Spotless Walls: A Couple Magic Tricks Everyone Could Use!

Today’s project may have been a little more on the dirty side and less on the cute and aesthetic side, but it is definitely worth sharing!

The house we just moved in is in a very good condition.  Newer construction, well taken care of, clean and freshly painted walls. However, in every single room there were at least four or five nails & screws left on the walls (from the previous tenants), and note this: whoever left them there (a) made sure to measure accurately thus leaving the walls covered in pencil marks and (b) was too busy to wash their hands and therefore left dirty fingerprints all over the walls.

Although you may not see it clearly, this one is an example.

Well, it took me a good 45 minutes to unscrew and pull out all the nails and screws around the house.  I even had to use my power tool for the screws, and climb onto a ladder as most of them were basically touching the ceiling…no joke.

To fill the holes, I used this product that I’ve had for a while. I don’t even know if it’s designed for this purpose, but it works wonders (CrackShot)!  I applied it with a putty knife and a few minutes later, wiped clean any excess product with a wet kitchen paper towel.   Luckily, all my walls are painted white and beige and the slight color difference doesn’t show.  It would have helped if the homeowners had left a can of the paint that they used, so that I could apply it on top, But even now, it looks perfect!

And as far as the pencil and fingerprint marks go…. I used another magic product. I think that any powder cleanser could do the job, but I like this one (Bon Ami).  I apply it on the wall with a wet sponge, and wipe it clean with a wet kitchen paper towel.  (I always do a test with my sponge on a little corner on the wall just to make sure that my sponge won’t leave any extra marks or tamper with the wall color.)

I was so happy with the results that I wandered around the house with the sponge and powder cleanser to make all the other wall marks disappear.  This mark below must have been made by some furniture touching the wall.

With these little tricks I have no worries about hanging frames, paintings, or even a bedpost rubbing against the wall.  And if, after a while, I change my mind and want to re-arrange my art work,  I know i’ll be able to hide all the evidence!!