# Easiest way to clean walls? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 15, 2013, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-clean-walls/658360 "2013-05-15T00:42:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![midnight-dreary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@midnight-dreary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/midnight-dreary)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-clean-walls/658360/1 "2013-05-15T00:42:27Z")
I’m slowly doing over my room. I don’t want to paint my walls, unless necessary, but they are dirty. It’d probably be easiest if I was able to clean it in ‘spurts’, instead of doing it all at the one time. The less chemicals I can use, the better! Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![sangfroid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@sangfroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sangfroid)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-clean-walls/658360/2 "2013-05-15T01:45:42Z")
Magic erasers. Works wonders, and they’re just a little sponge you soak in water, then wipe away grime with. The wife swears by them and even has the kids do their rooms with them from time to time. Look for them in the cleaning section of your local grocery store. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-clean-walls/658360/3 "2013-05-15T01:52:27Z")
> [@sangfroid](#): > > Magic erasers. Works wonders, and they’re just a little sponge you soak in water, then wipe away grime with. The wife swears by them and even has the kids do their rooms with them from time to time. > > Look for them in the cleaning section of your local grocery store. I second this! Would be hard to do a whole wall though. Have used generic version too and they seemed ok as well (didn’t try side by side - but seemed the same to me). ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-clean-walls/658360/4 "2013-05-15T03:26:00Z")
Be sure to start at the bottom. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-clean-walls/658360/5 "2013-05-15T07:53:37Z")
Wet rags, bucket of water with some Mr. Clean in it. More surface area than the eraser. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-clean-walls/658360/6 "2013-05-15T10:40:30Z")
I find repainting a lot less hassle than trying to clean. When you’ve cleaned one patch, it will reveal how grubby the rest of the wall is – you’ll never get it uniformly clean. It only takes half a day to paint a room, a lot less hassle than scrubbing! ---
**Author:** ![midnight-dreary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@midnight-dreary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/midnight-dreary)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-clean-walls/658360/7 "2013-05-15T11:22:54Z")
I’d agree with the painting thing, however, I have a massive cupboard that runs almost wall to wall on one side. To paint my room, it means emptying that cupboard, taking it apart, finding somewhere to store it and the contents. That’s a massive job in of itself. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-clean-walls/658360/8 "2013-05-15T11:36:58Z")
Would it be scandalous to suggest painting around the cupboard?:eek: ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-clean-walls/658360/9 "2013-05-15T11:47:24Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Would it be scandalous to suggest painting around the cupboard?:eek: Hell No it wouldn’t! Outta sight outta mind! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![midnight-dreary](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@midnight-dreary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/midnight-dreary)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-clean-walls/658360/10 "2013-05-15T12:38:48Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Would it be scandalous to suggest painting around the cupboard?:eek: I thought about that, actually 😛 However, near the back wall, there is a small gap between wall + cupboard, that I use to store posters etc. It’s _just_ big enough to see the paint on the wall.:smack: Maybe it might be easier just get a bit of wood cut to size and hide that hole? llol. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/easiest-way-to-clean-walls/658360/11 "2013-05-15T13:03:01Z")
Go to the store and buy a specialized piece of equipment designed to clean large flat surfaces quickly. A sponge mop.