How to Steam Clean Walls – [2023]

Published by Ahmad Jamal on March 5, 2022 | Last updated on May 14, 2023

Daily cleaning chores rarely include giving the walls a sweeping or any type of mopping or vacuuming to say the least.

However, like any other surface inside your house, walls require regular cleaning as well.

Different types of germs, dirt, hard-to-notice dust can always be lingering there, making your house less clean environment than it should always be.

Moreover, since it’s usually left out, walls should be getting special cleaning treatments, to treat its special nature inside the house.

In this Cleaners Advisor Guide, I’ll guide you through the dirt types you may or may not find on walls, why you should refer to steam clean walls instead of normal methods, and how to do the steam clean walls properly without damaging the walls or the paint on it.

Table of Contents

Why Opt for Steam Clean Walls?

Since we’re talking about how to clean walls, why did I just opt to go for Steam Clean Walls instead of mopping, or vacuuming, or just regular sweeping?

Steam Cleaning is a pretty safe way of cleaning and works on various wall types effectively.

It’s a quick way to do the cleaning instead of going for chemical solutions that may hurt the walls dearly.

Additionally, walls reflect a huge part of how clean the house looks, making it mostly important to have a cleaning way that doesn’t leave lines or traces, and that’s what steam clean walls are efficient at.

Types of Dirt You’ll Find on Walls

There are multiple types of dirt and germs you may find on your house’s walls, some of them are dangerous, other times they are just dirt that needs to be taken care of.

It goes without saying, that if the walls look clean to you without cleaning them, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t some small dirt and hard-to-notice dust lurking there on the wall.

Therefore, the types of dirt you may find on walls include:

Pet Hair
Children Painting
Children Food
Cigarette’s Smokes
Cooking Residue
Human Dead Skin Cells

Benefits of Steam Clean Walls

So far, you’ve got to know firsthand why I opted for the Steam Clean Walls instead of mopping or vacuuming, and what types of dirt you are most likely going to find on those walls.

Now, before getting to know how to steam clean walls, let’s find the benefits of going for Steam Clean Walls but from a cleaning point of view.

You’ll Need Less Efforts to Cover Up The Whole Area
No Need for Any Chemical Substances
It Dries Too Fast
You Won’t Need to Dispose of The Dirt Water
It’s Perfect for People With Allergies

Elephant in the Room: How to Steam Clean Walls

With that emphasis on how important it is to steam clean walls, you’ve already known why you should do it.

Now, let’s move on to How to Steam Clean Walls:

Remove Dust & Visible Dirt

The first step towards cleaning your walls with steam is removing the visible dirt and dust using a soft sponge or a feather duster.

You don’t need to press hard on the sponge or the duster, you only need to remove visible dirt at this stage.

In my guide on how to clean walls with flat paint, I explained how to use a soft sponge on the walls perfectly.

Prepare Your Steam Cleaner

The walls are ready to receive the steam cleaning now, you’ll need to fill the steam cleaner with water, and this process differs from one model to another.

Then, you’ll have to start boiling the water inside the steam cleaner, which should take long if you’re using an advanced model.

Once those two steps are done, your steam cleaner is ready to work.

Use Proper Attachment

Moving on, you’ll need to use a proper attachment that suits your wall type, your paint type, and how dirty the wall is.

Those are some basic information you’ll have to figure out on your own, or just use the regular steam mop attachment and it’ll get the job done pretty cleanly.

Go At It

You’re ready to start cleaning the walls, all you need to do is work with vertical motions, in a downward motion.

Don’t worry, steam clean walls won’t leave any lines or traces on the wall, all you need to do is divide the wall into smaller sectors, and work them one by one.

Leave It To Dry

Repeating the aforementioned motion is enough to get the steam cleaning chore well done on the walls.

All you need to do then is leave the walls to dry, but it won’t take long at all to get fully dry, as steam cleaning is the fastest to dry off surfaces.

Steam Clean Ceiling

You’ve fully completed cleaning the walls with steam, but what about the ceiling, does it need to be cleaned?

Yes, it needs to be steam cleaned as well. You’ll have to repeat the same steps, but with a longer steam cleaning stick, or with using a ladder, but I don’t advise using the ladder as it’s way too dangerous.

Moreover, fewer types of dirt will be found on the ceiling, which will require less effort to get it fully clean.

Does Steam Clean Walls Damage The Paint?

Maybe, since you’re using the steam cleaning on the wall that has already been painted for years, there’s quite a chance you’ll damage the paint.

However, it’ll mainly occur if you do the steam clean walls wrongfully, or if you’re using low-quality paint that gets damaged with little effort.

To be exact, you have to use the steam on a specific spot for only too short, then move on to the next spot, so as to save the paint from potential damage.

Steam Clean Walls Professional Tips

Before Doing Anything, Make Sure to Do a Spot Check to See How The Walls React.
Always clean in Vertical Motions, Horizontal Motions Clean With Less Efficiency.
Don’t Let The Steam Cleaner’s Head Stay on a Single Spot for More Than 8-10 Seconds max.

Steam Clean Walls FAQ

Does steam cleaning damage paint?

If done properly, No, they don’t. You need to make a spot check beforehand to check the paint’s quality against the steam cleaning. Then you’ll need to perform picture-perfect steam cleaning that won’t damage paint if you don’t leave it on a single spot for more than 8-10 seconds.

How do you clean walls with a steam mop?

Clean any visible dirt or dust, turn the steam mop on, Clean the walls in vertical motions, then leave it to dry.

Are steam cleaners worth it?

Yes, they are worth it. They provide results in more hygienic ways, and they don’t use chemical solutions at all.

To Wrap Up

This concludes the guide on why and how to steam clean walls, providing some pro tips on how to master that type of cleaning.

However, you may have faced some hurdles along the way of attempting to steam clean walls, then don’t hesitate to leave those incidents in the comments section below.

A Cleaners Advisor Team Member or I will be there to get back to you with answers as soon as possible.