How to Clean Bathroom Walls -- Tips

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When you clean the bathroom, it's easy to overlook the walls. Whether your bathroom walls are painted, tiled, paneled or made from natural stone, they require periodic cleaning to remove a variety of dulling culprits such as cobwebs, dust, soap scum and stains. Incorporate natural cleaning products and solutions to keep your bathrooms sparkling fresh without using any harmful chemicals.

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Revive Painted Walls

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Clear the cobwebs and dust from your bathroom walls with a microfiber dusting mop at the end of a telescopic handle. The dry microfiber attracts loose particles from the walls, and the telescope handle allows you to easily reach the upper walls, corners and crevices, and the ceiling. Mix up a nontoxic wall cleaner by combining a couple of tablespoons of mild dish-washing liquid in a gallon of warm water. Rub a small area of the walls gently with a natural sponge and rinse with a clean, damp sponge. Dry each cleaned wall section with an old towel. Repeat the washing and drying process until you've cleaned all of your bathroom walls. Use this soapy solution on painted walls with a gloss, semigloss or satin finish.

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Tackle Tile and Natural Stone

Get the tiled and natural stone-covered walls in your bathrooms and showers sparkling clean by mixing equal parts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spritz the solution onto the surfaces, and wipe them dry with a clean cloth. Rub a thin coat of car wax onto tiled walls annually to make water bead up and roll off the protected surfaces. Apply full-strength white vinegar or lemon juice with a sponge to shower walls showing mold or mildew growth, and allow it to sit for a few minutes before rinsing it off.

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Prevent the Buildup

Reduce or eliminate water spots, soap scum and stains from your bathroom walls and shower stalls by implementing a few preventive measures. For example, after showering, use a squeegee to wipe down the wet surfaces to deter soap scum buildup. You can also mist the shower walls lightly with a spray bottle filled with vinegar to help prevent mildew growth. If your bathroom has a ventilation fan, turn it on before showering to circulate the air and stop excessive moisture from forming and running down the bathroom walls.

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Special Cleaning Tricks

Make cleaning your bathroom walls and shower stalls easier by taking down pictures from the walls and removing personal hygiene products from the shower. In addition, when cleaning your walls, start at the top of each wall and work your way down to prevent dirty water and cleaning solutions from dripping down onto previously cleaned walls. If the bathroom walls are showing water stains, clean the areas with a sponge dampened with a natural, general cleaning mixture made from combining 1/2 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda with 1/2 gallon of water. Rub the spotted areas lightly to avoid possible damage to the walls.

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