[jeffhweb]

What is the best way to prep my walls for painting. I just bought the house and it smells from smoking and pets. There are also dirt marks on some areas. I used a steamer and wipe all the walls down. Was that a good thing. do I still need to wash them?

 

[NAV]

for the smoke/nicotine stains it can be helpful to wash the walls with a solution of TSP and water.

for the pet smell it's not as easy. Most of the smell is probably coming from the floors. you may have to tear out all of the existing carpet and prime the walls ceilings and floors with BIN - an alcohol based primer by Zinsser.

 

[jeffhweb]

thanks

thanks for the tip

 

[jeffhweb]

Tsp?

Is there seomthing I can use besides TSP? I heard it's pretty potent stuff and I need a mask. I heard about mixing detergent with water. Is that ok?

 

[saggdevil]

I used Ultra Dawn (not regular Dawn) with some white vinegar (neutralizes) and liquid fabric softener (fragrance) with hot water. It worked great for me. I was cleaning wallpaper residue from a plasterered wall. If you like, add a little baking soda to work as a scouring agent. Animal skin oil smell from dogs came out of my carpet with a professional cleaning. If it is animal urine, good luck. Shampoo carpets without getting too wet (I use Chem-Dry) or it will help the pad underneath saturate with diluted urine . Good luck. It should clean up okay.
Also, there was nicotine on my walls. It cleaned up great.

Also, I'd prime to seal it before painting.

 

[jeffhweb]

cleaning walls for paint

Thanks for the tips!!