Wait until the stain is completely dry before removing it.
Safety Considerations
Chlorine bleach can be hazardous to your eyes and to your breathing.
Wear safety glasses and gloves.
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Open doors and windows for ventilation.
Never mix bleach with ammonia or other cleaners.
Use unscented household bleach with a concentration of 5- to 9-percent.
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Tip
Hydrogen peroxidecan be used instead of chlorine bleach.
Hydrogen peroxide works much like bleach but more slowly and without the fumes.
Clean the Water Stain
Clean the water stains with thebleach mixture.
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Wear waterproof gloves and use a clean sponge.
Cleaning should lighten the color of the water stain and soften or eliminate the stain’s outlines.
Clean a second time if needed.
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Rinse the Bleach Solution
Rinse the ceiling with a new sponge dipped in clean water.
Allow the ceiling to air dry.
Prime With a Stain Blocker
Apply a water- or oil-basedstain-blocking primerto the ceiling.
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Apply the primer to the ceiling with a3/8-inch nap roller coveron a paint roller.
For textured ceilings, use a thicker 3/4-inch nap roller cover.
Smooth ceilings can use a foam roller cover.
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An extension pole screws into the end of the roller and extends your reach.
This is especially helpful when you are priming and painting the entire ceiling.
Assess the Stain
Wait 24 hours for oil-based primers to fully dry.
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Water-based primer’srecoat timeis about two hours.
During this time, observe the stain.
The stain may still show through or the mineral content in the stain may cause bleed-through.
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If so, prime the stain again until the stain disappears.
Add as many primer coats as necessary to block the stain before painting the ceiling.
Paint the Ceiling
Paint the ceilingwith paint that matches the rest of the ceiling paint.
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Ceiling paint typically is matte or flat white latex paint.
Not all flat whiteceiling paintsare the same color.
Slight differences in pigments can glaringly show as a patch.
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Consider painting the entire ceiling for a perfectly blended ceiling repair.
Large sections of ceiling texture are difficult to replace with can-based texture product or by stippling.
For ceiling drywall repair and texturing, call drywall professionals.
Water stains typically do not come out of a ceiling just by cleaning.
It is usually necessary to follow cleaning by priming over and painting the stain.
Painting over a water-stained ceiling may not cover the stains.
Painting the ceiling is the last step that blends the primer with the rest of the ceiling color.
Cleaning and Sanitizing with Bleach after an Emergency.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
