Image for article titled When to Wash Your Walls Before Painting, and When You Can Skip It

Painting interior walls in your home is one of those tasks that can be done quickly and easily, but can end up being a lot more work than you thought. It's not only a matter of brushing or rolling on a coat of fresh paint, it's also all the prep work and Cleanup that goes along with it.

Along with moving furniture out of the way and covering everything in drop cloths, there is also the matter of washing the walls. It can get confusing here. It's important to wash walls before painting them, according to most paint can instructions.

If you have seen a professional painter at work, you may have noticed that they skip this step. Which is an important part of the process, or one that isn't really necessary? Here is what to know.

When you should wash your walls before painting

The rule is to wash walls before painting them. The instructions on how to wash your walls vary between manufacturers, ranging from wiping them down with a sponge and warm water to cleaning them with a powder that is mixed with water.

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If you are going to paint interior walls, it is best to wash them first.

When you might be able to avoid washing walls before painting

The reasons professional painters don't wash walls before painting depend on the situation, but if they are getting paid by the job, it's not hard to see why they skip that step.

Eric Regan of Mission Painting and Home Improvements in Overland Park, Kansas says that most of the time, interior walls in some rooms of your home don't have to be washed before they're painted.

How can you tell if you can skip that step? If you're painting your kitchen, bathroom, or any other room where you cook or bathe, there's no escaping the mess. The same apples are used to trim and ledges in any room.

If you're dead-set against washing your walls before painting them, they should meet all of these conditions.

  • Not being excessively dusty
  • Absence of crayon and/or grease stains on the walls
  • The home does not have a wood-burning fireplace
  • The walls have little or no contact with hands
  • There are no pets in the house

Even if all of the criteria apply to the room you're going to paint, you should still give the walls a quick wipe down to remove any dust or debris that you can't see.