How To Clean Shiplap

Posted 10/7/2020 by Amanda Hall

Charred Smoke White shiplap accent wall with cognac leather chair, picture frames, and plant

Cleaning Your Shiplap

Keep your shiplap looking fresh by cleaning it periodically. As shiplap textures vary, so will the preferred cleaning method. How often you decide to clean your shiplap will depend on the area's traffic level. Follow along with the cleaning method that suits your shiplap style. You should not need to buy special cleaning supplies. We are all about keeping it as easy and environmentally friendly as possible.

Smooth Shiplap Cleaning Tips:

Since our Timeless and Charred Wood shiplap both have smooth surfaces, here's what we suggest:

- Dusting brush or cloth
- Cloth
- Shiplap cleaning solution: 1 cup vinegar and 2 cups warm water

Start by dusting your wall with a dusting brush or cloth. Make sure to get in the nickel gaps. Horizontal shiplap will always acquire more dust than a vertical application so you'll want to take this into consideration when dusting.

Next, mix up our super simple shiplap cleaning solution. Vinegar is an excellent and inexpensive alternative to many branded cleaners that contain chemicals that may harm the wood's finish. Dampen a cloth with the eco-friendly solution and wipe down your shiplap's surface. You may use any type of cloth, but we've found a microfiber cloth works best for trapping dirt and dust.

Enjoy your clean shiplap walls and repeat as needed.

Rough Shiplap Cleaning Tips:

Since our Rustic Collection shiplap and Native Woods shiplap have rough-sawn surfaces, you won't be able to wipe them down as easily as our smooth surface shiplap. Here's what we suggest for cleaning:

- Vacuum with brush attachment or dusting brush
- Shiplap cleaning solution: 1 cup vinegar and 2 cups warm water
- Cloth

To clean your rough-textured accent wall, we've found a vacuum with a brush attachment works best. A dusting brush will only work for minimal dusting. Run the vacuum brush along the shiplap gaps to get the dust that may have collected between your shiplap boards. Horizontal shiplap will always acquire more dust than a vertical application so you'll want to take this into consideration.

Compared to smooth shiplap, our Rustic Collection and Native Woods boards will camouflage marks and dust a bit better with their rough-textured surface. If you do notice an area that needs additional cleaning, dampen a cloth with our shiplap cleaning solution and wipe down the area as needed. Be careful not to use heavy cleaners on these boards as chemicals may ruin or warp the boards.

Enjoy your clean shiplap walls and repeat as needed.