How to Paint a Wall Wash Solution

Mix 1 to 2 cups of your preferred wall-wash solution--either clear ammonia or trisodium phosphate--to each gallon of water. Cool water is recommended when using an ammonia solution because it decreases the fumes' intensity.

Test a small area of your wall with the solution, using cloths. If you notice damage to the tested area or no significant improvement, wall-washing may not be the best choice. Consider repainting the walls, or trying a different wall wash solution.

Cover furniture, dust walls and windowsills in plastic, and remove all pictures or objects from the walls. Observe the room to see if the entirety of the walls must be cleaned or whether simple spot cleaning will do the job. In either case, gather the bucket with your wall wash solution, a flat mop and a dozen rags into the room.

Wash the ceiling and then begin washing the walls in the corners. It is important to clean the walls in entire sections so that backtracking is not necessary. Wash the walls, using a flat mop in 3-foot strips starting at the top and ending at the baseboard. Solution will drip down the wall, but by wringing out the mop before each use you will minimize this. Use a sponge to clean hard-to-reach corners and edges.

Rinse and dry the mop pad after completing each 3-foot strip. Place a cloth over the pad and use this to dry the recently washed 3-foot strip. Dry in the same way you used the mop to wash the walls. Dry the walls evenly to avoid streaks.

Change the wall-washing solution as needed, never allowing it to get too dirty. Change the drying cloths when necessary as well. Work your way top to bottom around the room until all of the walls have been washed with the solution and dried with a clean rag.