The easiest way to clean ceilings and walls

9honey Living’s The Wash Up: Your 30-day spring cleaning guide is a month-long series aimed at making your annual house clean easier with hacks and expert advice.
One of the biggest cleaning tasks we need to do is tackling the many walls and ceilings in each room.
We tend to neglect them not knowing or realising just how dirty they can get, but once you start washing the surface you’ll see layers of dirt were there all along.
If you’re not cleaning them regularly, now is the time to do it and here is how to get started.
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It might seem like they’re out of sight out of mind, but ceilings can gather dirt and moisture from things like cooking, dust and bugs.
If you’re planning on cleaning your floor too, it’s best to do the ceiling first as the dust and dirt that comes off will fall onto the floor and you don’t want to clean it twice. You might also need to lay some sheets down on your sofa and rug to stop them getting dirtier.
First dust off the surface. An easy way to reach the ceiling to do this is using a duster with a long handle extension. Then it’s time to clean. 
Make up a cleaning solution using warm water and some dishwashing liquid and spray it on a microfibre cloth or mop with a long handle for easier reach. If you’re using a hand cloth, make sure you’re on a stabilised ladder to reduce fall hazards. 
If you have any stains on your ceilings (same applies for walls) you may need a stronger solution to get rid of them. Vinegar can be a good add to the water and dish soap mix to remove stains and smells or for stubborn stains try sugar soap or Tricleanium.
After the wall is clean, wipe it off with a damp cloth or mop and leave to dry.
With so many walls in a house, you need a foolproof and efficient way to clean them.
First you’ll want to take off any wall hangings or furnishings and dust the walls.
Then make up a cleaning solution at home using warm water with either white vinegar or dishwashing liquid or both.
Try patch-testing a small area first before doing the entire wall. You want to make sure that it doesn’t cause any damage to the paint work.
For wallpaper just be very gentle and check the manufacturer’s instructions to prevent using anything that causes damage.
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Then take a cloth or sponge and wipe over the surface with the solution to clean. But for a faster and easier approach try a mop with a flat head – you’ll reach all areas of the wall without straining yourself and cover more area quickly.
You’ll then want to rinse off the cleaning solution using a cloth and bucket of water.
To dry off the walls, either wipe over the surface with a dry cloth or let them air dry with the windows open.
The last thing any parent wants on their pristine white walls is texta or crayon marks.
If your child has got into the stationery box and gone ham with drawing all over the walls, panic not because there is a fix (and you don’t just have to paint over it).
One way to try get a mark off is by using rubbing alcohol on the spot and dabbing it dry.
Household products like baking soda and toothpaste applied on a sponge can also be used to try remove scribbles from markers or crayons.
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According to one person who claimed to be a chemist on a Reddit thread, you can also use acetone which is in nail polish remover. 
But one mum has reported success with a rather unconventional cleaning product she used to successfully get the drawing marks off her walls: Aerogard spray.
The minute you spot a sign of mould growing, it’s time to get the cleaning tools out.
Mould can be harmful to your health and damage your property which is why its important to get rid off straight away.
When it comes to surfaces like your walls and ceilings, use vinegar and a microfibre cloth and give it a good scrub. For hard to reach spots you’ll need at least a mop and possibly a ladder (make sure you have someone with you to hold the ladder steady).
If the mould keeps returning or is too difficult to reach to clean yourself consult a professional. 
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Between vacuuming the floors and cleaning the walls, one of the most neglected parts of the house to clean are skirting boards. 
To keep your skirting boards clean its a good practice to get rid of all the built up dust by wiping with a cloth and/or vaccuming using a narrow head attachment.
You can then wipe the area with some cleaning spray, soapy water or white vinegar and warm water mix on a microfibre cloth or sponge.
How you clean your skirting boards may also depend on what material they’re made.
For example avoid using products with bleach or other chemicals on wooden boards as it could damage the finish.
Some people like to attach cleaning cloths to brooms or stick vaccum poles to clean skirting boards without beinding or crouching down.
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