3 tips to clean dirty walls

It’s hard to keep walls sparkling clean, especially with little ones around, or if you haven’t had the time to update the paint or wallpaper. No worries with these easy homemade cleaning solutions.

Junior may be a real Rembrandt, but even so, you probably don't want him defacing your walls with crayons. Try these techniques to clean up surprise murals.

• Lightly rub the area with a clean, dry fabric softener sheet.
• Rub vigorously with a clean art-gum eraser — or ask your young artist do it.
• Squirt shaving cream on the markings and scrub with a toothbrush or a scrub brush.
• Soften the markings with a hair dryer and wipe them off with a cloth moistened with a little baby oil.

Most wood panelling needs only a good dusting every once in a while, but you can give it a more thorough cleaning with a simple homemade solution — one best applied with panty hose, whose texture is perfect for abrasive yet gentle scrubbing.

Combine 500 millilitres (two cups) of water, 250 millilitres (one cup) of white vinegar, and 50 millilitres (1/4 cup) of lemon juice in a pail and mix well. Dip a handful of wadded panty hose in the solution and wipe the panelling, working from the bottom of the wall upward so you won't have to deal with drips.

How can you restore lustre to dingy, washable wallpaper? First fill a pail with one litre (four cups) of water and mix in two and a half millilitres (1/2 teaspoon) of dishwashing liquid. Then dip a soft cloth in the liquid and wring it out until no excess water remains. Gently rub the wallpaper with the cloth and blot it dry with a lint-free towel. If wallpaper is soiled with a greasy stain, try one of these remedies:

• Brush talcum powder onto the stain, let sit for at least half an hour and then brush it off; repeat as necessary.
• Fold a brown paper bag and hold it over the stain. Press a warm iron to the spot so that the grease is drawn into the paper. Repeat as necessary until the spot is gone, repositioning the bag each time.

These three handy cleaning tips will have you smiling again as you turn your walls of shame, into walls of fame.