Just realized I was overcomplicating my paint prep for years

I used to spend a whole weekend cleaning walls with soap and water before painting, thinking it was necessary. About six months ago, I tried just using a damp microfiber cloth and a bucket of clean water. The paint went on smoother and dried faster, saving me at least 4 hours per room. I think the soap residue was actually causing problems. Has anyone else switched to a simpler cleaning method before painting?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jesse3h ago

Remember reading old paint can labels that always said to use soap. Turns out that advice was for oil based paints, which almost nobody uses on walls anymore. Modern latex paint sticks to a different surface, and soap can leave a film that messes with the bond. The switch in paint chemistry made a lot of old prep steps pointless.

burns.phoenix40m ago

The switch in paint chemistry" line explains so much. I spent years washing walls with soap like a good little painter, probably doing more harm than good. I feel like I've been following a recipe that secretly changed all the ingredients.