Why you should ditch the semi-gloss and go for flat paint!

I am as giddy as a teenager who just got asked to prom by her crush... why is this you ask? Because my flat-painted walls are clean. And it took literally ZERO effort. Okay zero effort would require some sort of psychic telekinesis but it required just barely more than that.

Let me explain. I was raised in a semi-gloss and gloss paint kind of household. I was of the belief that you HAD to have at least a semi-gloss in order to be able to keep your walls clean. As I grew older and bought my own walls to paint, I continued on with this theory. The problem? I hate glossy paint. I just think that flat paint has a deep, rich feel and that it looks so much cleaner. Taking a big risk, I chose the most beautiful shade of beige I could possibly find when re-doing our living room and hallways last autumn. The Home Depot employees warned me, my mom warned me, and wiki How warned me... but I did it anyway. The results are just gorgeous - I LOVE the paint in our living room. I did choose a semi-gloss for the white trim on the doorways and windows, but the walls are the most gloriously flat shade of beige possible.

Fast forward six months - the walls have this wonderful dingy quality right about the height of our dogs. (Can you explain to me why the very first thing a dog does when it gets wet/muddy/dirty is run up and down the hall rubbing against the walls?)

Once spring cleaning began, I started to get nervous, thinking that I was going to have to paint over the walls. I JUST did that a few months ago! But lo and behold - a quick Google search gave me some helpful hints. I skipped the first few ideas I found because they required effort on my part. My theory is to start with the easiest and work your way towards the hardest. The good news - the easiest worked like a DREAM!

If you love and have flat paint, all you need to clean it up is a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser! I dampened mine with lukewarm water and literally swiped it over my walls - no elbow grease required. It even wiped away the scuff marks! I cannot believe the ease of this. It just adds to the ever-lingering question in our minds - what ARE those magic erasers made of anyway?!

Happy cleaning!

You can support my blog by purchasing Magic Erasers through my Amazon link :)