We're coming up on two years since we bought our home, so that means two years since we painted. With holiday guests expected, it's time for a touch up. So a few weeks back I went through the house looking over all the walls and placed a small piece of blue painter's tape next to every scuff, smudge, and scratch. Then I rooted through my paint closet and found the unused paint that I had thought to store, clearly labeled Farrow & Ball Blackened — thank you, Past Self! All I had to do now was mix some of that with 50% water, test a small area to see if the color blended (finger's crossed), and get this job done.
But I kept putting it off. Several weeks went by. Little bits of blue painter's tape were admonishing: "Paint me, paint me!"
It was enough to make me second-guess my wall color. Why did I choose a gray and not a white?!
Our previous home had stark white walls, so I was able to keep up with smudges and scuffs and scratches using Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It really does extend the life of your paint — I'm not being paid to say this. I was painting every five years instead the recommended every two years.
Our walls now aren't exactly white — they're a light silvery gray. The paint is Benjamin Moore color-matched to Farrow & Ball's "Blackened". I assumed magic eraser was out for anything but white walls, but this near-calamity convinced me otherwise.
I was on another project —
painting an arm chair upholstery with Rit Dye (hell yeah, you can do that!) — when I inadvertently got red dye spatter on the wall.
Naturally, I reached for Magic Eraser. Not only did it do the trick — not a trace of red drops were showing the next day — but it happily didn't alter the chalky finish of our plaster. There were no shiny patches where I had applied the eraser and I couldn't even tell red spatter had ever been there.
I reasoned, if magic eraser can clean red dye, surely it can clear a few smudges from my gray walls, and this weekend I put it to the test.
![Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrtx7pterN-5lakA22troqtjYMkV48kmdopj84dutuYvL_YV1gJ6DgNBm4_ZNg1k-ByQa1iaOGqguApyWkAXtpSU2eL00tZO9clg6xgZHc8VxizdA06esIuej04jRQ4fvCaGbpOZ7nFcs/s640/photo+4.JPG) |
Before |
![Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrfz7UtLd_hPQXBh514TurNM2_ZYATJKV4xcdYM9zFNsYW8ekCfHWaxcf2ZGq0cz17thNWlewELlEn-z3uFgcMWudyLq2RwIA_z4EfviYd-6QGgTTOdG8XPjU80GdBjuvRyKvPxv0-4p5/s640/photo+1+%252818%2529.JPG) |
During |
![Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWekGlUoBnvMu9Wqi8zjEb5HpkKxjJPsKZIlh1CiyU7bx9MAZnHHEmhU6K_oAEAYxlKOcqrYQW5CV4LkQcrOXWt-kyDu7Koq4bJexaEhbCjpcPGIksAFlBR3MaWRygCk_QMuH0Vt7_e8L/s640/photo+3.JPG) |
After |
Again...
![Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaa9_IRluonC36WBlioQqEHUmFA_ndPbH5-ON7zdV-tqmu5VRbRc8ZRQJt6I1pRu-aJoNOzuTdKmxl27RYYEv3oI3FWrlJ7-tgYlxkmjGCeNYHbyMPmTw1VKxyYzP8h-oFAWacLI2ELb3F/s640/photo+2.JPG) |
Before |
![Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCNRJ-k4NVhVxQvc1oeYQc3eB7Vf1oMmVsYLGrnBmV3VRK2_XQmUSgODXkmHbi5xxnmagggIN2TU6YHtU3QE5G0ymJwcg3WV3oyiUKkRg9m73kcZCevRB5IokOzL7ZaHQuV0IV_Qo17ys/s640/photo+1.JPG) |
After |
I've put away the wall paint for now. All I have left is to spot retouch some gouges and cracks in the kitchen and we are good to go. When I do, I'll post a step by step on how to touch up paint.
![Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuHlIvYya_2a6iVA9e-7qhyphenhyphencXfIx8Cvr2s9l6beIg5UFC_g-ACWQUBk0S3meSZB0PupzmDIifxQn6UuIr9Csc_iFab8YR_pKxnytH1-e2UlRWCHCYVaANkcItDPcAj5OZpoa5LHPAUEWy/s640/photo+%252817%2529.JPG)
We're coming up on two years since we bought our home, so that means two years since we painted. With holiday guests expected, it's time for a touch up. So a few weeks back I went through the house looking over all the walls and placed a small piece of blue painter's tape next to every scuff, smudge, and scratch. Then I rooted through my paint closet and found the unused paint that I had thought to store, clearly labeled Farrow & Ball Blackened — thank you, Past Self! All I had to do now was mix some of that with 50% water, test a small area to see if the color blended (finger's crossed), and get this job done.
But I kept putting it off. Several weeks went by. Little bits of blue painter's tape were admonishing: "Paint me, paint me!"
It was enough to make me second-guess my wall color. Why did I choose a gray and not a white?!
Our previous home had stark white walls, so I was able to keep up with smudges and scuffs and scratches using Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It really does extend the life of your paint — I'm not being paid to say this. I was painting every five years instead the recommended every two years.
Our walls now aren't exactly white — they're a light silvery gray. The paint is Benjamin Moore color-matched to Farrow & Ball's "Blackened". I assumed magic eraser was out for anything but white walls, but this near-calamity convinced me otherwise.
I was on another project —
painting an arm chair upholstery with Rit Dye (hell yeah, you can do that!) — when I inadvertently got red dye spatter on the wall.
Naturally, I reached for Magic Eraser. Not only did it do the trick — not a trace of red drops were showing the next day — but it happily didn't alter the chalky finish of our plaster. There were no shiny patches where I had applied the eraser and I couldn't even tell red spatter had ever been there.
I reasoned, if magic eraser can clean red dye, surely it can clear a few smudges from my gray walls, and this weekend I put it to the test.
![Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrtx7pterN-5lakA22troqtjYMkV48kmdopj84dutuYvL_YV1gJ6DgNBm4_ZNg1k-ByQa1iaOGqguApyWkAXtpSU2eL00tZO9clg6xgZHc8VxizdA06esIuej04jRQ4fvCaGbpOZ7nFcs/s640/photo+4.JPG) |
Before |
![Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrfz7UtLd_hPQXBh514TurNM2_ZYATJKV4xcdYM9zFNsYW8ekCfHWaxcf2ZGq0cz17thNWlewELlEn-z3uFgcMWudyLq2RwIA_z4EfviYd-6QGgTTOdG8XPjU80GdBjuvRyKvPxv0-4p5/s640/photo+1+%252818%2529.JPG) |
During |
![Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWekGlUoBnvMu9Wqi8zjEb5HpkKxjJPsKZIlh1CiyU7bx9MAZnHHEmhU6K_oAEAYxlKOcqrYQW5CV4LkQcrOXWt-kyDu7Koq4bJexaEhbCjpcPGIksAFlBR3MaWRygCk_QMuH0Vt7_e8L/s640/photo+3.JPG) |
After |
Again...
![Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaa9_IRluonC36WBlioQqEHUmFA_ndPbH5-ON7zdV-tqmu5VRbRc8ZRQJt6I1pRu-aJoNOzuTdKmxl27RYYEv3oI3FWrlJ7-tgYlxkmjGCeNYHbyMPmTw1VKxyYzP8h-oFAWacLI2ELb3F/s640/photo+2.JPG) |
Before |
![Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint Cheater's Guide to Touching Up Wall Paint](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqCNRJ-k4NVhVxQvc1oeYQc3eB7Vf1oMmVsYLGrnBmV3VRK2_XQmUSgODXkmHbi5xxnmagggIN2TU6YHtU3QE5G0ymJwcg3WV3oyiUKkRg9m73kcZCevRB5IokOzL7ZaHQuV0IV_Qo17ys/s640/photo+1.JPG) |
After |
I've put away the wall paint for now. All I have left is to spot retouch some gouges and cracks in the kitchen and we are good to go. When I do, I'll post a step by step on how to touch up paint.
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