Call Us First: 970-964-4437

Popcorn ceilings are an out of date trend not only because of their appearance, but also because of the level of maintenance they require. People usually remove this texture not only because it is out of date, but also because of how dirty it can become. However, they can be a pain to remove from older homes.

How can I clean my popcorn ceiling?

The rough textures catches grease, cobwebs, cigarette smoke, and other grime which will cause the once white paint to turn slightly yellow. Here are some methods of cleaning:

  • Remove stains with a bit of bleach. Mixing a lot of water with a little bleach (a bleach to water ratio of 1 to 5) can help slightly yellowed paint to be restored back to white. Make sure it doesn’t get too wet, though, because the popcorn texture will dissolve. If the stain doesn’t come out, another option is to simply repaint.
  • Clean up loose particles. Cobwebs, dust, and small particles can get lodged throughout the popcorn texture. One of the best ways to remove them is to vacuum them up with a wet/dry vac or other vacuum hose.
  • Get rid of grease! Popcorn textures in the kitchen gather a lot of grease. Use a damp cloth (again, not too wet if you don’t want the texture to dissolve) to wipe up any grease. A warm, damp dryer sheet also gets kitchen grease up quickly!

Before you start cleaning with any liquids, test the mixture on a portion of the ceiling before moving on to the rest of the house.

How can I remove the popcorn texture entirely?

If you don’t want to deal with constant cleaning and repainting, it’s best to get rid of it. Here are the steps to take:

  1. Prep the room you’ll be working in. When you start to scrape, debris from the ceiling will get everywhere. To avoid a massive mess, set down trash bags or tarps to cover all floors and furniture.
  2. Work in sections. This will keep you more organized as you work and the process will go by a lot quicker.
  3. Use water then scrape. The popcorn texture will dissolve best if is is wet. After the section is thoroughly soaked, you can scrape it off.
  4. Retexture and paint. Get a newer, more modern texture stamped on and then paint.

Before you start working with any drywall or texturing, make sure to get your home checked for asbestos! It’s an incredibly dangerous mineral used in homes that were built any time before the 1980’s. If you disturb any materials that contain asbestos, the fibres of the mineral could lodge in your lungs and cause a lot of issues. Call Valley Restoration and Construction to get your home checked today!