How to quickly remove whitewash from the walls?

Nowadays, lime whitewashing can be found only in old houses in which repairs have not been done for several decades. And in such rooms, before starting to ennoble the walls with new modern finishing materials, it is necessary to remove the whitewash from the walls, since neither paint nor glue will adhere to it. How to quickly remove whitewash from the walls and what is needed for this, we will tell in the article.

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Preparatory work

Anyone who once made repairs knows that before starting the finishing work, it is necessary to do some difficult roughing. For example, to remove old wallpaper or to tear off tightly glued, all wiped linoleum. But one of the hard to remove materials is the lime mixture, due to the peculiarities of its composition.

Important! In some cases, whitewashing must be removed, even without the proposed repair. Quickly remove whitewash from the walls if you find that:

• The walls are yellow.
• Covered with mold - these microorganisms secrete caustic components that cause serious harm to the health of residents.

Choose a method

To remove whitewash from the walls, there are such methods:

• Dry.
• Mechanical.
• Wet.

Preparing the room for repair

Each method requires its own tools and its own methodology. Since any method of cleaning the walls is dangerous and dusty, first you need to carry out thorough preparatory work:

Before washing whitewash from the walls, prepare the workplace:

1. Take the furniture out of the room in which the finishing work will be carried out.
2. Furniture that cannot be moved should be covered with plastic wrap and wrapped with tape.
3. The windows and doors of the room are covered with construction film.
4. Cover the floor with a film or other material, so as not to look for options for cleaning the floor surface from whitewashing. Secure the tape around the perimeter with tape.
5. Cover the heating radiators with foil, as their ribbed surface is difficult to clean of lime dust.

Protective measures

Working people in the room must be protected, so prepare:

1. Latex gloves.
2. Special clothes.
3. Protective glasses.
4. Respirator.

We collect tools

Each wall cleaning method requires its own tools. In the future, we will consider each method in detail and determine all the disadvantages and advantages, and you will only have to choose the most suitable method for a specific situation.

The following tools are necessary for dry whitening manually (mechanical method):

• Metal spatula. The tool should be well sharpened. Spatula length: 6-8 cm.
• Scraper. Find a special scraper designed for this job. On such an instrument there is a special box in which all the garbage from the ceilings and walls is collected.
• Metal brush.

Important! This method is suitable if it is not possible to remove all the furniture from the room, or if it is necessary to remove that part of the whitewash that hangs with “cakes” and continue further work using a grinding machine.

For a dry way to clean the walls you will need:

• Sander.
• Large sandpaper (abrasive).

To wash off the whitewash from the walls, that is, remove it by “wet” technology, you will need the following materials and tools:

• Putty knife.
• Water basin - you can use both metal and plastic containers.
• Water.
• Sponge.
• Rag.
• Foam roller on a long handle.

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How to remove whitewashing from the walls using the dry method?

The dry method is great if you have a goal to quickly remove whitewash from the walls. However, it should be remembered that in the process of such work a lot of dust and dirt is formed.

Important! A grinder will help to remove the lime layer quickly, but there should not be any furniture or other interior items in the room. Dry whitewashing as a result of the machine will intensively crumble down, especially from the ceiling. Therefore, immediately protect your eyes, hair and body with special clothing, a hat and glasses.

To clear the walls of whitewashing in this way, proceed as follows:

1. Take the grinder.
2. Put a large (largest) sandpaper on it.
3. Plug the instrument into a power outlet.
4. In smooth rotational movements, walk along the walls and ceiling.
5. After removing large pieces of lime, clean the entire surface of the walls and ceiling with grinding movements.
6. After completing work, remove all dirt from the floor, along with the film.
7. Wash the floor several times.

You can also remove the lime layer manually, if you are not the proud owner of a grinding machine. There are two options here:

• With a hammer and putty knife. Tap the whitewash with a hammer and she will leave the walls herself. Pry layers with a spatula and remove them.
• With a spatula. Just clean the walls with a spatula and a wire brush. This method is very laborious and dirty.

Important! As a compromise, combine the two dry methods. First, use a hammer and a spatula to remove large layers of whitewash from the wall, and then work with a grinder, changing abrasive paper from high grit to smallest.

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How to wash whitewash from the walls?

Our grandmothers and mothers used the “wet” method of removing the calcareous layer - using water. This method also has two options:

• Moistening the walls with water.
• Using a special solution.

Consider each option in more detail.

How to clean the walls of whitewashing with water?

To moisten the walls with water, use a foam sponge or an old washcloth.

Important! For more convenient wall impregnation, use the roller on the long handle.

Proceed as follows:

1. Pour water into a container.
2. Dip a sponge or other material in the water.
3. Squeeze the sponge so that water does not drain down your hands.
4. Moisten the walls with a sponge so that the lime is saturated with liquid.
5. Moisturize the process several times, as the water is quickly absorbed into the whitewash.
6. For convenience, take a foam roller on a long handle and moisten the walls, performing movements from the corners of the room.
7. Take a putty knife and clean the walls.
8. After finishing work, put the room in order.

