I get this question quite often when I am out giving bids to homeowners in the Portland area. They ask me if I need to clean everything before painting interior surfaces. It is a very valid question and the answer is yes if the surface is dirty or if it is very glossy.
Typically you will not need to clean walls and ceilings in your home before painting them as they just don’t get much on them. If you are in a kitchen or bathroom area that gets a lot of moisture or food splatters you may want to use a clean or degreaser first. The product we use most often at Absolute Painting is TSP mixed with water. It cleans and scuffs the surface to help promote adhesion for the new paint.
Ceilings are typically tough to clean but you can just take a broom and get the cob webs and dust off fairly easily. If you have some type of old smoke stains from a fireplace or cigarettes you make need to do a wash that will be difficult. You also may need a really strong oil based or shellac primer to help seal in the smoke damage. We normally do not suggest that homeowners attempt to do this priming unless they really have a lot of experience with it. It can cause many health problems from the odors and is very messy and hard to clean.
Anytime you are painting doors or woodwork in your home it is suggested that you clean the surface and maybe even scuff it up with sandpaper. The doors and woodwork usually get dirtier than the rest of the surfaces and need to be cleaned. Cleaning with a TSP helps to scuff the surface and wash at the same time. Woodwork painting is the hardest part of any paint job in most cases and requires the most experience to make it look good.
If you have any questions or concerns as to whether you should wash the surface before interior painting you can always call us and we are happy to help out.
