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Wall Washing - best way?Posted by houseangels (houseangels), 9 December 2003
I do domestic cleaning but have been asked by a customer to wash down large sections of emulsion painted walls.
What is the best cleaner to use for large areas?
I dont want to leave streaks across the walls!
Any help appreciated 
Posted by petra (petra), 9 December 2003
Is it matt or vinyl silk , matt will mark (we don't touch matt walls) but vinyl is ok, are the walls smoke stains or what...we use an orange based multipurpose, diluted at a strong rate and a wall tile mop...does the trick 99% of the time. Make sure you tell the client that this may not clean up properly and you do not give any guarentee on wall cleaning, even put it in writing to cover your back.
Hope this helps
PetraPosted by deep_clean (deep clean), 9 December 2003
Henkel Ecolab Greenlime Lemon Gel, with either the Johnmaster or Vileda flat mop system works well for us.
Russ
www.deep-clean.co.uk Posted by DP (DP), 10 December 2003
Just a little snippet here to debate:
Question: What is the right way to clean a very dirty wall. From the top down or the bottom up?
Answer: Easy from the top down, well is it?
Ill explain. My answer is based around smoke damage really, however we have found it to be true on all different types of greasy walls not smoke related.
We were taught that it was always from the bottom up. The reason for this is that if you start at the top the solution will almost always try to run down the wall.
In doing so, the resulting streaks set the dirt below before you have a chance to get to it. When you come to wash the area below you often find that you cannot remove the streaks.
If you wash from the bottom up, any residual "runs" hardly effect the wall because it has already been cleaned. I know dirt can still run down, but it never seems to set on a cleaned surface.
Now the times both I and my superiors have held competitions with the staff to prove this in the field have been numerous with almost all being converted to "up washer", which was the point, although I will agree it still feels awkward.
Its common for people not to agree so I don’t expect any here to either. What I will say is if you haven’t tried it then do, you will be very surprised at the results.
We use Strongarm or Heinkel Power Clean in different dilutions for all wall and ceiling washing (cuts through anything).Posted by deep_clean (deep clean), 10 December 2003
Quote:We were taught that it was always from the bottom up. The reason for this is that if you start at the top the solution will almost always try to run down the wall.
We have found that if we use a flat mop systems, we can mop the walls in any direction. Because they carry very little water as opposed to foam head wall washers. I was very sceptical when the Rep demonstrated them to us last year, but took 4 on trial. And we haven’t used our existing wall washer since!!
www.deep-clean.co.ukPosted by catrodney (catrodney), 10 December 2003
we find and have used method many times is to lightly spray walls with fine mist of solution(using a pressure sprayer) then mop with flat mop system.
There are many good quality products on the market which you can use.
catrodney.Posted by Ian_G. (Ian_G.), 10 December 2003
Do any of you use an attatchment to a carpet cleaning machine?
How much do you charge per square yard of wall cleaned?
Regards
IanPosted by DP (DP), 10 December 2003
Cor I was expecting a right argument about this, I didn’t expect anybody to use posh mops, that’s cheating.
Seriously I am aware of the wall cleaning tools and attachments available and they are all excluded from this topic as of NOW. 
Posted by petra (petra), 10 December 2003
Just show you that some of us do use our iniative DP
PetraPosted by DP (DP), 13 December 2003
Petra, yup thats banned as well Posted by petra (petra), 14 December 2003
Sorry mate feeling a bit clever latley..can't you help with the steam room post
PetraPosted by tracey (tracey), 4 January 2004
after a recent experiance i would say think very carfully about doing this, we ended up cleaning the whole living area. We did warn that the wall would not match the others but the customer insisted that this was what they wanted, but as we did not get this in writing! as petra sugested [always get in written contract] we ended working for nothing.
good luck Posted by leerob695 (leerob695), 7 January 2004
whynot just use a sponge and two buckets one bucket with your product in and the other with clean warm water when you go to rinse your sponge out squeeze it into the clean water bucket and then imerse it in the clean water bucket so it takes on water then squeeze all water out and then put it back in your bucket containing solution that way your solution stays clean longer and you dont have to empty it (waste of product) all you throw away is dirty water which is free!
it seems to work on fire restoration anywayPosted by Fox (Fox), 8 January 2004
Just keep lots of cards in your back pocket of good painters & decoraters - obviously recommendation means commition!
Joking guys! 
By the way DP - argument? I'll give you one! I agree with you completely - but do the cleaners listen! 
Posted by DP (DP), 8 January 2004
No they dont , and what has "giving me one" got to do with it Posted by houseangels (houseangels), 8 January 2004
Thanks for all your help guys & gals
I took the easy way out and offered to paint it for him instead which he accepted!!
You have to have more than one string to your bow these days!!!
Terry
House Angels
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