Cleaning after painting: paint drips, dust and dust sheets

Cleaning after painting starts during the work itself: wipe fresh drips of water-based paint straight away with a damp cloth, because dried paint is difficult to remove. Once everything is dry, carefully take down the tape and dust sheets, vacuum the dust, wash the windows, frames and switches, and mop the floors last. Do not pour leftover paint down the drain; it belongs in a collection yard.

Preparation that saves the most work

The quickest clean-up after painting is the one you do not have to do at all. Before you start, take the furniture out or move it to the middle of the room, and cover it. Cover the whole floor, not just a strip along the wall, and tape down the edges of the sheeting or paper so that paint cannot seep underneath.

• dust sheets for furniture and paper or a drop cloth for the floor (plastic sheeting is slippery on the floor)
• masking tape for skirting boards, window and door frames, switches and sockets
• a bucket of clean water and a rag or sponge for fresh drips
• waste bags and boxes for used sheeting
• a vacuum cleaner, ideally with a fine filter, a mop and microfibre cloths
• a plastic scraper and a glass scraper with a new blade

Close the doors to the other rooms during painting and sanding, and you can seal the gap underneath with an old towel. The dust then will not spread throughout the flat, and you will only need to clean the room where the work took place. Keep children and pets out of the area until you have cleaned up the drips, the paint containers and the cleaning products.

It is safer to remove switch and socket covers only with the circuit breaker switched off. If you are not sure, simply cover them with tape instead.

Fresh drips or dried paint

It depends on the type of paint and how long it has been on the surface. Ordinary interior paints are water-based. The technical data sheet for HET Klasik Color interior paint, for example, states that stained areas should be washed with water immediately, because dried paint is difficult to remove, and that tools should be washed with water after use. For solvent-based (synthetic) paints, you will find a suitable cleaning agent in the technical data sheet of the specific product; water is not enough for them.

Fresh drips

1. First wipe the drip with dry paper or a cloth, moving from the edge towards the centre so that you do not smear it.
2. Wipe off the rest with a cloth dampened in clean water.
3. Dry the spot so that no water is left on wood or laminate.

Dried drips

• Tiles and smooth floors: leave the drip to soften for a while under a wet cloth, then carefully scrape it off with a plastic scraper.
• Glass: dampen the glass and scrape the paint off with a glass scraper with a new blade, held almost flat. Take care not to scratch the frame and seals with the scraper.
• Plastic frames and window sills: use only water, a soft cloth and, if necessary, a gentle cleaner; an abrasive sponge will leave dull scratches.
• Wooden floor: use as little water as possible and no sharp tools. The care procedure is summarised in the article how to clean a wooden floor.
• Carpet: vacuum fresh paint into dry paper and then dab with a damp cloth, do not rub; you will find more advice in the article how to clean a carpet at home.

Always test any cleaning product or method on a hidden spot first. When using chemicals, read the label, ventilate and wear gloves.

Solvent-based paints and varnishes

If door frames, radiators or doors in the flat have also been painted with synthetic paint, expect a stronger smell and a different way of cleaning. Water will not remove drips of such paint, and thinners can damage plastics, the varnish on furniture or the floor. Fresh drips should therefore be wiped only with the product specified by the manufacturer, and always tested on a hidden spot first. When working with thinner, ventilate thoroughly, wear gloves and do not leave rags soaked in thinner lying around the flat.

Tape and dust sheets

Peel the tape off slowly, at a sharp angle and away from the painted surface. If paint starts to peel off with it, score the edge of the tape with a sharp knife and continue. On surfaces where the tape has been left in the sun for a long time, check whether it has left any adhesive behind; this usually loosens with lukewarm water and a gentle cleaner.

Fold sheeting and papers with the stained side inwards, so that drips and dust do not fall back onto the clean floor. Do not carry them unfolded through the whole flat; roll them up in the room first.

Cleaning procedure after painting

1. Ventilate. The technical data sheet for the paint mentioned above recommends ensuring thorough ventilation while applying the paint and while it dries. Ventilate during cleaning as well.
2. Remove the tape and sheeting as described in the previous section.
3. Vacuum the dust. Above all where you have been sanding or filling. Dry sweeping stirs up fine dust, whereas a vacuum cleaner captures it. Vacuum the window sills, skirting boards and radiators as well.
4. Wipe the vertical surfaces. Wipe doors, door frames, switches and radiators with a damp cloth. Leave newly painted walls alone until they are completely dry.
5. Wash the windows. First remove the paint drips, then wash the glass in the usual way. A streak-free guide is in the article how to wash windows without streaks.
6. Mop the floors. As the last step, from the furthest corner towards the door. You often need to mop twice, because the first water is usually full of fine dust.
7. Put the furniture back only onto a clean, dry floor, and wipe it down even if it was covered.

Brushes, rollers and leftover paint

Wash tools used for water-based paint with water as soon as possible after finishing; during breaks, protect them from drying out, for example by wrapping them in a bag. Before you start rinsing them, squeeze as much paint as possible back into the container or onto newspaper. Much less paint then goes down the drain.

Handle leftover paint according to the product's safety data sheet. In the section on disposal, the safety data sheet for HET Klasik Color paint states that unused product must not be poured into the drains or disposed of together with municipal waste, and that thoroughly cleaned packaging can be handed in for recycling.

In Prague, you can hand in leftover paint at a collection yard. On its page about collection yards, Pražské služby lists paints and solvents among the selected hazardous waste that its yards accept; check the conditions and opening hours before you go. Store paint you will still use tightly closed and, following the instructions on the packaging, protect it from frost.

Where paint and dust most often remain

After the main clean, go through the room once more with a light in your hand. Tiny drips and settled dust are most visible when the light falls across the surface at an angle.

• Skirting boards and thresholds: drips run down the wall to the floor and stay in the corner of the skirting board.
• Radiators: dust settles between the fins; vacuum them with a narrow nozzle and only then wipe them.
• Switches, sockets and handles: fingerprints with paint are most visible on them.
• Light fittings and the top edges of cabinets: fine dust gets here even if you covered them.
• Window grooves and blinds: vacuum them before you start washing them, otherwise the dust turns into mud.
• Curtains and drapes: if they stayed in the room, wash them according to the label before hanging them back up.

If white streaks remain on a dark floor after mopping, they are usually residue of fine dust. Mopping again with clean water, changing the water in the bucket, will help.

Painting as part of a larger renovation

If there was also sanding, filling or floor replacement alongside the painting, there will be more dust, and it will settle in cupboards and on light fittings too. In that case, follow the article post-renovation cleaning step by step. If you do not have time for a thorough clean, you can order post-renovation cleaning.