Can a faux suede painted wall be cleaned without having to repaint. If so, how do you do it?

Question

One son moved out and other wants to move into basement. Naturally after a few years, the painted walls have some spots that need to be taken care of and just a general cleaning. Want to clean the area but not sure how to with the paint he originally used which was Ralph Lauren faux suede paint with a gritty type of finish.

Answer 1

hmmm, they used to make something, i forget the name, that was like a clay ball you rolled across the surface to clean it, if that stuff is still around, it might work.

I'll wager it is latex paint with some kind of grit added to it, either silica (sand) or some plastic stuff. that is going to make it really hard to clean, as whatever you use will be sanded down as you scrub. still, warm water and TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) or maybe even a mild laundry detergent should do the job. test whatever you decide to use in a hidden spot first. I would seriously consider a repaint. of course even to do that, you will still need to scrub the walls down with the TSP first. (at the very least)

Answer 2

My grandmother who is over 80 + years old still smokes like a paper mill factory. She bought a brand new home Approx 10 years ago. Now the home is ruined with heavy nicotine stains all over the walls. We removed a clock on the wall , and it left a clean white circle on the wall. Now she knows what it is doing to her lungs... But continues to smoke . Can you believe it. She has smoked since she was 12 years old. Can't quit. No one in the family can stay in the house but just a few minutes. We all go for a visit and have to sit out on the deck.. It's that bad. People who smoke have got to be the dumbest (excuse me grandma) people in the whole freakin world. Ohh yeah , there is nothing this side of painting your walls again, that you can do .... sorry.