I have the old popcorn ceiling. Now it is covered in dust from the ceiling fans, I guess. How can I get the layers of dust off with out taking off the popcorn and making a big mess?
Ditto with the poster who mentioned using the Swiffer dusters on these ceilings. We just bought a 1960 house with popcorn ceilings in half the rooms--and let's just say that the previous owners weren't big fans of elbow grease.
It took me three Swiffers to carefully blot one 14 x 16 ceiling but it successfully grabbed cobwebs and gunk that had been there a long, long time.
I have a friend who painted her ceiling with two coats of semi-gloss paint. Doing that 'sealed' the popcorn and now all she has to do is tie a towel around her broom to sweep the ceiling and none of the popcorn falls off.
For those that asked, a popcorn ceiling is covered with small bumps. When the dry wall is up it can be made to look flat or swirled. What's used for that is dry wall mud, it's a type of plaster. The popcorn ceiling treatment is a different product added to the paint and painted on.
It's a way to dress up ceilings. However, when you have it, I find to clean it you'll need a vacuum cleaner. If it's still in good shape, use a thick plush roller and paint over it.
My parents have it in their home and it's peeling off in some areas. It's flat underneath so they are going to eventually have to take it off and repaint the ceiling.
Be VERY careful, ours was loaded with asbestos! You'll have to use a tinted primer & a fluffy roller to paint it. This will seal in the dust & dirt & give it a clean & brand new look!
If you want to get rid of the popcorn ceiling altogether, find a person who knows how to skim coat and they'll make it disappear. We did that in my daughter's bathroom and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. For now, though, I'll have to continue vacuuming the ceiling in my room.
I bought one of the new Swiffer dusters, the one with the handle that can be made longer. That works real well for cleaning my popcorn ceiling that gets dirty from ceiling fan. The handle isn't as long as I would like, but this duster goes over it so lightly it doesn't make the wonderful popcorn break off, and it gets rid of the dust. My ceiling was really bad and I had to use two of fluffy duster things to get the job done, but I am satisfied.
I would lightly vacuum with the extension pole and re-paint with ceiling paint. They make a ceiling paint that goes on light blue and dries to white. It is easier to see where you have painted. Just don't wet it with water, you could have your ceiling coming down around your ears!
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Request: Cleaning a Popcorn Ceiling (06/09/2009)
The house we are renting has "popcorn" ceilings. I need to clean the ceiling because dust from the ceiling fan has left a brown ring.
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Request: Cleaning a Popcorn Ceiling
Archived on 06/09/2009
The house we are renting has "popcorn" ceilings. I need to clean the ceiling because dust from the ceiling fan has left a brown ring. However, whenever I touch the ceiling, the little chunks fall off and make a mess. Not to mention the bare spot it leaves on the ceiling. Any suggestions on how to clean that without damaging it?
I don't have a problem with pieces of the popcorn falling off, my major complaint about this type of ceiling is that it seems like no matter what I use to get rid of cobwebs, etc. on these ceilings, you might get rid of whatever you want to get rid of, but then you end up leaving behind, a piece of string, or lint, etc. I really wish the landlord would redo these outdated ceilings, although it would be a hassle for me. lol (05/07/2009)
Most popcorn ceilings contain asbestos. Anything containing asbestos should not be moved around - washed, removed, whatever. As you were washing your ceiling you might not notice tiny airborne pieces of asbestos flaking off, but if you inhaled any of it - you might be setting up a problem for your lungs. My husband has mesotheilioma - essentially lung cancer - from asbestos exposure. Please read about popcorn ceiling by googling for info. The recommendation is to have some of your ceilings' material tested for asbestos. Some of the popcorn ceilings do not contain asbestos (but VERY FEW). I hope you are lucky & yours is safe. (05/14/2009)
If you have a white ceiling, try some "kilz upshot" in a spray can. I have used it to cover water stains on my ceiling and it worked great. It sprays upward and a little bit of a fine, powdery over spray floats down, so be sure you cover what is underneath your discolored ceiling. (05/14/2009)
