Why does nobody talk about how wall washing before painting became standard?

I used to paint right over dust and grime to finish faster. After dealing with flaking paint, I made a habit of cleaning walls first, and now my rooms look fresh for ages. What old shortcut did you stop taking that improved your results?

3 comments

3 Comments

leo_hart1317h ago

Come on, washing walls is just something paint companies made up to sell you more primer. That layer of dust and cooking grease is basically free texture, gives the paint something to grab onto. I've painted over spiderwebs and what might have been oatmeal, and it looked fine for a good five years. If it starts peeling, that's just the house telling you it's time for a new color anyway.

dakota_rodriguez16h ago

If paint won't stick to a clean wall, what exactly is primer for then?

miles6082m ago

My cousin tried painting his kitchen without primer because he said the walls were 'already white'. Turns out, the old paint was oil-based and the new latex just slid right off like water on a waxed car. He had to scrape the whole thing and start over, which took twice as long. Now he primers everything, even picture frames.