Cleaning Kitchen Walls

[rockyracoon]

My kitchen walls have got the dreaded woodchip plastered all over them, I want to give them a lick of paint but they're quite dirty from the gas hob. They're painted with a matt emulsion at the moment, what do you think would be the best way to clean them before I paint,? I've got sugar soap but it'll get very wet so I'm not sure that's the best course of action.

Many thanks for any replies :)

[society]

Windex or diluted white vinegar works well, I find. Or sometimes I use dish detergent in water and wash the wall with this. I does a pretty good job.

[ummmm]

I would use sugar soap. I've often used it on my wallpapered walls. Just wipe down with a solution of water and sugar soap and then wipe down again with clean water. You don't have to saturate the cloth.

[rockyracoon]

Thanks both, I was hoping for a miracle that will just spray on and wipe off :)

I really don't mind decorating but the prep really pee's me off. Oh well, better get the elbow grease out.

[rockyracoon]

I tried on of those Flash Magic Eraser things yesterday, it just fell apart, frigging waste of 3 quid.

[society]

" I was hoping for a miracle that will just spray on and wipe off :) "

Then try the Windex :) It works all the time.
I sometimes even use it on the bathroom walls.

[rockyracoon]

Will it get rid of that greasy stuff that the gas hob gives off?

Where can you buy it?

[heathfield]

For many years now, woodchip wallpaper has been given a water-resistant finish. Using a squeezed-out cloth with sugar soap to get rid of greasy dirt should work fine, and won't damage the wallpaper itself.

[society]

It helps with greasy surface also, not sure how thick your greasy area is though. But, if you have any type window cleaner around, give it a try.

[rockyracoon]

Fender, in an ideal world I'd do that but I can be almost certain that the walls underneath are crap, so that would mean repapering or plastering neither of which I'm prepared to do.