May 13, 2019
Complete Guide: Remove ALL Types of Stains From Your Walls
For Maid Bright Stains Are No Problem
Crayon marks on your wall? Mildew stains you aren’t sure what to do about? Old wallpaper giving you trouble?
You’ve come to the right place.
Our Maid Bright team has seen it all: any kind of stain you can imagine we have tackled and taken care of. For all of the homes we service in Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington DC we use only organic cleaning solutions so that no harsh chemicals are left behind for those who live there.
If you are looking specifically for pet stain removal information you might want to go here.
But if you are looking for a one-stop ultimate guide to every kind of stain problem you are likely to encounter then please read on.
Common Wall Stain Solutions
There are a few different methods for cleaning tough wall stains. While magic erasers can work great on other surfaces, using them to clean your walls can leave marks of water drops going down the wall that you will have to clean up later!
For Latex-Painted Interior Walls
Your classic painted white walls (or any color really) can easily be scrubbed clean with one of these two methods:
You can mix a few drops of dish detergent in a bucket of warm water, mix well, and then use a rag or sponge to make your wall shiny and new again.
Alternatively, you can use one or two drops of distilled white vinegar in a gallon of warm water and do the same thing.
Water Stains
If you have water stains on your walls then you need to make sure to address the problem first; for instance, hiring a contractor to seal the leak.
But once that is taken care of your #1 priority is preventing mold and mildew from growing in that spot. It is for this reason that you should make a solution of 1 cup bleach and 1 gallon of water and apply that to the entire affected area (bleach should kill potential growth there).
After that, you will want to use a hair dryer to completely dry the area. If you notice that the bleach hasn’t completely removed the water stain then you will want to repaint the area, ideally using a stain-killing wall primer.
Mildew Stains
What if you already have mildew stains on your walls? Don’t worry, there is a solution for everything.
Mildew is a fungus and it feeds on things like body oils and soap scums. Spray a mixture of vinegar water (1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1 quart of water) onto it and see if that helps you scrape it off.
Consider also using an enzyme laundry detergent and just follow the pre-treating directions found on the label, which will probably tell you to blot it and then thoroughly rinse soon after.
Crayon Stains
If you have kids, chances are that you have had to deal with crayon markings on your walls at some point. Try any of these solutions on their own or all together and see if it helps:
Rub marks with non-gel toothpaste.
Rub marks with a pencil eraser or special art gum in a circular motion
Two words: baby wipes.
Sprinkle a little bit of baking soda on a damp sponge and wipe the marks down.
Permanent Marker Stains
For permanent marker stains you should soak a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and dab at the stain softly.
You can also spray the spot with hairspray and then use a damp cloth to clean the whole area, including the hairspray drip marks.
Ink Stains
Ink from a ballpoint pen has a surprisingly simple removal solution: try using foaming shave cream on it, nail polish remover, or a dry-cleaning solvent like Carbona.
If you are going to use a cleaning solvent or a polish remover make sure to open a window!
Scorch Marks
Did a candle situation get a bit out of hand? We recommend that you do not try to scrub a scorch mark…because that will likely only make it worse.
Instead, sponge it softly with rubbing alcohol! (Just like with those marker stains.)
What About Wallpaper?
Your wallpaper manufacturer will probably have specific instructions about how to clean what you have, and if you lost those instructions you could always call them and inquire.
But maybe you inherited a home with wallpaper or you just have no way of finding that information. No problem! We can figure it out.
Some wallpapers are damaged by moisture, and if yours is of this type then you may need to buy a specifically dry-cleaning sponge whose layers you can peel back when they have become too dirty.
Easy Clean
Most wallpapers are made of vinyl or have a vinyl coating, and for these you can make a mixture with a few drops of dishwashing detergent mixed into warm water.
You can dip a sponge or cloth into the water, wring it out, and gently clean your walls — but then follow up with a dry cloth as well!
Stubborn Stains
The easy clean isn’t working? Try denatured alcohol.
Simply apply the alcohol to a paper towel, apply it gently to the stain, then wipe it off with your easy clean solution after 10 or 15 seconds. Keep doing this until it’s all cleaned up!
Still won’t work? Make a paste with baking soda and water. Apply this paste, allow it to dry, then carefully brush it off the surface.
Don’t Do This!
Definitely avoid harsh abrasives and granules when cleaning wallpaper — these will scratch the surface!
Avoid using bleach, which will discolor your paper.
Don’t use colored sponges, because their dye can leave its trace on the material
DO NOT use trisodium phosphate on you wallpaper. Why? This is the product that you use to remove wallpaper!
What About Plain Old Grease?
Uh-oh! Are you seeing fingerprints and handprints on your walls? You can use any of our aforementioned solutions (or read on for our DIY fix-all-mixture below).
Method One
BUT there another surprising solution you may not have thought about: white bread.
Yup, you read that right. Rub a little bit of white bread vigorously on the spot of the greasy marks and watch it disappear without any chemicals at all!
Method Two
This one works for those really tough, hard to remove grease stains.
Cover the affected area with a brown paper bag or kraft paper, then apply a warm (but not too hot!) iron. The warmed paper will absorb a good deal of the grease, and you can go back over it with some white bread after.
Viola! Done.
A DIY Fix-All Mixture
Ready to be a master alchemist? Mix up 1 cup of ammonia, ½ cup of white distilled or apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup of baking soda, and a gallon of warm water. Soak and wring out a sponge or rag and use this as much as you need!
Try this as a replacement for other mixtures and solutions and see what happens!
Outro
Whether you are looking for a professional cleaning service to handle a one-time custom cleaning of your home or you are in need of a weekly cleaning to really make your house shine, you can trust us to get the job done.
Interested? Call for a free consultation today!
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