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Company is coming to visit and suddenly you are aware of all the spots on the walls, entryways and door handles! You shriek with a gasp of desperation and shift into high gear. Your kids think you are a kamikaze in uniform and in total unreality, but you know better. “If only they could stop putting those unsightly fingerprints on the walls…,” you think. Or worse, after some sport event your teenage son brushes against the wall with the oily dirt and grime. On the other hand, your toddler decides to look like mom, tries on that hot red lipstick, and then proceeds with toddler graffiti. Not to worry, there are solutions and quick ones at that.

Although families with young children are most likely to find fingerprints left behind on painted walls, even adults may inadvertently dirty walls around light switches or frequently traveled hallways. You’ll have the best results in keeping your walls clean if you wipe away fingerprints before they’ve had time to set. The degree to which you can successfully clean a painted wall depends on the paint’s finish, as well as the quality of the paint

What To Look For

First, you will want to go to the high traffic areas such as the kitchen, bathroom, hallways and entryways. If you have small children or grandchildren, look two to three feet from the floor and work your way around handles and doorknobs as well. Wherever there is a lot of action, there is the potential for spots, stains and marks on the walls. Keep your eyes open to these possibilities.

Healthy Tips

• As with any type of cleaner, first test these methods in an inconspicuous spot on the wall to see how the paint reacts.

• Start with the top half of the wall first.

• Next, wash the lower half of the wall, including the baseboards.

• Then clean window frames, sills, door frames, and any other woodwork as you come to them.
  Once again, after you have made one complete trip around the room, you are done.
  

Maintenance

• The proper way to maintain walls is to keep them free of spots and fingerprints. Each time you do your weekly cleaning, have all-purpose cleaner at the ready for new spots that have appeared.
• Remove them by spraying and wiping clean with a cloth. Anything that gets on the wall that might result in a permanent stain should be removed whenever you see it. Don’t wait until you clean the house again.
• As you clean house, be aware of spots being made on the walls that can be stopped by moving something. Then do it. It is a pleasant feeling to solve these little problems instead of just wondering about them as you’re cleaning. You’ll be grateful you did because the house will look better between now and when you wash or paint again — and those jobs will be that much.