When was the last time you cleaned your ceiling, or have you ever cleaned your ceiling?
You may not think that your ceiling needs cleaning, however it is probably dirtier than you think.
Bugs, cobwebs, and dust are attracted to ceilings, especially if your ceiling has any sort of rough texture.
Here are the steps for how to clean a ceiling.
Note - you might want to wear safety glasses when cleaning your ceiling to avoid dust and dirt getting in your eyes.
Also, if you think you might have a popcorn ceiling with asbestos, consult with a professional about cleaning it to avoid contamination.
photo courtesy of Bill Wilson flickr.com/photos/okchomeseller/17847937296/Vacuum
The first step in cleaning a ceiling is to vacuum it.
Don't just vacuum the parts of your ceiling that looks dirty - vacuum the entire ceiling, especially on all of the edges and in the corners.
Make sure to vacuum very well around air vents, smoke detectors, light fixtures, and all other dust prone areas.
You will need to use a very long extension wand on your vacuum in order to reach the ceiling.
If you do not have a really long extension wand, consider taping a wrapping paper tube to the end of your vacuum cleaner wand to use as an extension.
You can even put your vacuum cleaner on a table or chair to elevate it even more in order to reach the ceiling, but make sure to take precautions to ensure the vacuum cleaner does not fall and that your brush roller is turned off so you don't damage your vacuum or the surface it is on.
If you do not have a vacuum or your ceilings are too high, you can use a cobweb brush to dust your ceiling.
Another option is to cover a broom with an old T-shirt and lightly sweep the dust off your ceiling.
Spot Clean
If you have a small section of your ceiling that looks dirty, scrub it lightly using a rag with minimal water and a tiny bit of general purpose cleaner.
Do not saturate the ceiling with too much water, else you might get a water stain.
Do not scrub too hard, else you might remove the paint.
If you have a wood, accoustic tile, or wallpaper ceiling, consult with the manufacturer for the best cleaning methods.
Mop
If your entire ceiling needs to be cleaned, you can use a sponge mop or flat sweeper with a wet cloth to clean it.
Make sure to use minimal water with only a drop of multipurpose cleaner and test a small inconspicuous area before using it on the entire ceiling.
Don't mop too hard to disturb your ceiling texture.
You might want to use a drop cloth to protect your floors from anything that might fall from the ceiling.
If you have a wallpaper, accoustic tile, or wood ceiling, consult with the ceiling manufacturer for the best cleaning methods.
Painting
If your ceiling is stained and unable to be cleaned to your satisfaction (or smells like smoke after you have cleaned it), then painting may be required after cleaning to make your ceiling look its best.
In order to hide stains on your ceiling, make sure to use a stain blocking primer before painting. You may need multiple coats.
If your latex stain blocking primer is not hiding the stains, you might need to use an oil based stain blocking primer.
If you do not like the look of your popcorn ceiling (or cannot clean it to your satisfaction), consider covering your popcorn ceiling in a different material.
