5 Tips For Cleaning After Painting & Decorating

*AW20 Retreat Utility Products by Dunelm. Image credit: Dunelm*

Without going all Mrs Hinch on you, when I cleaned up after some plastering was done in my en-suite last week, I thought it might be handy to share some of my post-builder, post-painting, post-decorating-of-any-sort cleaning hacks! I have decorated a fair few rooms in my time (I’ll openly admit to being a serial renovator - once one room is completed I’m itching to start something new) and along the way, I’ve learnt some good cleaning tips to rid yourself of paint splashes, plaster dust and the sort of mess only a room overhaul can create. So, here are five items that I always have to hand for the big post-decorating clear up:

Wonder Wipes / Floor Wipes

First off, let’s start with wipes. If you’ve just finished wallpapering and you’re covered in paste, or if you’ve just put down the paintbrush and there are fresh droplets of paint on the floor, then wipes are your best friend. Wonder Wipes are fantastic if you’ve been working with things like decorators caulk or filler and a lot of it is half-dried on you / the walls / the floor. These are powerful wipes that offer the removal of heavy-duty stains and semi-cured sealant. Alternatively, I do love a floor wipe. Bigger and stronger than your standard baby wipe, the £1 per-packet version from Sainsbury’s own brand range is the best out there to just get stuff off.

Photo credit: Everbuild Wonder Wipes — *Photo credit: Everbuild* *Wonder Wipes*

2. Glass Scraper

My DIY blogger friend French For Pineapple introduced me to a glass scraper and it was a revelation. When painting windows I used to painfully tape up each pane of glass with painter’s tape to protect it. Turns out, a glass scraper will get off every tiny spec of paint - no matter how long it has been there! Any splashes on glass or mirrored surfaces can be easily removed when dry with this simple tool that won’t harm the surface.

Buy this glass scraper for under a tenner. — *Buy this* *glass scraper* *for under a tenner.*

3. Carpet Cleaner

A carpet cleaner is one of those items that you don’t think you need until you try one, then you can never be without it again. A few years ago, I was given a Bissell Pet Pro by one of the sponsors of the Revamp, Restyle, Reveal project and I can honestly it is one of the best things I’ve ever owned. Sanding, decorating and building dust settles deep into your floors and upholstery and it takes a good machine cleaner to get it out. Even if you haven’t decorated and hoover regularly, I dare you to give one of these a go and be horrified at how much dirt comes out of your rug or your sofa! For a basic, good value for money model, try Vax or the Bissell ReadyClean.

4. Electric Toothbrush / Bottlebrush

For those tiny crevices around switches, sockets and door hinges, an electric toothbrush or a baby bottle brush are great little tools to get dirt out from the most hard-to-access areas. This bottle brush, below, is from Garden Trading.

5. Radiator Duster

No matter if you have cast, vertical, or column, cleaning decorating dust out from the back of any radiator is hard work. Not all vacuum heads provide ample suction, so a radiator duster is your best friend. I use a twistable, long version that gets into every nook and cranny and vacuum the floor underneath once finished.