How to Clean Garage Walls Before Painting Your Garage [Tips & Insights]

Does your garage need a fresh coat of paint? In our blog post we'll cover:

• How to clean garage walls before painting
• What do you use to wash walls with before painting
• The easiest way to clean your garage walls
• How to prep and prime walls
• The best paint options
• Easy tips for painting

What Is The Easiest Way To Wash Walls?

Due to the nature of the space, garage walls tend to become a lot dirtier than those inside your home. Before you paint your garage, you'll need to remove the dirt and dust and tend to stains and damage caused by oil and water.

So, what do you wash walls with before painting? First, use a shop vac to rid your garage walls of dust and cobwebs. If you don't own a shop vac, then you can also use a household broom. After you've effectively removed all of the dust, use a rag and a mixture of water and dish soap to wipe away any remaining dirt and gunk.

How Do You Remove Drywall Dust Before Painting?

If you're dealing with stubborn drywall dust, it may take a little more time and elbow grease to completely remove it all. Try using material that is good at picking up small particles of dust, like microfiber cloth, or even a slightly wet cloth to wipe down your walls. Make sure you've removed all of the drywall dust by taking a black cloth and wiping it on the walls—this will reveal any signs of remaining dust on areas that need to be cleaned again.

How Long After Washing Walls Can You Paint?

You may be eager to get the job over with and done, but it's important that you let your garage walls dry completely after cleaning before you break out the paint roller. After giving your walls a good wash and spot checking for residue, wait at least 24 hours for the walls to dry completely‚ maybe more if you live in a particularly humid area.

How To Prep Walls For Painting/Repainting

After you've cleaned your garage walls, it's important that you prime them before painting. If you're working with fresh drywall, make sure to apply a coat of quality drywall primer with polyvinyl acetate (or PVA). This step is crucial to a smooth and even finish.

If you're repainting the garage, prep your walls by applying a coat of oil-based primer over any stains that have come through the previous layer of paint. If you're dealing with a lot of large stains, play it safe and coat the entire wall with the primer.

As you prime and prepare your garage for a fresh coat of paint, make sure to remove any loose nails, fill holes, and fix loose baseboards before you begin. The idea is to have a smooth, clean canvas for a flawless finish.

Paint Options For Your Garage Walls

You'll find a myriad of paint options for your garage walls, but the best kind of garage wall paint is latex paint. This is the perfect choice because it's water-based, the odor is minimal, and it dries very quickly.

If you do choose to use an oil-based paint, you'll also need paint thinner and a lot more time for each coat to dry.

It's common to assume that a garage warrants exterior paint, but regardless of the size of your garage or how well ventilated it is, exterior paint is a bad idea. It contains harmful toxins that can be dangerous in confined spaces.

How To Paint A Garage Interior

Once you've thoroughly cleaned and primed the garage walls, it's time to paint—well, almost. Before you bust open those cans of interior latex paint, prepare the space to avoid spills and stains.

Get a roll of painter's tape and use it to line the ceiling and the windows for a crisp paint job. Protect your garage floor from drips and spills by laying down drop cloths or tarps.

After your protective measures are in place, you can begin painting. Follow these steps on how to paint a garage interior for a professional-looking end result.

1. Using a roller, apply a thin coat of paint in long, horizontal strokes.
2. Start at the top of the walls and work your way down to the floor.
3. Allow each coat of paint to dry all the way before applying another.
4. Use a minimum of two to three coats of paint for complete coverage.
5. Let the final layer dry completely before removing the painter's tape.

Use this guide above to begin remodeling your garage, whether that means a full remodel or just a new coat of paint. Once you're finished, your newly painted garage will be ready for any deluxe garage storage solutions. If you need any help planning your garage remodel, check out our garage organization tool.