How To Clean Walls With Flat Paint (Easy 5 Step DIY Guide)

One of the first things you should know is that flat paint is the cheapest kind of paint. So before we tell you how to clean walls with cheap paint i.e. clean flat painted walls, you should make sure you can put  warm water on it without the paint coming off.  

Find a small area in an out-of-the-way location and rub a damp sponge or rag on it. If paint comes off, don’t clean it unless you want to repaint it.  

The second thing you should know is that flat painted is great for covering up damage, but that doesn’t mean it can take damage, so be gentle with it.  

Lastly, you’re going to need some kind of cleaning solutions for commercial painting. Make a DIY wall-washing solution with dishwashing liquid and either borax or ammonia. You can also go with a store-bought all-purpose cleaner if you don’t want to mess with ingredients.  

Use this step-by-step guide to learn how to clean flat latex painted walls without damaging the paint job. 

Get two buckets. In one, place one gallon of warm water and either 2 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid with 1 cup of borax or 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid with 1 cup of distilled white vinegar. Fill the second bucket with warm water. Get a soft sponge or a high-quality microfiber cloth or damp cloth as well.

Test the flat paint to see if it's cheap or not, as we described above. If it doesn't come off on your sponge or cloth, continue. Give your cleaning solution of white vinegar a try in a remote spot as well to make sure it doesn't damage the paint.

Cover furniture and the floors with a tarp, sheet, or towels to protect them from accidental damage. Use a vacuum to remove dust and debris from the entire wall. If you don’t have a vacuum, dust with the cloth. Take care not to damage the paint! 

Grab a step ladder so you can get up high. Starting at the top of the wall, use gentle circular strokes with a sponge or cloth that’s been dipped in the dish soap solution. 

Work in sections that you can reach so that the wall isn’t covered in water or dish soap solution for too long. 

Once the solution is on the wall, wash with warm water and then dry with a microfiber cloth. Move onto the next section when you’re finished.  

The DIY solution with borax is the best way to clean flat paint walls off regular walls. Concrete walls can be cleaned with a mixture of water and salt, while the vinegar solution is the best cleaner for latex-painted walls made of wood. You can let wooden walls air dry. 

Finding the right sponges and microfiber cloths can be challenging, but luckily they aren’t too expensive. If you aren’t sure what to use to clean flat paint walls, you can test out a few brands. 

If you have any tough stains from food, crayons, or scuffs, run over them once during your normal cleaning procedure and then come back to attack them when the rest of the wall is done. This gives the solution some time to remove stains. 

Probably the best way to save time and keep your flat paint walls looking spotless is to dry dust them every other month. 

Depending on the paint color, you might be able to see when dust and other debris start to build up. That stuff can wear down a paint job over time. 

Look for grubby fingerprints around thermostats, reflect light switches, and windows. 

Shop around for matte paint with waterproofing additives, especially in areas like the kitchen or bathroom where non-waterproof flat paint will take damage from moisture.  

You can apply touch up paint with upholstery brush without much trouble, especially if you have the right indoor paint sprayer to speed up the job.

However, make sure there's always some leftover paint around for quick fixes.  

Now that you know how to wash matte paint walls and keep them looking fresh between washings, your house can stay in top-notch condition.

Cleaning matte finish walls isn't too tricky. With the right tools, it's as easy as any other household chore.