Week 39 Get the Toxins Out . . . Of Our Wall Cleaners and What Paint to Use

I’m always learning through my mistakes, and I am sure this will always be the case. I have learned a lot about what not to do in the future, after gutting and remodeling our house that we live in today. One of those mistakes was how we did our walls and ceilings, and that has made cleaning them a lot harder than it should be. As I share my experience with you, I hope you can learn from my mistakes as well as what has worked well for us.

The first mistake I made was not using the right kind of paint on our walls. Starting with the right kind of paint should make washing walls easier. I painted my entire house in a matte finish, and I really regret it, especially with kids. It’s hard to clean, and shows everything. When I paint my house again, I am planning to use semi-gloss paint since it is considered the most versatile paint and is easier to clean. I definitely encourage you to research this, because there is a lot of helpful information out there!

Another mistake I made was not having the ceiling primed when the drywall finishers were here and nothing was in the house. The finishers simply used dry wall mud, and this is impossible to clean. I learned this the hard way when, somehow, we got applesauce on our celling in the kitchen. When I went to clean it off, I accidentally rubbed the drywall mud smooth. It looks terrible now. As soon as I have a lot of time and ambition, I’m planning to prime my ceiling to make it easier to clean.

Update: 1-15-2021. I started my project this week and after visiting with my local hardware helper I learned that paint with primer is a gimmick. He said that basically you will paint your ceiling or walls the same amount of times so you might as well buy the primer and paint, because primer is cheaper. I’m so thankful for small local stores! A friend also shared that she bought an expensive ceiling paint and didn’t think it splattered any less.

When I clean my walls, my routine is very simple. I use a wool duster that I bought from Lehmans’ to dust the walls first. Sometimes I use my shop vac if I have a lot of cobwebs. Then I take a bucket with hot water, a splash of vinegar, and some essential oils and scrub the walls from top to bottom with an old t-shirt or receiving blanket rag. I keep a dry rag in my hand to wipe them dry before I move onto the next area. The routine is so simple and frugal, and it’s always very rewarding to see clean walls.

Do you have any tips for washing walls, painting ceilings, or a natural paint that you can recommend? We love to hear from you!

Our family has learned to slow down, make careful observations of what heals/damages, get rid of the distractions, take a little more time preparing our food, and most importantly to seek the Lord’s wisdom. It’s a daily struggle and it never goes perfectly, but we just keep trying to do the best we can. If you are working toward a more traditional, clean, whole foods diet, and would like to take small steps to get there, then you are at the right place. Week one was get your salt right, week 2 was get your sleep right, weeks 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 were get your fats right, we had several weeks about seasonings and herbs, some important discussion about natural sweeteners, talked about Forgiveness, hopefully we got our eggs right, learned about the benefits of pastured, clean meats, considered getting mercury removed, we got the toxins out of our mouth, skin, and hair, and this week we will continue to focus on our house. Join us next Tuesday for Get Your . . . Right.