CLEANING CEILINGS AND WALLS
Knowing how to clean walls and ceilings will reduce the amount of dust floating around in your home and make any room look better.
It’s a good idea to clean your ceilings first since dust falling from them will settle onto the walls. Ceilings don’t need to be cleaned as often as walls, though, so it’s okay to do them less often.
Rather than climbing up and down a ladder repeatedly, use a long-handled duster with a microfiber attachment/ futher duster to remove dust. Stubborn dirt, like the kind which forms around ceiling fans, can be easily removed with a long-handled paint roller wrapped with duct tape, sticky side out.
Flat ceilings: Combine 1 cup warm water, 4 drops liquid dish detergent and 2 tablespoons white vinegar in a spray bottle. Lightly spray the area then go over it with a damp paint roller or microfiber mop. Cover the roller with a clean white cloth dipped in water and dab the area again to remove soapy residue.
Textured ceilings: There’s a reason these have fallen out of fashion — they’re tough to clean. You can remove light dust with a dry paint roller brush — just shake it out every few strokes. Heavier soil and cobwebs should be handled with a soft-bristled brush attachment and your vacuum cleaner.
CLEANING WALLS
The first step in cleaning walls is dusting them. Once you’ve removed the dust, it’s time to clean the surface. If possible, pull furniture toward the center of the room so you can clean behind it. Otherwise, you may want to lay towels or sheets on top of furnishings to protect them from drips.
Painted Walls
You will
need:
Two buckets
2 gallons of warm water
2 tablespoons liquid dish detergent
A natural sea sponge (colored ones may leave marks on
your wall)
Clean white cloths
Clean white towels
Directions:
- Fill one bucket with 1 gallon of warm water. Add the liquid dish detergent and gently swirl the water with your hand.
- Fill the second bucket with plain warm water.
- Start at an entrance and plan to work clockwise around the room.
- Lay a towel on the floor at the base of the wall where you’ll be cleaning.
- Dip the sponge in the soapy water and gently wring it until it’s not dripping wet. Wash 3-foot by 3-foot sections of the wall, starting at the top and working down. Wash in light, circular motions and focus your efforts on areas that are frequently touched (corners, around light switches and doors, etc.)
- Dip a clean white cloth in the bucket containing plain water and wipe the area you just washed. Dry the spot with a towel before moving lower to the next 3×3′ section.
- Proceed clockwise around the room until you’ve washed every wall.
- Allow the walls to dry for a half-hour or so before treating any remaining stains.
ARTICLE BY MANYARA.J CHIURA
THE END