Interior Painting Guide

STEP 8 – Care for Your Newly Paint Walls

After investing in a repaint project, you will want to keep your walls looking clean and fresh for as long as possible. With a little care, it’s easy to get rid of any regular wear and tear signs to gain more time between touch-ups or repaints.

Follow the established procedures to maintain and clean all Interior painted substrates. To assure maximum durability and washability, you should wait at least 2 weeks after paint application before washing the dry paint film.

Clean and Maintain Interior Surfaces

A LIGHT TOUCH

• Do only the minimum amount of cleaning when washing walls or removing stains. When cleaning, try to avoid applying any pressure and only use light pressure, when necessary, to avoid eroding the paint or creating any shiny spots (burnishing).
• Only use the least aggressive cleaner, such as a mild soap solution, in the cleaning process to remove dirt or stains.
• Use a wet sponge to wipe down the area before starting the cleaning process to prevent any excessive surface abrasion.

CONCENTRATED CLEANERS – DRY/LIQUID

• Make sure to read all the label and TDS directions before using – always make sure to test any cleaner on a small and inconspicuous area prior to use to avoid any resulting damage.
• Make sure to Mix/Dilute Cleaner as instructed on the packaging instructions. The Cleaner solution strength can be adjusted depending on the amount and type of soil.
• Remove any heavy debris and contaminants.
• Use a sponge/cloth to wash the surface dirt and marks.
• Cleaners should not be allowed to dry on the paint film surface as it can damage the coating film.
• Always start from the bottom of a wall and then clean in an upwards direction to the top of the wall.
• Rinse the surface being cleaned thoroughly.
• Repeat as necessary.

PRE-MIXED SPRAY CLEANERS

• Make sure to read all the label/package directions before using — always make sure to test the cleaner on a small and inconspicuous area prior to use to avoid any resulting damage.
• Turn the Spray nozzle to the desired spray pattern with the nozzle facing away from you to avoid spraying yourself by accident instead.
• Remove any heavy debris and contaminants.
• Apply Cleaner to the dirt and marks. Apply just enough to wet the area, do not oversaturate.
• Use a damp sponge/cloth to wipe the surface dirt and marks, as well as any excess cleaner. For difficult stains, some scrubbing may be necessary.
• Cleaners should not be allowed to dry on the paint film surface as it can damage the coating film.
• Rinse the surface thoroughly as recommended on the cleaner label/package.
• Repeat as necessary.
• After use, make sure to turn the spray nozzle to the closed position.

CAUTIONS

• Make sure to properly read and understand all of the label cautions prior to using any cleaner.
• Be sure that the cleaner is appropriate for the dirt/contamination to be removed.
• Do not ever mix together any cleaning compounds containing bleach and ammonia!
• Abrasive cleansers can damage the Coating/paint film — use with care
• Bleach and bleaching-type cleaners can damage/discolor the existing Coating/paint film. Bleach alternative cleaning solutions are advised instead.

RINSING

• Always rinse walls sufficiently with warm water. This is important as any cleaning solution residue left on the walls will attract dust and dirt quickly.

RESIDUAL STAINS

• It is not always possible to wash off all stains, such as permanent markers, etc. These and other stains may bleed or show through when painted over.
• If cleaning or other burnishing has left the surface shiny in some areas, the primer will also give a consistent look.

MOLD AND MILDEW

Interior paint typically gets dirty in many situations – hand prints around switches and knobs, water splashes in kitchens and bathrooms, marks on hallways and corridors/ high traffic areas, “soot” accumulating above electric lamps and other heat sources. Removing dirt before it accumulates not only improves the appearance of the paint film, but it also reduces the chance of the dirt getting permanently embedded in the paint film. While changing color is a good reason for painting, covering over dirty paint is generally not a necessarily good reason for repainting.

• Check for dirt periodically always assume that it will be present in and near cooking areas (airborne cooking oil) and at all places at hand height.
• Always initially clean the surface with a mild detergent with a sponge or soft cloth – resort to harsher cleaners only when necessary, recognizing that alkaline cleaners can dull the sheen/gloss of oil-based paint, while abrasive cleaners will burnish nearly any paint finish, dulling the gloss of Satin, SemiGloss and Gloss coatings.
• Washed surfaces should be rinsed thoroughly as the residual cleaner can interfere with the adhesion of paint applied at a later time.

TREATING MILDEW

Watch for the growth of mildew on painted surfaces that tend to be moist – this includes laundry, basement areas, bathrooms and kitchens. Mildew should be treated and removed, it should never be painted over.

• Apply a 3:1 mixture of Water:Household bleach to the mildewed area using a rag or sponge – wear appropriate eye and skin protection and a respirator; with colored paints, always do a test area first to be sure the bleach solution will not cause fading; make sure to protect the floor and nearby articles.
• Allow the mixture to remain on the surface for 20 minutes – adding more as it dries.
• Rinse off the area thoroughly.

STICKING

Sometimes painted surfaces will stick to each other, as with a door and the door jamb. This arises due to the painted surfaces being put back into service before the paint has fully dried. With all else being equal, Dark color paints tend to stick more than Light colors or White paints and Glossier paints tend to stick more than Flat paints. Warm and damp conditions increase the tendency and the application of pressure increases the sticking.

• Allow ample time for drying before putting the painted area back into service.
• If sticking is observed, rub talcum powder onto both surfaces to alleviate it.
• The plasticizer in gaskets in windows, doors, etc. can soften latex paint and cause sticking. This is most problematic with new gaskets and with dark-tinted paints so it’s best to avoid painting the gasket whenever possible.