How to clean an interior plaster wall?

1. Clean an exterior roughcast wall

Do you have a plaster wall outside with a lot of stubborn dirt and stains? Unfortunately, as dirt and stains easily become encrusted on the plaster, it is important to maintain it properly.

We have a homemade mixture of water and hydrochloric acid that should get rid of these stains. Here’s how:

• Mix 100 ml of 10% diluted hydrochloric acid in 900 ml of water (should give a mixture of 1 liter in total).
• Wet the wall and spray the mixture all over the plaster.
• Leave to stand for 2 minutes and rinse the plaster wall to remove everything.

This homemade detergent is effective for cleaning stains and other dirt on exterior plaster only and other facade coatings.

If you prefer a cleaner specially designed to clean roughcast, exterior concrete, slabs, pavement, we have the product for you. Here is a quality cleaner and waterproofer for your exterior cleaning work:

If you’re more looking for tips on how to deep clean concrete, I suggest this other article: How to clean a concrete slab?

2. Vinegar to clean interior and exterior plaster

Vinegar is an extremely powerful stain remover for removing stains from many surfaces. A real natural cleaning product, you can therefore use white vinegar to clean the interior and or exterior plaster.

Here is how to prepare and use this tip:

• Mix coarse salt and white vinegar in a container.
• Using a sponge, apply the mixture to the roughcast wall.
• Wait 2 hours and rinse to remove the solution.

Be careful, however, because plaster is a material that can become soft and fragile if it is too soaked in water or liquid. Test on a small area to be sure not to damage the plaster.

The vinegar and salt trick is effective on different surfaces. Visitors also liked this article: How to remove verdigris?

It is common to see a plaster that turns green or to see moss appear as well as green spots and black marks on the interior and exterior plaster. If the plaster is very exposed to the rain and remains damp, the moss will appear sooner or later, that’s for sure.

You can of course use a brush and a little elbow grease to scrub the entire surface of the wall to dislodge and remove the moss or even use an anti-moss product.

Here is a product that can effectively treat and clean different surfaces including plaster against moss and algae.

Starwax Green Anti Deposits

• Excellent for removing moss from plaster.
• Can be applied to walls, floors, floors, roofs, etc.
• Against lichens, green spots and green deposits.

Whether on wood, concrete or even on the roof, continue reading anti-moss tips with this article: Removing green stains from wood.

4. Bleach for cleaning plaster

Bleach is a powerful but oh so effective product for removing the most stubborn stains. BE CAREFUL never to use pure bleach because you risk damaging and discoloring the exterior wall as well as other types of surfaces.

If not, you can also use the special bleach for exterior work to thoroughly clean a plaster facade no problem. You will find this type of bleach-based cleaner in stores or even online.

You can therefore use this type of bleach for:

• Clean plastered walls and facades
• Whiten the stones
• Clean garden furniture
• Clean boat hulls
• Clean patio tiles and slabs

Always wear gloves, protective clothing and safety glasses with bleach.

5. Remove a stain from interior plaster

To remove stains on an interior plaster it is better to use a natural cleaning product such as clay stone for example. Indeed, the clay stone is natural and effectively detaches different surfaces including the plaster wall.

Here’s how to use it on parging:

• Simply rub the stain with a sponge coated with clay stone.
• Make circular movements without pressing too hard so as not to damage the plaster.
• Rinse to finish with a damp sponge or cloth

If you don’t have a clay stone at home, you can also use black soap. This natural soap is also effective for cleaning stains on roughcast walls and ceilings.

Also removes stains from a painted wall!

The clay stone can also be used to detach a painted wall as you will discover here: How to clean a painted wall?

6. Clean plaster with toothpaste

For small stains here and there on an interior roughcast wall, toothpaste is a trick that works really well.

• Using a toothbrush and toothpaste rub the stains with circular movements.
• Leave the toothpaste on for a few minutes and rinse with a damp cloth to finish.

For more stubborn stains you can also add a little baking soda with the toothpaste. Be careful, however, not to make the mixture too abrasive so as not to damage the plaster.

7. Tip for removing a stubborn stain from plaster

As I mentioned briefly in the previous tip, baking soda mixed with water is very effective in cleaning tough stains.

But if you are out of baking soda at home, salt can also be used as a stain remover. Here’s how to use salt:

• Mix salt with water (use coarse salt for this trick).
• Rub the plaster insisting on the stain with a cloth or better with a brush.

Test the mixture on a small area to be sure not to damage the plaster.