Apparently we have bad aim in our household. We think we’re spraying styling products onto our hair, but instead we end up with crusty walls. Is this just us, or do you have hairspray residue on your bathroom walls too?
Mine was mostly spray gel, with a little bit of hairspray thrown in for good measure. But over the past few years we’ve developed a not-so-attractive spotted wall, and I needed to find a way to get rid of it.
It was easier than I thought it would be! Coming to the rescue: our old buddy Dawn Dish Detergent, with some warm water. I took about a tablespoon of Dawn and a cup of hot water in a spray bottle (swirl it to mix rather than shaking, or it will get way too sudsy). I sprayed the walls with the mixture, let it sit for about 5 minutes, then wiped it clean.
1 tablespoon Dawn + 1 cup Hot Water–Swirl in a spray bottle to mix
Spray wall, let sit for 5 minutes, then wipe clean
Wipe carefully, and avoid scrubbing too hard and removing paint. It’s better to let it dry and spray/wipe again later if it doesn’t all come off the first time. Our bathroom walls still have the flat paint from when the house was first built, which makes them much harder to clean. I’m looking forward to repainting with an eggshell or satin finish to make clean-ups a little easier!
It took 2-3 wipe-downs to remove several years’ worth of residue, but it wasn’t hard work. The solution also worked on the wood bathroom door and the sink.
I’ll be adding this to my cleaning routine, and I think if I can wipe down that wall a few times a year, it won’t get that bad again. I love it when there’s a simple solution to a problem, with ingredients I already have!
Did you know that we wrote a book with a bunch more great ways to clean your whole house with Dawn, vinegar, and other simple household ingredients?
We rounded up all our best cleaning recipes from the web site, and added some exclusive ones just for the book! All together in an easy-t0-read eBook format so you can always have them handy! Click HERE to get the eBook for yourself!
You can also check out some of our other great household cleaning posts:
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Cleaning with Dawn and Vinegar (shower & tub soap scum remover, toilet cleaner, floor cleaning solution, and more!)
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Dawn, Baking Soda, and Peroxide (carpet and fabric stain and odor remover–gets out grape juice!)
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How to Clean an Oven without Harsh Chemicals (my “before” pics will boost your self esteem! 😉 )
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Vinegar Window Cleaner (streak free shine with ingredients you have on hand)
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Homemade Laundry Soap recipe
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Homemade Dishwasher Detergent recipe
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Homemade Wrinkle Release Spray
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and more!
