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Do you wash walls?

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31K views 73 replies 28 participants last post by  Brushman4  
#1 ·
Do you wash walls? It just seems like an old school thing to do.

Today I actually ran out of my trusty Problock oil based spray can primer and had a bathroom with hairspray all over the walls. My first thought for an alternative was sand it (cuz that's what we painters do when we see shiny things... besides get distracted:) I hit it with the paint and it immediately crackled up.

I stood there perplexed, like now what am I going to do. I was thinking, I have some gardz but then I have to get a brush dirty and then wait for it to dry... Then my genius helper asked, Why don't we just wash it off? I replied with the most disgusted look on my face... "Wash the walls? With what?" With a sarcastic tone he's like, "How about Dawn. Ya know, dish soap."

I just busted up laughing because of all the obvious solutions, that one eluded me. I never wash walls (trim, doors etc I do). I problock everything. Spaghetti sauce? Problock. Booger? Problock. Bodily fluids of any kind, human or animal. Problock. I don't touch it, I seal that in as a new artifact of the wall.

Maybe I need to add since Dawn to my painting system. How about you? How often to you wash walls?
 
#52 ·
Never have and never will wash walls before painting. That’s the homeowners job. Drywall dust does not mess up a paint job if you sand between coats and prime. And if there’s grease or other things that would bleed through, I charge to prime with stain blocker. I’m not gonna carry around cleaning supplies in my van because my customer happens to be a pig.
 
P
#67 ·
What is this...a convention of Merry Maids?

Carpenters don't wash walls, nor do plumbers, electricians, HVAC guys, landscapers, etc.

If you want to do it, more power to you, but I'll put to you that this is probably one of the reasons that painting as a trade is so disrespected. How can you argue that painting is a skilled trade when you are cleaning customers' toilets?

Get some self respect.
 
B
#70 ·
The old timers that I started with back in the mid-70's, were used to washing or dry cleaning every surface, in the residential market before ever touching a brush!

If you would have called them Merry Maids, you'd be missing a few teeth.

I never said anything about cleaning a customers toilet, is that your job at home?
 
S
#73 ·
Many moons ago I worked for a company that painted mansions in Newport RI.They washed everything interior and exterior.Everything was to the 9's.It made no difference imo they were just super rich and got there house scrubbed and painted every year.
Me I don't even touch a wall until it has a coat on it.unless it has some serious damage paint,pole sand,paint.Its amazing what that first coat will make you not care about...
 
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