apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I just did this is my apartment, after living in it for about 2 1/2 years. These are details I tend to ignore during regular cleanings but, once I started to focus my eyes on just the lightswitches, door frames, baseboards, etc., the dirt drove me crazy until I cleaned it off, which was, like you wrote, so simple.

In this market, I would imagine that buyers have the luxury of scrutinizing every detail, and something like this could make a bit of difference.

magic eraser works wonders on those areas!

I moved into an apartment once with a bathroom that was filthy. It still looked dirty after I cleaned it. I realized that the walls themselves, the baseboards and picture rail molding were covered in years of dust and even (squick) little hairs. Once I cleaned all of that (an hours-long process), the bathroom looked like a completely new place.

Anyway, lesson: Taking care of the details, corners and edges can sometimes make all the difference.

I went around my apartment trying to clean up spots using a magic eraser. My walls are a light brown color. The spots cleaned up fine, but it always seems to leave a water stain on the paint. Is there any way to clean painted walls like this and avoid this water spot situation? Even if I tried to buff it dry lightly with a towel I could still see a water mark.

I always notice how dirty the door frames and light switch covers are 45 seconds after guests arrive.

Oh no! You weren't supposed to look... ;o)

Mine isn't so much dirty as it is all scuffed from the tight fit of the door. Thanks for the reminder. I need to plane it down a bit and repaint.

Similar areas for those smudges are kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors...

And teiresias, I had the same experience with the Magic Eraser on my paint with it getting all the dirt off, but leaving a residue that looked like a change in the paint color. Those things work well, but good to try a test area first!

Don't forget that cats are constantly rubbing themselves along corners leaving oil from their fur which catches dirt. So you have to look low as well when cleaning walls.

Careful with magic erasers. They like to remove paint from colored walls.

In pollen season, a yellowish dust can settle on outdoor surfaces, at least in New England. I used to Windex my front door at least twice a year because of that sort of thing.

When staging, I think the very last thing you do before being done is to tour the property and make yourself look at it as though you were thinking of buying it. New eyes. Be ruthless. You'd be surprised what you suddenly notice. (Actually, maybe we should do that even if we are NOT staging, now and then!)

Hmm... while I understand the concept, funnily, these are just the sort of things I would try to look past as a buyer - to ignore a small amount of dirt and concentrate on the bones of the place. (A bathroom as filthy as slowdowns would be an exception.)

My in-laws recently sold their house and the realitor told them to make sure to open all the shades and buy some cheap new carpeting. I said, okay, so when I start looking for a place, I need to beware of new carpeting because it's probably cheap crap, and to close the blinds in places where I expect to need privacy.

I would think if one is making a big decision to shop for a house they would not be concerned with smudge marks or a dirty door.

As for my own house I am compulsive about the details. I use 20 Mule Borax not only for almost everything but I make a paste in small glass bowl and take a dish towel something with a bit of texture teeth to it and scrub away.

I frequently get hard water spots from condensation on my Dark Chocolate Brown bathroom ceiling and walls...

I've used the Magic Eraser, and yes it likes to remove paint...
...as far as the residue, just go over it with a damp cloth.

Reminds me of my Mother when I was growing up constantly reminding my Sister and I to keep our hands off of her walls...
Who needs to touch the doors and mouldings anyway - That's what door handles and stair railings are for.

I noticed the same thing where our dog likes to bump his nose on the door. Make sure to look at things at pet-level.

My dad would almost obsessively chase after my sister and me cleaning off what he called the "Mickey Mouse prints" that we would leave all over the walls.

I have had the same experience with the magic eraser, and find that a damp cloth with a touch of grease-cutting dishsoap works perfectly (my dad's recipe, of course). After all, it is the oils on your hands that make the dirt stick.

Hmm. I never notice stuff like this unless it's really bad.

"went around my apartment trying to clean up spots using a magic eraser. My walls are a light brown color. The spots cleaned up fine, but it always seems to leave a water stain on the paint. Is there any way to clean painted walls like this and avoid this water spot situation? Even if I tried to buff it dry lightly with a towel I could still see a water mark."

Teiresias,This may actually depend on the paint type that's on the walls. In my current apartment I had many scuff marks that I tried to clean up with all purpose cleaner it would either leave watermarks or take off the paint. I painted most of the rooms in my apartment over with a scrubable paint, and it lives up to it name. Now when I use all purpose cleaner it dries seamlessly and looks clean without removing the paint.