How to Clean Walls and Scuff Marks Before Moving Out

That Cleaning Girl · Move-In / Move-Out

Walls are tricky on a move-out. A little cleaning makes a room look fresh. Too much scrubbing can leave a shiny patch that is more noticeable than the mark you were trying to remove. After the cabinets, which we covered in Cleaning Inside Kitchen Cabinets and Drawers When You Move Out, walls are usually the next thing people worry about.

Here is how we approach walls in an empty home: gently, from the least aggressive method up, and always testing first.

Know your paint before you scrub

The finish on the wall makes a big difference. Flat or matte paint, common on ceilings and in many rental homes, is the most delicate. It marks easily and can burnish, meaning it turns shiny where you rub it. Eggshell and satin are a little tougher. Semi-gloss, often used on trim, doors and in bathrooms, handles scrubbing much better.

You can usually tell by looking at the wall from an angle in good light. If it has no sheen at all, treat it gently. If it reflects a bit of light, you have more room to work.

Start with dust

Before you wet anything, dust the walls. A dry microfiber mop or a duster on an extension pole picks up cobwebs and the light layer of dust that turns into streaks when it gets wet. Pay attention to the top corners and above doorways, where cobwebs hide, and to the area behind where the TV or a bed sat. Those spots often show a faint gray outline once the furniture is gone.

The gentle-first method for scuffs

Work your way up only as far as you need to.

• Dry eraser first: a clean pencil eraser or art gum eraser lifts many light scuffs with no water at all.
• Damp microfiber: plain warm water on a well-wrung cloth, with light pressure.
• A drop of dish soap: for fingerprints and greasy marks, add a tiny amount of soap to the water, then wipe with plain water after.
• Melamine sponge: the white "magic" type sponge works well on scuffs but is mildly abrasive. Use it barely damp and with very light pressure, especially on flat paint.

Always test in a low, hidden spot, like behind a door or inside a closet, before going to the middle of a wall.

Where the marks usually are

Most homes have the same hot spots. Check these first:

• Around light switches and on the wall beside them.
• Door edges, door handles and the wall where a door swings open.
• Hallway corners where furniture bumped on the way in and out.
• Behind the bed, where a headboard rubbed the wall.
• Beside the kitchen trash can and the pantry.
• Kids' rooms at kid height, and pet areas at nose and tail height.

Moving day itself creates fresh scuffs. Movers carrying a dresser down a narrow hall almost always touch a wall. So do the wall pass after the movers leave.

Doors, trim and baseboards

Doors and trim are usually painted in a tougher finish, which makes them easier to clean. Wipe the face of each door, especially around the handle, and dust the top edge. Baseboards collect dust, hair and mop splash. A damp cloth and a little soap work for most. In homes with pets, the baseboards along their favorite routes often need extra attention.

In older homes around Ennis, Italy and the small towns south of Waxahachie, you will sometimes find trim with years of grime in the grooves. An old toothbrush helps get into the profile of the trim without scrubbing the paint off.

Holes, crayon and other marks

Small nail holes from hanging pictures are often considered normal wear, but every lease and every landlord is different. Check your lease or ask before you fill or paint anything. A dab of the wrong white can look worse than a tiny hole.

For crayon, a little baking soda on a damp cloth often works. For marker, test carefully, since some will lift and others spread. For anything greasy, like a handprint from a kitchen, dish soap is your friend. When something will not come off without hurting the paint, stop and photograph it rather than making it worse. Sticky residue from command strips or tape usually softens with a little warm, soapy water held on it for a minute. Peel any leftover strips slowly, pulling straight down along the wall, so they do not take paint with them.

Finish with a walk in good light

When you think you are done, walk each room with the overhead lights on and the blinds open. Look along the walls from an angle, the way an inspector or buyer will. You will catch a few more marks you missed, and you will see any spot where cleaning left a shine. For the rest of the empty-house clean, see our move-in and move-out cleaning page.