Self Help

The surfaces of walls and ceilings escape the daily spills and footprints that leave their mark upon floors and carpets. But walls and ceilings are by no means immune to dirt. Furniture that touches a wall, the smoke of an after-dinner cigar, or even a child’s head rested repeatedly against a favorite spot during bedtime stories can all smudge, scuff or film these surfaces with the kind of dirt that vacuuming or dusting cannot remove.

The type of covering on a wall or a ceiling will dictate the method used to clean it. Flat and enamel paints and vinyl or plastic-coated papers are washable to some extent and can be cleaned. Depending upon how they are made, wallpapers may be categorized as scrubbable or washable. If you do not know which kind of paper you have, it is best to begin with a weak solution and gentle sponging action. Paints vary in quality; the better ones usually last longer and will withstand a greater number of washings. The approximate life expectancy of many paints appears on the label.

Before you begin, consider the whole wall or ceiling and what the effect of cleaning just one spot will be. A highly visible smudge that needs to be scrubbed may leave a clean mark on an otherwise dingy wall. And, depending on the color and quality of the paint, some of the pigment may come off on the rag. Faced with the task of washing the whole wall in order to dispose of the smudge, you may instead prefer to live with it.

If you do decide to wash an entire wall or ceiling, a few preliminary steps will make the job easier. Pull all of the furniture away from the walls, and cover it and the floor with dropcloths. Take down pictures, curtains and drapes; tape plastic wrap over metal fixtures such as chandeliers or wall sconces to protect them from damage by chemicals in the cleaning solution. Then thoroughly vacuum the walls, ceiling, baseboard, and door and window trim, paying special attention to corners and to the grooves and patterns in fancy woodwork. Use the vacuum attachments, such as the crevice tool and dust brush.

For the actual washing, you will need a stepladder with a shelf wide enough to accommodate two buckets - one for the cleaning solution, the other for rinse water. If the existing shelf is too small, extend it by clamping a board to it. Use separate sponges for washing and rinsing, and wear rubber gloves for protection. All wall surfaces should be dusted and vacuumed before a thorough cleaning, but wall coverings that are too delicate to be doused with water and cleaning solutions will require extra care and, often, unusual recipes.

Wood paneling requires special techniques, and non-washable wallpapers can stand only gentle dusting and an occasional spot cleaning. Many such papers, especially those found in older houses, were made before colorfast dyes were available; thus, the patterns may be destroyed by moisture. A number of special coverings, including grass cloth, burlap and foil, are essentially non-washable - but you may vacuum them.