Who knew that a little white 2”x4” sponge could be such a powerful tool? I used to paint houses during college, and know the often painful drama that touch ups can cause. If the light hits the wall just right, or if the color match is slightly off, you will see that spot forever. Paint touch ups are an art form; done right, you’d never know that a 3 year old colored the wall with ‘Elmo Red’. Done wrong, and you have a wall that looks like it has the chicken pox. I made the transition from painter to real estate agent a few years back, but have continued to use my paint touch up skills occasionally. Whether it is helping clients get their house ready for sale, getting my own house ready, or sprucing up one of our spec models at Sierrafield Condominiums, my paint brushes and spackle are well used.
As of late, however, my tools of the trade have changed. The Magic Eraser has changed the way I view touch ups entirely. This little sponge-like cleaning product has the ability to get just about anything off of my walls and trim. In high traffic areas such as foyers, entry ways, kitchens, dining area, stair cases, ect, the occasional scuff is unavoidable. Compound this over a few years, and walls tend to look like the side wall of a race track after a Nascar race!
Take our little friend the magic eraser, get it wet, and gently wash away the marks. Your walls will look new again, without having to do major touch ups, or completely repaint the wall; The power of this little 2”x4” sponge-thing has yet to disappoint me!
Now a quick disclaimer: We use only high end Graham Dura Ceramic wall paint in our condos. These paints are very durable and very scrub-able. We also use a lacquer product on our trim, which is an extremely hard and durable product. (I’ll save more information about paint products for another blog, but here are a few links that talk about lacquer. Link 1, Link 2), No matter what paint you’ve used, test the magic eraser in an inconspicuous location first. Also, the magic eraser sometimes leaves a residue behind. After you’ve cleaned the area, take a clean, damp cloth and wipe away the residue.
Here’s a great website that explains how the Magic Eraser works:
http://www.howstuffworks.com/magic-eraser.htm/printable