Tips on keeping your paint looking its best

29 Mar 2023

If you’ve painted your home recently, you’ll want to keep it looking its best as long as you can, especially after all that time and effort. With the right tips and products from Resene, your paint finish should last for years to come.

Choosing colours, preparing surfaces and painting takes time. Here are some tips and tricks you can take now to ensure the longest lasting finish and premium look of your paint job.

Once you’ve finished your painting don’t bump against it or clean it for at least four weeks to give it time to fully cure. The rich cream wall accent painted in Resene Double Spanish White is framed with borders of Resene Eighth Spanish White with the floor painted in Resene Quarter Spanish White. The cabinet is also in Resene Quarter Spanish White and the plant pot is in Resene Double Spanish White. The wooden wall art is stained in Resene Colorwood Meranti and Resene Colorwood Dark Oak. The tall table is in Resene Clay Creek. Chair from David Shaw, Birds and Bowl from Good Form. Project by Melle Van Sambeek, image by Bryce Carleton.

Fight fading paint

Interior and exterior surfaces can fade if constantly exposed to sunny rays. The changes might be gradual but can be noticeable where a sun exposed area is immediately next to one that is protected.

Resene paints are designed to resist fading, but to further protect areas of direct sun, use a final topcoat of Resene Clearcoat UVS protective glaze, think of it like extra sunscreen for your paint finish. It’s particularly useful on bright or bold shades on exterior surfaces. 

Be gentle when cleaning interiors

Save those muscles for the gym. When it comes to cleaning painted surfaces, the key phrase to keep in mind is “be gentle”, particularly for matt or low sheen finishes. For regular cleaning, avoid scrubbing your interior walls and give them a gentle wipe with a soft damp cloth or sponge. 

For specific stains that need removing (perhaps unplanned artwork from a younger member of the family) start with a product designed specifically for interior paint cleaning like Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner. Apply a small amount of cleaner to a lint-free cloth or spray the cleaning solution on to the target area. Clean by gently wiping the area around the stain or mark you’re trying to remove and working towards it.

Be aware that walls, like windows, can accumulate a faint layer of dust or grime. A seemingly minor job of cleaning a small spot can lead to a major one. If unwillingly caught in this predicament, a feather duster can sometimes minimise the boundary between the cleaned and uncleaned areas. 

Avoid water blasting your exterior

Put that water blaster down! An annual wash of your home exterior is a good way to keep on top of the grime and protect your paint, but don’t be tempted to blast the dirt away. Water blasting surfaces could damage the paint or exterior cladding permanently. 

Salt, moss, and road pollution are some of the pollutants that can settle on your exterior paintwork. You can use a cleaning solution designed for exterior painted surfaces and apply this with a soft broom. Resene Paint Prep and Housewash or Resene Bio-Cleaner will give your paint the freshen up it deserves, while Resene Deep Clean is a slower acting cleaner ideal for decks, paths and driveways.

If you’re planning to use darker colours outside, remember to consider a Resene CoolColour which helps to reduce heat build-up compared to a standard version of the colour.

The fresh shade of paint on this outdoor bathroom invokes the sea with walls painted in Resene Green Meets Blue and a striped shower wall painted in Resene Nepal and Resene Sea Fog. Breezeblocks painted in Resene Sea Fog, shower stand and shelf stained in Resene Pitch Black wood stain, mirror in Resene Breeze with soap dispenser and hooks in Resene Nepal and wooden floor stained in Resene Natural. Project by Kate Alexander, image by Bryce Carleton.

Published: 29 Mar 2023