Cleaning your ceilings is already hard enough, but cleaning a popcorn ceiling just seems impossible. A popcorn ceiling is much harder to clean because it is a textured ceiling, and any effort to clean a popcorn ceiling may result in popcorn ceiling dust and popcorn texture getting everywhere.
However, it doesn't have to be that hard. Here's how you can clean a popcorn ceiling with simple household items and ingredients.
Things to Keep in Mind
Popcorn ceilings, also known as textured ceilings or cottage cheese ceilings, are great because they're cost effective, can muffle sounds, can hide imperfections and are easy to apply. However, they also come with some disadvantages.
Textured Surface is Fragile
The textured surface crumbles easily and makes cleaning very messy and dusty. Popcorn ceilings also collect dust, dirt, pollen and mildew, which means that they also have to be cleaned frequently.
To avoid any messes, make sure that you move or cover all furniture in the room, as well as the entire floor, with plastic sheeting, tarps or drop cloths. It also helps to wear protective gear like a dust mask and some goggles or safety glasses to protect from any fallout.
Asbestos Risks
Popcorn ceilings of homes built after 1978 may have contained asbestos, a known carcinogen, so you should consider having this tested before proceeding with cleaning. Don't proceed with cleaning until after ensuring that your popcorn ceiling is asbestos free.
How to Clean Popcorn Ceilings
To clean a popcorn ceiling safely of any stains—like mildew, mold or grease stains—you'll need a spray bottle, a sponge and some dish soap, some bleach, along with your protective gear and plastic sheeting.
Step 1: Prepare the Popcorn Ceiling
After making sure that you're well protected and that the entire room is covered with plastic sheets, combine one teaspoon of dish soap with a quart of warm water in a spray bottle and use this to spray the stains.
Make sure that you only dampen the stained area as too much moisture can cause the popcorn texture to dissolve. Then, lightly dab the sponge frequently over the stains before leaving the ceiling to dry overnight.
Step 2: Create a Bleach Solution
To help remove mold or mildew stains, mix together one part bleach and four parts of warm water into a spray bottle to make a cleaning solution and use this to lightly dampen the stains. Get your sponge and gently dab the stains before leaving to air dry.
Should the stains still remain after a few hours, create another bleach solution with a larger part of bleach and repeat the process.
To help remove grease stains, combine a quart of warm water with a teaspoon of liquid dish soap in a handy spray bottle. Then, lightly spray the cleaning solution onto the stain until it's damp and use a kitchen sponge to lightly dab on it. Afterwards, let it dry overnight.
How to Dust Popcorn Ceilings
If the popcorn ceilings installed in your home only need a light dusting, here's how you can do it. Dusting your popcorn ceiling regularly helps remove dust, dirt and more.
You can do this with any of these three methods:
Vacuum Cleaner
This is the best way to clear away any dust from your popcorn ceiling. With the brush attachment, work in sections and gentle passes to make sure that you don't disturb the popcorn texture, but one benefit is that the vacuum cleaner will suck any loosened debris.
Feather Duster
If you have a feather duster or microfiber duster with a long handle, then you can also use this to clean a popcorn ceiling. Simply run your duster over your ceiling, making sure to work in small sections at a time until you cover the entire surface.
Make sure that you avoid any duster made of nylon or polyester as these may damage your popcorn ceiling.
Lint Roller
A sticky lint roller can also be used to clear away any light debris from your popcorn ceiling. While you can definitely use a normal sized one so long as you have a ladder or a step stool, a lint roller with a longer handle will make this a much faster process.
You might be able to get away with not cleaning your popcorn ceiling that often, especially if there aren't any visible stains, but this can't be said for the rest of your household. There are so many things to do and not enough time to do it, but Luce Home is here to lend a helping hand!
Our experienced house cleaners can take the cleaning off your hands so that all you have to do is walk into a fresh and tidy home.
Give us a call and schedule your first cleaning appointment today!
