# How to clean my walls with matte paint?



## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

I've always had gloss or semi-gloss, which seems to wipe down nicely with just water. We just moved in to a new place in July, and my walls are covered in toddler fingerprints and general grime. But when I wipe them down, my rags shed and leave them looking bad, and if I rub at anything paint comes off.

The bathroom is especially troublesome- the fan isn't terrific, so the walls get wet with the morning showers. There are streaky water marks all over the wall near the shower (I do leave the fan on for quite a while in the morning, but it doesn't seem to make a difference- it's the initial shot of steam during the shower).

Should I be using a "product"? How can I wash the walls without taking the paint off?


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## mack (Sep 5, 2007)

This is why the average rental is painted every 5 years, and the average homeowner paints every 7 years. There is no way to REALLY clean flat paint (though if you want, a sponge mop and some TSP will do an adequate job). Just prime and re-paint, and never put a flat in a bathroom or kitchen- that's what semi-gloss is for. I feel your pain. I'm not sure which I hate more- grimy walls or painting.


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## MelW (Jan 13, 2005)

Thanks for the advice. Why someone would paint a rental suite with flat paint throughout is beyond me. The house was new three years ago, then repainted right before we moved in. We've only been here four months, and it already looks bad


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## wendyland (Apr 5, 2003)

Usually, they paint with flat because it hides flaws in the walls or maybe the flat paint was cheaper. Our kitchen cabinets were painted with a flat paint when we moved it. I had to paint them almost immediately.

Those magic eraser sponges do a pretty good job for small smudges and fingerprints.


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## ilovebabies (Jun 7, 2008)

Flat paint is great at hiding flaws. We paint our living room with flat paint for this reason. Our walls aren't drywall (house built in 1939) and it's one of the last rooms we're remodeling so we keep it painted with flat paint to hide all the bump and such. And there is no way to clean it adquately.


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## Amylcd (Jun 16, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wendyland* 
Usually, they paint with flat because it hides flaws in the walls or maybe the flat paint was cheaper. Our kitchen cabinets were painted with a flat paint when we moved it. I had to paint them almost immediately.

*Those magic eraser sponges do a pretty good job for small smudges and fingerprints*.

They always take the paint off my walls. We are in the same situation, and are planning to re-paint soon.


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