Important! This method of cleaning the walls is considered the most time-consuming, in addition, a lot of time and effort will have to be spent on putting the premises in order. But remember that the key to the success of the process depends on the quality of the impregnation of the walls.

How to remove whitewash from the walls using a special solution?

A special mixture can be purchased at the construction supermarket, but we offer you to prepare the solution yourself. We recommend several recipes for mixtures that will effectively help whitewash the walls.

Recipe number 1

Mix in a container:

• 3 liters of water.
• 2 tbsp. tablespoons of ammonia solution (get ammonia in a pharmacy and mix with water).
• Soda solution (1 part soda to 3 parts water).
• 1 tbsp. a spoonful of 9% vinegar.
• 3 caps of bath foam.

Important! The resulting mixture is heated to 40-50 degrees, pouring 2 liters of hot water into it.

Recipe number 2

You will need a 2% solution of hydrochloric acid and copper sulfate (1 part). Features of its use to quickly wash whitewash from the walls:

1. Do not heat the solution, but apply it on the walls with a roller.
2. After 20 minutes, remove the whitewash using a spatula or scraper.
3. Remove any whitewash with a metal bristle brush.
4. Wash the walls with a damp cloth.

Important! Do not use a spray gun to apply the solution, as you may be poisoned by the vapor in the mixture. Protect your hands and eyes with protective equipment so that acid does not get on the skin and mucous membranes.

Recipe number 3

Prepare a solution of soap:

• 5 tbsp. tablespoons of soda.
• 2-3 tbsp. tablespoons of grated soap.
• 10 liters of water.

Use the mortar on the walls.

Recipe number 4

Prepare the paste:

• 2-3 tbsp. tablespoons of starch (flour).
• 1 liter of water.

Important! Gently add hot boiling water to the paste. Put the finished solution on the wall and let it dry. After that, you can easily clean the walls of whitewash with a spatula.

The use of special drugs

To facilitate the time-consuming process of washing off the mortar, a number of manufacturers produce whitening fluids. For example, QUELYD Dissoucol.

Carefully read the instructions and dilute the chemical in the desired proportion. The composition of the drug includes components that allow you to quickly and effectively remove lime mortar.

Important! A 250 ml bottle is enough to process a room of 50-100 square meters. The product is safe for people.

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Tips and tricks:

1. It is very simple to remove the whitewash from the walls with adhesive. This method is the cheapest and easiest. Take old paper, newspapers, the remains of wallpaper and apply glue on them (the cheapest). Glue the material to the whitewash, but leave the edge of the paper not smeared. After a while, pull the edge and tear off the paper along with the whitewash. Remove what remains on the surface with a spatula or a special scraper.
2. To moisten the walls and ceiling, you can use a spray bottle or an old bottle of window cleaner if you use ordinary water or a special professional solution.
3. Brush off the whitewash until the walls are completely clean. You can check the quality of work in this way: swipe a wall with a damp cloth, if it becomes dirty, then not all whitewash is removed.
4. To remove whitewash from the ceiling, purchase special products that include glue. When applying the adhesive to the surface of the old calcareous layer, a crust forms, which is easy to remove with a scraper. Special chemical solutions are available in large containers of 3 and 5 liters for ease of use.
5. If the wall area is large, then irrigate it in small areas of 3-4 square meters. Put the liquid and leave it - let it absorb. Meanwhile, process the next section. Return to the previous section and remove the whitewash while the treated surface absorbs the mixture. So act on the entire surface of the wall.
6. Along with the spatula, use a special scraper, all the garbage will collect in the scraper container.
7. After you completely clear the walls of whitewash, take the sanding sheet and walk along the surface. If after grinding you notice bumps and dents, then treat the defects with gypsum-based plaster.
8. After cleaning the walls and ceiling, use a screwdriver to check the joints between the panels for voids. If necessary, clean the joints and seal the holes with a new putty.
9. Cretaceous whitewashing is easy to wash off with plain warm water. In the process, you can tap with a hammer on thick layers, so that it better lags behind the surface.
10. Do not use newspapers to cover the floor, as in contact with water, they swell easily, tear and leak dirt.
11. When using a roller, attach a plastic cover to it so that water does not drain into the sleeves.
12. During work, try to ventilate the room more often to avoid poisoning by vapor mixtures.
13. When washing floors after cleaning the walls in a basin of warm water, add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar. The rag that you will wash the floor for the first time, it is better to throw it away, because too much chalk and lime will remain on it.
14. To wash whitewash from the floor in the following way: add vegetable oil to the water, at the rate of 100 g of oil per bucket of water. Wash the floor thoroughly with this liquid.In the next container add any detergent, whiteness, vinegar. Wash the floor with clean water at the end.
15. With traces of whitewashing on the floor, manganese can also cope. Add it a little to a bucket of water.

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Stock footage

Lime mortar, of course, is a long outdated way to equip a home, and today we are meeting it less and less. In order not to further wonder how to clean the walls of whitewashing, embody the more modern design dream on walls and ceilings: painting, wallpapering or finishing with natural materials. Good luck