Ever since modernised living changed the game of interior styling of homes; the era of popcorn ceilings and textured walls experienced a significant downfall.
This is mostly due to the fact that despite their added aesthetics to cover wall imperfections in the home; they attract hordes of dirt, making it quite tedious to clean the walls.
In the 80s, popcorn ceilings were created with asbestos, which if inhaled, could be life-threatening. Therefore, it is crucial to have your asbestos popcorn ceiling removed in case your walls are from that period of time.
For textured walls and popcorn ceilings in your home, it is important to clean them from time to time to ensure they stay safe from mould and bacteria.
Graana.com, Pakistan’s smartest property portal, brings you an in-depth guide on how to clean popcorn ceilings.
What are Popcorn Ceilings?
Commonly known as acoustic ceilings, this popular element of the 20th century gives houses a unique interior to cover up any imperfections on the walls.
Because of this distinctive quality, they become a widely adapted decor element to enhance walls in houses. Although these designs are now decreasing in popularity, traces of this popular wall adaptation can be found to this day.
Popcorn ceilings, similar to their name, are walls that are made up of small textures. These textures are a small bubble-like 3D texture that covers the wall and is painted over.
As much as it was raved about back in the decades, popcorn ceiling removal is one of the trickiest and hardest things to do which is majorly why they lost popularity.
Why is it Important to Clean Popcorn Ceilings?
Carefully carrying out all the steps mentioned below will enable you to get the best cleaning results for your popcorn ceilings. Even though the process takes a lot of time, it is not something you have to do every day, but once a week or so is enough.
The time it takes to clean popcorn ceilings is only based on the fact that there are so many nooks because of the texture, making it difficult to clean it all at once. However, these above-mentioned tips are sure to make this job a lot easier for you.
How to Clean Popcorn Ceilings and Textured Walls in Your Home
Textured walls and popcorn ceilings are dirt and bacteria prone elements for your walls. In addition, mould on popcorn ceilings can also be a major disadvantage that can ruin your home’s atmosphere and aesthetic.
Following are some of the best tips you can find to clean your popcorn ceilings and improve the atmosphere of your house.
- Choose the Right Cleaning Materials
- Dust Away Dirt and Cobwebs
- Wrap Duct Tape Around Paint Roller for Thorough Cleaning
- Treat the Stained Areas
- Use Cleaning Agents to Clean Popcorn Walls
- Spot Test the Cleaning Agent
- Use a Broom, but Carefully
- Rinse the Surface
- Natural Air Dry for the Wall
It is important to note here that these tips are mainly to get the interior popcorn walls of your home in order. For exteriors, you can easily wash them with mild pressure of water since reaching every single nook and crook of exterior walls can be very difficult.
Choose the Right Cleaning Materials
Before you begin your cleaning regime for popcorn walls, it is important to pick out the right cleaning equipment for the job. This includes some commonly-found household items that come in handy for the task. Following are some items you can look for before you start cleaning the ceiling:
- Old Toothbrushes
- Old/Cleaning Rags
- Cleaning Brushes
- Mild All-Purpose Cleaning Agent
- Water Bucket
- Vacuum Cleaner
- Step-ladder or stool
Once you’ve gathered this extensive yet handy list of cleaning materials, it’s time to move on to the next step.
Dust Away Dirt and Cobwebs
Check for cobwebs on your popcorn ceiling. If there are any, you can easily get rid of them by using your vacuum cleaner.
For this, you’ll just need to point your vacuum cleaner in the direction of the cobwebs and it will pull in all the webs without damaging your wall. This is a very easy hack to get rid of the thick layers of dust and webs.
If you don’t own a vacuum cleaner, you can use a feather duster with an extended handle to dust off the cobwebs.
For spaces with high ceilings, you will need a ladder or a stool that can elevate you to reach the height of the ceiling.
Moreover, if you’re using a ladder or stool, it is important to take help from someone to stand nearby to stabilise the ladder and keep you safe from losing your balance.
