A wall or ceiling stain is an eyesore, changing the overall look of the entire room. While interior painting gets rid of most stains, it’s much easier to clean painted walls and ceilings to remove dirt and grime. Learn how to make a homemade drywall stain remover and ceiling cleaner to remove stubborn stains.
If you’re a homeowner, you probably deal with many stains, from carpet stains like grease and oil stains and coffee stains to mold and hard water stains on the ceiling. Carpet cleaning is simple enough, but cleaning a painted wall or ceiling requires special care.
It’s always best to avoid harsh cleaners or chemicals when you clean walls and ceilings to ensure you don’t remove the wall paint and primer or cause fading. Fortunately, many gentle cleaners are effective at removing a stubborn stain, whether it’s a water stain, grease stain, or smoke stain.
Ways to Get Stains Off the Ceiling
Once you determine that the ceiling stain is not from a water leak, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start cleaning. Learn how to get mortar off drywall and remove ceiling stains with gentle solutions that will also stop future stains from occurring.
How to Get Stains Off the Ceiling with Soapy Water
The easiest way to remove stains is to use soapy water. While this method doesn’t usually remove a tough stain, it cleans away stains from smoke residue. Learn how to get stains off the ceiling with dish soap and warm water. Mix a natural cleaning solution for walls and ceilings that is inexpensive and simple to employ.
Fill a plastic bucket with hot water, add a squirt of liquid dish detergent, and swish the soapy water around to create suds. Dunk a sponge into the solution, wring out excess water, and use it to clean the dirty ceiling. Rinse the sponge, apply more soapy water until the stain is gone, and dab the area dry with paper towels.
This drywall stain remover will also work on removing dry erase marker from walls, along with other marker and crayon stains. Luckily, most markers that aren’t permanent will come off easily with soap and water.
Removing a Stain from the Ceiling with a Magic Eraser
A Magic Eraser works wonders for removing a stain from the ceiling. It has a powerful yet delicate abrasive cleaning action that removes many stain types, from permanent marker to scuff marks, and it’s safe for cleaning everything from the carpet and wall to the ceiling.
Get the Magic Sponge wet with warm water and wring it out. Rub the sponge on the stained area of the ceiling to remove the dirt. A non-gel toothpaste is a good stain remover if you don’t have a Magic Eraser. Simply rub white toothpaste on the stain and clean it with a damp cloth.
Try a Magic Eraser as a way to clean marker stains off drywall, too. Rub carefully, as you don’t want to harm the surface.
Homemade Drywall Stain Remover with White Vinegar
White vinegar is a popular liquid for cleaning since it has acidic qualities that break up stains, including hard water stains. It’s also helpful for taking off a wallpaper border from a drywall surface. Discover how to get stains off the ceiling with vinegar cleaner.
Pour two cups of water and a cup of white vinegar into a spray bottle. Shake the container and spray the liquid on the ceiling.
To remove water stain marks or take care of mold on sheetrock, let the vinegar solution sit on the surface for 15 minutes and wipe away the dirt residue with a damp rag or cloth. Follow the same procedure to get a smoke stain off the ceiling. Repeat the steps until the ceiling is clean, and dry it with a towel.
Tips for Preventing Stains on the Wall and Ceiling
It’s a good idea to learn ways to keep your ceiling looking its best after removing a stain from the ceiling or drywall. Follow a few easy tips to help you prevent future ceiling stains.
The simplest way to stop stubborn ceiling stains from bleeding through paint is to apply a stain-blocking primer. If you or someone in the home is a smoker, consider smoking outdoors or installing an air purifier in the house to eliminate smoke stains on the wall and ceiling.
Repair house leaks immediately to stop water stains from developing, and use soapy water or vinegar to remove dirt before it becomes a stain.
Sometimes, while you’re cleaning the ceiling or walls, you may have scraps of dust and other particles that drift to the floor. The best way to get drywall dust off walls and ceilings and floors is with a vacuum cleaner or shop vac.
A stained ceiling is unsightly, and it makes the space look and feel uninviting. Luckily, there are ways to restore the ceiling’s original appearance without hauling out a can of paint. Instead, you only need some soapy water or white vinegar and a little elbow grease.
Now that you know how to get a clean wall and ceiling with homemade drywall stain remover, why not share our tips for cleaning the ceiling with your family and friends on Pinterest and Facebook?