How to Clean and Care for Plaster Walls
A soft cloth, pH-neutral soap, and restraint — the complete care ritual for lime, clay, and cement finishes, room by room.
The golden rules
Dust first, wet second, never abrade. A microfiber cloth or soft brush handles ninety percent of plaster care. When a wall genuinely needs washing, use lukewarm water with a drop of pH-neutral soap, a barely damp cloth, and light circular passes — then let it dry naturally.
The forbidden list is short and absolute: no bleach, no ammonia, no vinegar, no magic erasers, no scouring pads. Lime is alkaline stone; acids etch it and abrasives scratch the burnish.
By finish family
Sealed Venetian and polished plaster: damp-wipe freely; revive the glow yearly with a whisper of the specified wax. Microcement: soap and water at will — it is the most washable surface in the studio. Lime wash and clay: dry methods only where possible; keep a small jar of the original wash for touch-ups that blend invisibly.
Textured finishes: a soft brush or vacuum brush head along the relief — cloths snag on ridges.
Small marks, small fixes
Scuffs on burnished lime often disappear under a firm rub with a dry microfiber and, if needed, a trace of wax. Pencil and fingerprints lift with a white eraser used gently. Anything deeper — chips, stains that have penetrated — deserves a call to the studio rather than experimentation.
Twice a year, walk the walls in raking light. Five minutes of looking is the cheapest maintenance program ever devised.