The Ultimate Guide To Wall Mopping

Everything to know about how to clean your walls.

When it comes to cleaning your house, it makes sense to have a regular schedule for the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms, as well as more in-depth cleanings as the seasons change. But what is the plan for tackling wall cleaning? Cleaning walls at home isn’t on the routine cleaning checklist for most people, but it's an important step—and not just for aesthetics.

We’ve all been in a kitchen situation where food goes flying, sauce or otherwise, and suddenly the wall has a new spot. Of course, in those scenarios it makes sense to clean the wall, but every wall in the house suddenly seems like a daunting task.

Wall mopping, a simple and effective method of cleaning the walls of your home, is a great way to keep walls clean and paint fresh, keep allergens like dust at bay, and prevent mold or mildew build-up.

Still not sure where to start with wall mopping? Cleaning expert and founder of Clean Mama Becky Rapinchuk shares everything to know about how to clean walls using a mop.

Meet Our Expert

Becky Rapinchuk is a cleaning expert, author of four cleaning books, and founder of Clean Mama.

The Ultimate Guide To Wall Mopping

Cleaning your walls not only benefits the overall cleanliness of your home, but also your health.

What Is Wall Mopping?

Wall mopping is a method of cleaning walls with a mop, which helps to preserve the paint, while eliminating dust and dirt. It might sound contrary—mopping the walls—but gone are the times when mops were used solely on floors.

Related: 9 Cleaning Mistakes That Make Your Home Dirtier

Wall Mopping Benefits

Using a mop to clean walls helps to cover a larger surface area and eliminates the need for a ladder in most situations. Rapinchuk tells Southern Living that while wall mopping isn’t necessary, per se, it’s a great tool to have in your cleaning toolkit.

“It’s an easy way to clean walls,” she says, adding that it’s helpful between seasons, after remodeling, and to remove dust.

Keeping walls free of dust keeps allergens from building up, helps to prevent mold and mildew from growing (this is especially true in damp areas like kitchens and bathrooms), and keeps paint looking fresh.

Related: 12 Viral Cleaning Tips You Should Never Try, According To Experts

Tools and Materials Needed for Wall Mopping

To clean your walls with a mop, Rapinchuk recommends a flat mop, bucket, and castile soap, noting that mild cleaning solutions should be used for wall mopping.

“Warm water and castile soap work best,” she says.

Related: 8 Mistakes You May Be Making When Cleaning Your Floors

Wall Mopping 101: How To Use A Mop To Clean Walls

Check the wall: Before getting started on cleaning walls, it’s important to understand that when it comes to wall mopping, the first and most important step is to know the wall you will be cleaning. Specifically, the type of paint used on the wall, which will steer how washable the wall will be. Flat paints tend to come off more easily and are less washable.

Wallpapered walls should be spot tested prior to cleaning with a mop. Most often the best way to clean walls with wallpaper is using a vacuum attachment with soft bristles and gently spot treating any stuck-on stains.

Prep the wall: If there is a good bit of dust built up, prepping the wall before water gets involved is very important.

“If the walls are extra dusty, make sure that you use a dry mop first,” Rapinchuk says.

Mop the wall: Using a mixture of warm water and castile soap from a bucket, gently begin mopping the wall vertically.

“Go in one direction from ceiling to floor,” Rapinchuk says. “Rinse the mop head every six feet or so and put a towel under your mop bucket.”

The cleaning expert emphasizes that it is extremely important to not use too much water, especially when it comes to tough stains.

“For stubborn wall stains or marks, use a damp white cloth and go in one direction to remove the stains,” she says.

Related: How To Deep Clean Your House In One Day, According To An Expert

How Often Should You Be Cleaning Your Walls?

Cleaning walls once per year is a safe bet for most households, but how often to clean your walls is dependent on the room of the house, Rapinchuk says. Kitchens and bathrooms that have a tendency to be damp or collect more dust should be cleaned more frequently.

Other factors to consider when trying to determine how often to clean walls include whether or not there are pets living in the home and the climate where you live.

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Read the original article on Southern Living.