No matter what kind of house you have, big or small, grand or cozy, walls make all the difference in determining the aesthetic beauty of your interiors. Over time, dust or stains could build up, especially if you have children who run around with crayons demolishing everything in their path. Regardless of who is in your house, you have probably noticed a lot of greasy fingerprints, especially on the kitchen walls. All of this can make your home seem a unnecessarily old. But thankfully, there are a few simple tricks to get rid of fingerprints and stains from walls. Read on and learn ways to give your walls a new lease of life.

First off, you’ll need to gather the following things:

• 2 buckets of warm water; one will be used to prepare the cleaning solution, and the other will hold clean water to be used for rinsing.
• 1 duster (lamb’s wool is recommended to avoid scratches on the walls), some white wash cloths, and a sponge (opt for a natural sponge as colored sponges could deposit the dyes on lighter walls).
• Liquid dishwashing detergent
• Vinegar and washing soda (optional)

Once you gather all these things, all you need to do is add a little bit of a liquid dishwashing detergent to the bucket of water to prepare your cleaning solution. If you feel that this won’t be strong enough to get rid of the stains, there is an alternative, which should be used with care as strong solutions can remove or lighten the paint on your walls. To make a stronger solution, simply add a cup of vinegar and a cup of washing soda (you can find sodium carbonate or sodium borate in powdered forms). Before going crazy with any cleaning solution, check that your paint won’t come off by testing it on a corner spot that is covered, like the area behind your couch or in your store room. If you find that your paint is weak and easily comes off or lightens, you may have no choice but to contact a professional.

Now that you’ve tested your walls and gotten the go-ahead, it’s time to get rid of fingerprints and stains from your walls. To avoid a mishap or a messy aftermath, cover your furniture or move them out of the way beforehand. Once you’ve cleared the area, follow the steps below:

1. Try removing as much dust as you can with the duster, just make sure you’re gentle in the process to avoid scratching your walls.
2. Dip your sponge into the cleaning solution and gently rub the solution on the wall.
3. After scrubbing with the sponge, take the leaning cloths and dip them in the clean bucket and wash off the solution.
4. Instead of spreading the solution on a big area and washing it off, do it on a smaller area and then repeat the process.

If you’re looking the clean just a few spots with greasy fingerprints, rather than an entire wall, using white chalk, a simple microfiber cleaning cloth, and water is your go to solution. If you want to use this solution then follow the steps below:

1. Identify the parts with greasy fingerprints and rub the white chalk over them. Again, be careful not to do it too hard as you don’t want scratches to appear on the walls.
2. Leave the chalk on for about five minutes and then take the dry cleaning cloth to remove any excess chalk residue. You will notice that the chalk sticks on fingerprints.
3. Dip the wash cloth in a bit of water and gently scrub over the fingerprints to remove the chalk and the oil along with it. After the water dries, you will notice that the fingerprints are gone.

These are super simple and effective ways to give your walls a new lease of life. Now all you need to do is gather a few household ingredients, turn the music on and start cleaning.