How to clean stretch ceilings at home
A stretch ceiling is a structure consisting of an aluminum or plastic frame on which a single piece of canvas is attached. Many people think that this is a modern invention. However, such designs were used in ancient Rome. The ceilings were decorated with draped fabric impregnated with chalk. The canvas was fastened to a special wooden frame, which was mounted on the ceiling. In the 60s of the last century, PVC film was invented, thanks to which modern designs appeared.
How to wash stretch ceilings
When choosing this type of ceiling, a special role should be given to the manufacturer and professional installation. Such pleasure is rather capricious in its content and can be easily damaged. Therefore, it is very important to know how and with what to wash stretch ceilings at home. PVC cloth is much easier to wash than cloth.
What means to wash
For a choice of detergent, it is better to contact specialized stores.
Acetone is not allowed in the composition. Alcohol-based solutions can easily clean surfaces from dust and soot.
Mister Muscle for cleaning plastic windows does an excellent job with the film and does not leave streaks. Here you can also add HP - a special spray.
PRO service liquid ammonia cleaner for mirrors and glass surfaces perfectly removes dirt from glossy surfaces and does not require additional polishing.
For trial testing, treat a small, less visible area of the ceiling and wait 15 minutes. If everything is in order, you can get to work.
Despite the fact that manufacturers recommend washing stretch ceilings only with special products or soapy water, practice has shown that they can be replaced:
- Means for windows, preferably based on ammonia. It copes very well with local dirt, oily deposits and soot, but only on glossy surfaces. It is not suitable for matte and fabric options. It is better to use liquids without dyes.
Glass and mirror cleaners, especially those containing ammonia, have worked well. - Dishwashing liquid. It is neutral as soap, but it copes with greasy deposits much more effectively and does not leave streaks, which is important for the kitchen.
When using products that dissolve well and form abundant foam, you can use the foam instead of wetting rags or sponges in the solution. - A prepared 10% solution of ammonia and warm water in a ratio of 1: 9. An excellent cleaner for greasy and nicotine deposits, food stains and splashes, and effectively removes streaks after basic cleaning. After applying the solution, wipe the surface dry with a soft cloth.
The product is suitable only for glossy and satin surfaces.
How to wash without streaks
To obtain a positive result in the wiping process, you need to use light and smooth movements in a straight line back and forth. Excessive pressure should be avoided to avoid rubbing dust or dirt into the canvas and damaging it. The clean surface can be wiped with a 1: 9 solution of water and ammonia, and then wiped dry with a soft cloth.
How to clean stretch ceilings
Such ceilings are divided, depending on the material of manufacture, into matte and glossy. Accordingly, the care for them will be different.
The matte finish is made of a fabric impregnated with polyurethane and looks like a uniformly plastered surface. To clean it, it does not take a lot of effort, special tools and certain skills, since it is quite difficult to damage the canvas. Even after some time, cracks and scratches do not appear on the film, and a special repellent compound protects it from dust. After the end of the procedure, it is necessary to wipe the surface with a dry soft cloth.
Cleaning glossy surfaces is much more difficult than cleaning matte surfaces. They are very sensitive and susceptible to scratches, streaks, stains and even cracks. It is better to use a piece of chamois or microfiber as a sponge. You can also purchase special cleaning wipes in specialized stores.
On canvases of this type, stains from soapy water remain. To avoid this, you should use a glass cleaner.
Before washing the stretch ceiling you will need:
- clean, soft flannel rags or microfiber;
- a bowl of warm water;
- a special spray or soap solution in a spray bottle;
- ladder;
- The best helper is a lightweight mop with a movable platform and a soft, washable microfiber nozzle. It is completely safe for ceiling coverings.
The sequence of the washing process:
- Dilute a soap solution in a bowl in the ratio of 4 drops of soap to 1 glass of water, pour it into a spray bottle.
- Moisten a mop with soapy water and, moving from one corner to another, with methodical movements back and forth, move along the ceiling. The large area can be divided into sections. It is also advisable to move the mop from the walls towards the center.
- You should not be zealous, especially in cases with ceilings installed close to the base (at a level of 3-4 cm). It may be even better to wash the surface by hand.
- Complex contaminants should be re-treated with a solution and left for 5-10 minutes.
- To avoid the appearance of streaks, you can walk on a clean surface with a solution of water and ammonia. Then wipe the ceiling dry with a soft fleecy cloth to polish the canvas.
How often to wash
Despite the fact that the ceilings have antistatic and protective impregnations, they need to be washed in the kitchen every 2-3 months (as oily deposits appear), in living rooms - 1-2 times a year. It is good to use special detergents for this procedure.
If a similar structure is installed in the kitchen, care should be taken to have a good hood, especially if a gas stove is used.
So that you do not have to wash the ceiling in the kitchen for hours, any fresh dirt should be removed immediately, before they dry up.
Maintenance of fabric stretch ceilings
Fabric ceilings are one of the most harmless finishing materials. They are distinguished by high strength and vapor permeability (they breathe due to micropores). The basis of such coatings is polyester. They are 10 times thicker than PVC, and look softer and lighter.
Satin stretch ceilings are one of the most popular types among their counterparts today. The main advantage is beauty and grace. In fact, these are PVC threads covered with a film. They differ in a pearlescent effect.
It is safest to clean fabric and satin surfaces by dry cleaning using soft flannel or microfiber rags. Some housewives use a vacuum cleaner with a special attachment in the minimum operating mode. However, such a procedure requires great care and at the same time you cannot touch the surface of the ceiling. The distance between the nozzle and the coating must be at least 5 centimeters.
Wet cleaning looks much easier. To do this, you can use either special sprays or gels, or a regular dishwashing detergent diluted in water. It is much better than soapy water as it does not leave streaks. The main thing is not to overdo it with friction, otherwise not only stains, but also spots and scratches may appear.
Satin ceilings, like matte ceilings, can be cleaned with water vapor, but this requires a steam generator.
Stretch ceiling dry cleaning
Dust settles on the canvases, entering through open windows from the street. Therefore, when caring for stretch ceilings, dry cleaning is also required. This type of cleaning involves wiping down surfaces with a clean, soft flannel or a soft lint-free cloth.
Lightly soiled, as well as glossy, slightly tarnished cloths should be wiped with special dry napkins or a soft short-nap cloth so as not to leave lint.
You can restore gloss to glossy surfaces by wiping with ethyl alcohol. Some people use a vacuum cleaner for these purposes at minimum power, observing a safe distance.
What not to do
In no case should you use for washing:
- gasoline, kerosene, acetone;
- cleaning powder products;
- rough washcloths, brushes and tough fabrics;
- chlorine, alkalis;
- laundry soap, soda, mustard;
- boiling water or hot water;
- before work, it is worth removing rings and bracelets so as not to damage the film.
All this can irrevocably ruin the stretch ceiling canvas.
To save yourself from unnecessary trouble, you should install such structures after all dusty repair work is completed.
In difficult situations, it is better to seek help from cleaning companies or firms that provide cleaning services.
Regardless of the type, manufacturer and cost of tensioning structures, they should be handled carefully and carefully. In skillful hands, with a competent approach, they will delight the owners and shine like new for a long time.
VIDEO: How to wash a stretch ceiling in an apartment.
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