The Painting Tool You Can Repurpose To Clean Your Ceilings

Although the ceilings in most homes often accumulate dust and a lot of cobwebs, it doesn't come as a surprise that most homeowners overlook cleaning this important surface. First, most ceilings are hard to reach, and because they're away from plain sight, they're easy to forget or even ignore. Another reason why this task may stay lingering on your to-do list longer than it needs to is that cleaning the ceiling is hard work. The task gets even more daunting if you have textured ceilings with plenty of nooks and crannies that regular cleaning tools like a duster can't clean effectively.

Given all this, the good news is that you don't need to hire a professional to help you clean your ceiling — textured or not. It's a task you can easily DIY; all you need is a painting tool that was designed to work on this very surface. By repurposing this tool, you can more easily reach your ceiling and clean it as you would any other part of your home.

The painting tool you'll need to clean your ceiling is a paint roller, and you can probably already guess its potential. The beauty of repurposing this tool is that you can use it on any type of ceiling, including the textured types, not to mention the fact that you can always adjust or modify the handle to your ideal ceiling height.

To use a paint roller to clean your ceiling, the first order of business is to cover or move any furniture below the surface; this is particularly necessary before attempting to clean textured walls that are notorious for dropping debris whenever disturbed. It's also a good idea to don protective gear like a dust mask and safety goggles to keep the dust and debris away from your eyes and lungs. Housewife How-Tos recommends using a 3/8-inch paint roller to clean textured ceilings.

When cleaning ceilings with a paint roller, go slowly and gently. You'll know if you're rolling too aggressively if too many particles and debris start falling from the ceiling. Keep in mind that you might need several rollers, depending on the size of your ceiling, replacing them whenever one gets too dirty. Also note that this is a dry hack versus a ceiling washing; basically, using a paint roller will help you eliminate dust, visible grime, and cobwebs from your ceiling surface.

Beside aesthetics, cleaning your ceiling regularly also comes with health benefits to the occupants of the house. If left as is, ceilings become the perfect surface where dust, cobwebs, and insects can accumulate, ultimately contaminating the indoor air quality. This can be quite problematic, particularly for anyone with allergies. Other than that, dirty ceilings are more likely to stain, which makes cleaning extra difficult for whoever will take care of the task later on. 

In order to keep your ceiling in good condition, you should consider cleaning it at least once a year (via Merry Maids). However, if you notice any stains or smudges, it's often a good idea to deal with them sooner. While cleaning your ceiling at least once a year is ideal, other cleanup duties on the ceiling fixtures like the fan or lighting should be done more frequently, or whenever necessary.