floor (in our case, these are shades of white).
The second color is additional, it occupies 30% of the space and is close to the main one. Light neutral tones, such as beige or gray, can be used with white.
Accent colors take only 10%. These are accessories, textiles, perhaps furniture in bright contrasting shades.

In what style should white walls be decorated?

We offer to consider some of the most popular destinations.

Scandinavian

Light colors are the hallmark of this style. You can combine white walls with natural materials, light wooden furniture and floors, indoor plants. Another principle of Scandi is the most productive organization of space.

Loft

The main idea is open communications, raw surfaces. Light colors emphasize the uneven texture, well set off the technical details. On the other hand, they soften the brutality of the style.

Classic

Warm whites work well. They are combined with wood-like parquet, imitation of stucco, pompous furniture. Use “noble” colors as color accents (for example, burgundy, chocolate, dark blue, emerald).

Hi-tech

Styling focuses on smart technology and technology. Main features: straight lines, metallic elements, pure colors. Snow white is often combined with red, black and gray.

Shabby chic

White walls, pastel shades, vintage, lace, stucco – these are the main characteristics of the style. Shabby chic in interior design is very reminiscent of Provence or French country style.

Minimalism

Minimalism is characterized by a minimum number of details. In this style, you can decorate a completely white room without a lot of color variety. To prevent the interior from looking boring, use different textures, add a maximum of two or three bright elements.

Mediterranean

Marine atmosphere, cool tones, shades of blue spectrum, lots of light, white, light textiles. This style looks good in rooms with large windows.

How to refresh your interior with white walls?

Wall finishing

Decorative plaster. This is an opportunity to create texture. Due to the variety of types of plaster, you can achieve the effect of wood, silk, marble, cracking, bark beetle, abstract patterns. Light colors emphasize the texture well and create a beautiful play of light and shadow.

Pros	Cons
+ variety of textures;	– decorative plaster is difficult to remove;
+ plaster can be mixed and applied by itself;	– it takes a lot of time to prepare the walls and apply the plaster;
+ durability;	– to achieve the perfect texture, you need to call a professional.
+ resistance to moisture and temperature changes;
+ surface can be washed.

White wallpaper. It is better to choose washable wallpapers: vinyl, non-woven, wallpaper for waterproof paint. There are marks on the roll: one wave – wallpaper can be wiped, two waves – resistant to moisture, three waves – increased resistance, wave and brush – wallpaper can be washed using a brush.

Pros	Cons
+ wide variety of textures;	– on light wallpaper, the seams between the segments are clearly visible;
+ you can choose wallpaper with a pattern for decorating an accent wall;	– can be scratched by pets.
+ easy to glue and remove;
+ hide surface irregularities;
+ do not require extensive surface preparation.

Wall painting. It is better to choose a matte paint that is resistant to moisture. It absorbs more light rays and hides surface irregularities. You can combine matte and glossy paint, this technique will add texture and diversify the monochrome interior.

Pros	Cons
+ durability;	– the wall for painting must be carefully prepared;
+ the damaged area can be easily repaired by simply repainting it;	– it is not always possible to apply the paint in an even layer without streaks;
+ surface washable;	– the repair time increases, since after the first layer of paint has completely dried, a second one must be applied.
+ suitable for all rooms in the house;
+ if the paint adheres well, removal is not necessary, you can simply apply a new layer on top of the previous one.

Ceiling decor

Can become an original highlight in the interior. You can decorate the ceiling in different ways:

decorative plaster;
stucco – polyurethane monograms are light, fit well into the classic design of the room;
plasterboard suspended structures – allow you to zone the space in the room;
painting – you can decorate the ceiling yourself using stencils or hire an artist;
decorative beams – imitation of an open ceiling is suitable for a loft style.

Lighting

Light walls need plenty of light, otherwise the color will look dirty and dull. Therefore, the design in light colors looks great in rooms with large windows or a large number of light sources.

Lamps are best chosen with neutral light, as warm or cold will change the tone of the walls.

Idea! An achromatic interior without contrasts is the basis for experimenting with colored lighting.