What is the best product to use to clean walls prior to painting?
Most paint stores will recommend TSP but that is a bit caustic and you need to wear gloves when using it. For most walls, any cleaner that doesn’t leave a residue is fine and use the two bucket method. One bucket has your soapy water in and a sponge or a cloth. The other bucket has nothing more than clean water and a separate cloth. Wash with the soapy water and then immediately rinse with the clean water sponge or cloth. Change the clean water frequently. Allow the walls to dry at least 24 hours before starting your painting project. And it certainly wouldn’t hurt to increase air flow in the room with a couple of fans. If the area being painted is a kitchen and subject to cooking grease, it’s another story. I’d use a cleaner like Simple Green. It works great on grease and is non-toxic and biodegradable and doesn’t rip up your hands either. You can get Simple Green in a lot of hardware, automotive, grocery and discount stores. It’s highly concentrated so a little goes a long way.
