How to Clean a Newly Painted Surface
Whether you do it yourself or hire Raleigh house painters, applying a new coat of paint can revitalize your home, inside and out. But life can get messy pretty quickly, and before you know it, your newly painted surface might get dinged and/or dirty in no time. If this happens, it’s not the end of the world. However, cleaning a newly painted surface requires even more care and attention than cleaning something that was painted a while back.
In general, most paint dries within five hours. But even after it’s dried, that new coat of paint is still breaking in and adhering to the surface. Let’s go over some key things to keep in mind when cleaning a recently painted area.
Clean the Surface Before Painting
Unless you enjoy making your life more difficult, the last thing you want to do is paint over a dirty surface. This results in several problems. First of all, paint has a harder time bonding to a surface if debris is in the way. Your new paint job won’t last very long if it’s not fully adhered to the material. Also, trying to clean a surface that has dirt and dust trapped between the material and the paint is a nightmare. To reach the surface, you may have to sand it down, clean it, and then start the painting process all over again. To avoid all this, make sure you thoroughly clean and dry the materials to be painted before you start painting.
When in Doubt, Wait
Generally speaking, you should really wait at least two weeks before cleaning a newly painted surface. However, accidents can happen, and you may be faced with a wall, door, or ceiling that’s scuffed up or covered in something that shouldn’t be there. In these instances, you may have no choice but to clean the surface, even if the paint has only been there for a week or less. If it’s a minor issue, wait it out and clean it after some time. If it needs immediate attention, pay attention to the advice below.
Don’t Use Too Much Water
Water is usually involved in any cleaning process, whether applied with a sponge or a cloth. Just be mindful of how much water you use. An overabundance can damage the new paint job, even removing some of the top layer. Make sure you wring out much of the water in your cleaning solution before scrubbing the surface.
Be Gentle
This might seem obvious, but don’t scrub too aggressively. The heat from friction is another potential risk that can remove paint from the surface. You want to scrub enough to thoroughly clean the area, but not so hard that you take the paint with it. The last thing you want to do is call your Raleigh painting service back to touch up a mistake that you made.
Pay Attention to What You’re Cleaning
Different materials are best cleaned with different solutions and methods. The surface in question might be stained with grease, caked with dirt, or scuffed by someone’s shoe. Whatever the case, pay attention to what you have to clean and which process is best suited for the job. Additionally, make sure the chemicals you use won’t damage or remove the paint. There are many useful resources online to help you.
Make Sure to Dry
No matter what you’re cleaning or how you’re cleaning it, make sure you completely dry the area after you’re done. This will help prevent any streaking.
Ideally, you won’t have to clean a newly painted surface. Still, all surfaces should be cleaned regularly to keep them looking fresh and prevent any mold or bacteria from taking hold. If you need more advice on cleaning newly painted surfaces, a Raleigh house painting company may be able to help. For instance, Anderson Painting contractors incorporate cleaning as part of the prep work before painting. Before we paint an exterior, we pressure wash the entire area to remove any dirt, dust, or mildew and to ensure that the new paint will stick to the surface properly. To learn more about us and all our services, call Anderson Painting today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