Wrap Duct Tape Around Paint Roller for Thorough Cleaning
To clean delicate surfaces and popcorn ceilings without damaging the texture, paint rollers are a brilliant resource. Simply wrap your paint roller tightly with duct tape, sticky side up.
Next, move the paint roller gently over the ceiling and all the dust and grime will automatically stick to the tape, leaving behind a clean surface.
A major advantage of using this hack is that this simple DIY will allow you to gently clean every nook and corner of the textured ceiling without damaging the surface.
Treat the Stained Areas
Before making the power move of using your strongest cleaning solutions, treat the stained areas on the popcorn ceiling with water. You can use a simple paint roller for this purpose, as it will gently clean out the stains.
Make sure to only coat the paint roller with a light layer of water, and not heavily drench it. Damping it enough will easily clean your walls without damaging it. This is a handy tip to utilise before painting popcorn ceilings as well.
Spot Test the Cleaning Agent
It is best to spot test the solution on a small area of your popcorn ceiling.
You can do this by dipping your rag in the solution and touching it against the wall. Then clean it and analyse the effect. If there’s no damage or paint residue that came off, you’re good to use the cleaning agent.
Use Cleaning Agents to Clean Popcorn Walls
For tougher stains that are resistant to the above-mentioned hacks, a cleaning solution is your best bet. However, these are to be used carefully with proper measurements, so as not to damage the texture of the wall.
Start by mixing a small quantity of vinegar in a bucket of water, along with laundry detergent in a small quantity. Next, add 1 part bleach to 5 parts water.
Simply spray the solution on the stained area of your popcorn ceiling and clean off. This simple cleaning solution will help you greatly in getting rid of those tough stains. You can also use an old toothbrush gently on the stain for thorough cleaning.
Use a Broom, but Carefully
For people who are tight on a budget, you can also use a broom to clean the popcorn ceilings in your home. Ensure that the broom you’re using does not have any sharp or hard ends, as it can be risky for the delicate texture of the wall.
When using a broom for cleaning walls, you might face one disadvantage: Popcorn ceiling can start flaking off causing damage to the texture of your well. So in case you’re opting to use the broom, you’ll have to be very careful.
Rinse the Surface
In case you’re short on cleaning supplies, you can also rinse and clean the popcorn ceiling. This can easily be done with your DIY cleaning solution and a rag.
Apply the cleaning solution to your wall and keep a rag and water bucket beside you. Once you’ve applied the solution, rinse it off using a damp rag. Ensure the complete removal of the cleaning solution. Otherwise, it can leave a colour-changing residue on the wall.
Natural Air Dry for the Wall
Carefully carry out all the steps mentioned above to get the best cleaning results for your popcorn ceilings. Even though the process takes a lot of time, it is not something you have to do every day, but once a week or so is enough.
The time it takes to clean popcorn ceilings is only based on the fact that there are so many nooks because of the texture, making it difficult to clean it all at once. However, these above-mentioned tips are sure to make this job a lot easier for you.
When you’re done cleaning, make sure to let the ceiling or wall air-dry naturally. This is because drying them with a blower might apply too much heat and may eventually damage the wall.
You can turn on your ceiling fan (assuming these are clean) to assist in the natural air-drying process for your popcorn ceilings and walls.
Now that you’re aware of all the steps on how to clean textured walls and popcorn ceilings, it will easily help you tackle messy ceilings in your home. This cleaning checklist is perfect for you to go through and get your house cleaning in order. You can also go through our list of easy furniture cleaning hacks to keep your interior clean and maintained.
If you’re looking for more cleaning tips and tricks to keep your home clean, visit Graana.com — Pakistan’s 1st online real estate marketplace.
Read More:
- Top Tips to Make Your Room More Functional
- 15 Ways to Make a Small Space Look Bigger
- Concealed vs. Exposed Plumbing — Differences & Benefits
- 13 Bad Housekeeping Habits You Need to Quit
