Wednesday 29 May 2013

Wall Cleaning. Get Excited.

Sooo, I ended my last post (you might not recall it, it was so long ago..) with an ambitious "Now it's time to improve!".  HAH.  Obviously what I meant was.. "Now it's time to lie on the couch for a couple months."  I'm sorry if you misunderstood - we are still getting to know each other, after all.

But now I have a REAL excuse.  The excuse that trumps all excuses.  The ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card.  Laundry piling up?  Personal hygiene a distant memory?  Becoming a fast food connoisseur?
Perfectly fine - if you're pregnant.

Yes, whilst my house lies in ruins, my teeth edge closer to falling out, and my poor neglected blog has tumbleweeds for company... I'm building a little person.  So it's alllllll ok.

Still I don't want to be completely boring, so it's time for a proper "life lesson" post.  And what could be more fascinating than... *trumpets sound*...

Wall cleaning!

Well, in truth.. probably just about anything could be more fascinating.  But one day when you're moving out of your rental, or house-sitting for your parents, and your kids decide to 'find the Picasso within' all over the walls, you might suddenly be interested.

To me, cleaning walls is something I imagine only clean freaks bother to do - and I use that term affectionately, enviously even.  The fact is, there are barely enough hours in the week to complete the (is necessary the right word?) 'usual' cleaning tasks - like laundry, dishes, vacuuming etc.  I don't imagine walls are a high priority for people, so it amuses me that I might be mistaken for a clean person by writing this post, when in reality I'm the sort of person who fears some day seeing herself on a show like 'Hoarders'.

It just so happened that my parents were coming to visit and we're looking after their house.  So after a few months of cringing every time I spotted the hallway art, I finally decided to attack it.  Of course, with any stain, the best thing you can do is have at it immediately.  Unfortunately, procrastination followed by self-deprecation is more my style.

The idea for this post didn't hit until I'd already started cleaning, so I didn't capture the scale of the art. There are a few different sorts of stains I'm attacking in these photos.  Obviously, if you love your walls, do a spot test first so you can be sure it won't ruin anything!  I have read other fixes than these of course, but this is what I had on hand and found to be quick, cheap and effective.



Stain: Crayon, sticky tape residue.
Weapon: WD-40.
Application: Spray on. Wipe off.  The crayon was easy, but the tape marks were up high and a bit stubborn so hubby helped out.  He observed that it was easier when he sprayed the WD-40 on the cloth instead of the wall.



Stain: Pencil, pen, black scuff marks.
Weapon: Toothpaste (the cheap white kind - I've heard gel doesn't work the same?)
Application:  Spread toothpaste on stain and let sit.  Scrub off with wet cloth or toothbrush.  I have a spray bottle with vinegar, so I sprayed that on before brushing off (no idea if that makes a difference, I just like vinegar!).  Pencil and biro were easily removed, the black scuff marks took a bit more persuading.  I also use this method on our laminate dining table and vinyl floor.
 Handy tip: Afterwards, place toothbrush somewhere your child won't mistake it for theirs.




  I left some dirt as a point of reference so you could tell I didn't just photograph someone elses nice, clean wall for the "after" shots.  In the last photo the brown spots were removed with vinegar and a microfiber cloth. 

  While I'm talking about vinegar, and since I probably won't have another "cleany" post for a while.. I also use bi carb soda and vinegar in my clothes wash and for cleaning my oven.  My Nan swears by it and Nan's are always right! 

  I don't even own oven cleaner.  I have been known to overfill cake pans and end up with spillage which I can overlook for months while it bakes and burns on the bottom of the oven.  All I do is a quick sprinkle of bicarb over the mess, followed by a spritz of vinegar.  I let it sit (minutes, hours, days.. depending on the stain and my patience) and then off it comes with a scrub.  That goes for pans and cooktops too.  The best part is that it's perfectly safe and you can still use the oven!  No waiting or airing.

  Ok.  Enough productivity for now.  Time for a cuppa!