If you are like most, cleaning the ceiling usually doesn’t top your list of priorities. In fact, most home owners never consider cleaning their ceilings until the stain marks up there are obvious enough to cause embarrassments with guests coming over. Well, the bright side is that these stains are effective at displaying further structural damage that needs timely attention.
The bad though, is that cleaning ceiling stains is never a cup of tea. The fact of the matter is that if you cleaned your ceiling more often, you would probably get to the root cause before morphing to a cleaning headache. That said, you probably are looking for an effective solution and that’s why you are here. Let’s delve of some essential cleaning tips, to help you get rid of the ugly stains.
How to Clean the Ceiling – The Ultimate Cleaning Guide for Your Ceiling:
Before anything else, it is worth noting that behind every successful ceiling cleaning is a creative mind meaning how you approach the whole process will eventually dictate the outcome. A step-by-step approach is advisable and the guidelines below should come in handy while at it. Here is what you should do once you spot a stain spot on your ceiling.
Determine What Type of Stain it is
Figuring out the type of stain on the ceiling should be the first step and more importantly because it probably emanated from one of two causes. The first and most common stain is a water stain and as the name implies, it is caused by water damage – picture a leaking pipe or plumbing defect. The second is commonly a kitchen ceiling stain – smoke damage. The former is usually identified by a visible brownish yellow stain appearing in a circular form and often, it is cleaning headache homeowners could gladly do without. On the flipside, smoke stains are more subtle and easier to clean. In fact, it takes a sharp eye to notice in its build-up stages. A smoke stain will likely come in charcoal color, beige or fine gray shades. Once you are aware of what type of stain it is, you can proceed to take the next course of actions which lies in either of the two below.
Getting rid of a Water Stain
Of course you will have to first repair the damage before cleaning the area otherwise it would all be pointless. That said it is worth noting that the only option you have is to repaint the affected area on your ceiling, if you want it back to tip-top condition. Once your plumber has it all figured out, you will need to have;
– Step ladder to get you close
– Rubber gloves and safety glasses just in case
– Plastic drop clothing
– Bleach to curb the looming risk of mold growth and a soft cloth to rub it
– Enough water
– Matching paint, roller, and brush
– Premium all purpose primer for dire stain alerts.
It’s now time to fold up your sleeves and get down to business by moving all furniture to safety mainly because of the painting procedure. Next, place your plastic drop cloth below the working area to prevent the bleach or paint splattering all over your floor and once you are done spreading, get up there to closely examine the area for mildew or mold. In most cases, the area will be a little fuzzy if infected and to avoid health issues, you will have to disinfect this area properly. This is where your bleach comes in handy just in case you were wondering. Make a solution made up of quality bleach and water, and then blot the stained area carefully (with your gloves on) to completely kill all traces of the harmful bacteria.
Let it dry completely before applying the primer using a paint roller for smooth finishes – thanks to Singapore’s hot climate, this shouldn’t take long. Again, you will have to let the primer dry before coating the area with matching paint to finish the job. Indeed, cleaning the ceiling using this procedure leaves it looking brand new and sparkles. Considering that it takes less than an hour, it is the only viable option you have if calling a professional cleaner isn’t n option t all.
Cleaning Off Smoke Stains –
Compared to the above, cleaning smoke stains should be a daunting affair worth fretting over. However, typical smokes stains occupy larger areas compared to water stains hence time consuming. To effectively get rid of the dingy yellow shade affecting your ceiling you will need to be equipped with:
– A mop and bucket
– Hot soapy water and warm clean water
– Plastic bags i.e. garbage bags
– A pair of safety goggles and baseball cap, just in case
Begin by slashing open the garbage bags and spreading them across the floor beneath to prevent damaging your carpet – tape the edges for safety measures. Next, put on your protective gear (goggles and cap) and fill the bucket with hot soapy water prior to dipping the mop to get it acquainted to the cleaning agents. Follow this by squeezing off excess water on the mop and then begin the cleaning procedure. Choose the direction from the beginning so as to avoid missing a spot here and there. Once you have soaped and rubbed off smoke from a significant portion, rinse the washed area using warm cleaning water to remove the soap and voila!
Conclusion:
In a nutshell, the above two steps are the best ceiling cleaning techniques you can use to rejuvenate its overall aesthetic appeal. As you may have noticed, tackling a smoke stain is more or less similar to cleaning the whole area as it affects a good chunk of it if not all. In the case of dust and cobwebs, simply use a vacuum cleaner to successfully clean the ceiling and get rid of unwanted debris. The long and short of it is that there are no shortcuts while cleaning and for health sakes, be sure that you are in well-ventilated space more so if you are using chemicals such as paint, primer and debris.