How do you clean a popcorn ceiling?

Question

We are buying a house and it has wonderful (sarcasm) popcorn ceilings!

I would like to scrap it off, or find out how to clean it. In a couple of rooms there are silly string stuck to it. I don't know how long that it's been there but it's blue.

Answer 1

if the popcorn was installed before 1982 then it might have asbestos in it. the way i scraped it off is to spay it with water and use a scraper. lay plastic down on the floor it will make it easier to clean up.

Answer 2

USA    All good suggestions above, but be warned as in answer 1, if it was installed before 1982, it probably is asbestos.  The asbestos fibers go right through regular dust or construction masks, so don't think they will help.  If you do not know how to safely legally remove asbestos, DO NOT remove it.  It takes more than 10 years for the lung cancer to show up - and by that time you will have forgotten how you got it.  Let somebody who knows remove it.

Answer 3

You'll be better off scraping it off. Cleaning or trying to clean it will result in the popcorn coming off. The only way you can paint one is with a spray gun, unless you want the popcorn all over you.

Answer 4

BEEN DEALING WITH THEM FOR YEARS,THE ONLY WAY TO REALLY CLEAN THEM IS TO PAINT OVER THEM,BE SURE TO USE A SPRAYER&KINDA THIN,IT MAY TAKE A COUPLE OF COATS,BUT LET THEM DRY IN BETWEEN.

Answer 5

I have to agree with Dave.

Best thing to do is if you want to just clean it up, is to paint it with an oil paint. Use a heavy pile roller so you get it on there really good.

This will not only stop it from rolling off on your roller like it would if you used a latex paint, but it would also incapulate the asbestos if it were.

If you really don't like the look and you want to make it smooth, still paint it with an oil primer and when dry, coat the entire area with drywall compound 3 or 4 times until smooth( allowing each coat to dry of course) sand it, prime it and then paint it with a ceiling paint.

Hope this helps you.

Answer 6

Pick off the silly string and re-paint it white.