What can I do to get blood, wine, and coffee stains from my walls and ceiling? Different strategies for removing coffee, blood, and wine stains from various surfaces like walls and ceilings in the home.
Blood, wine, and coffee can create some very tough stains, but it's not impossible to remove them if you use the right cleaning products. However, before you run to the store to buy a whole lot of expensive, harsh chemicals, see if the stains will come off with some simple cleaning.
Melissa Briones, owner of Melissa's House Cleaning in Lawton, Oklahoma, says, "I use soap and water to wipe the walls and ceilings clean. Of course, with a popcorn-type ceiling you can't do too much wiping." Blotting the stains on textured surfaces works best.
If you clean your walls or ceiling immediately after a stain develops, you should have pretty good luck removing the stain. If the stain has had time to set, though, you may need to clean a little harder.
According to Briones, "Mr. Clean Magic Eraser actually removes stains easily. It's just a matter of wiping the surface once or twice and they're off." It works much like a pencil eraser on pencil markings. Simply apply light pressure to the unique sponge and wipe gently. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Extra Power is available for tougher stains.
Briones further recommends, "Be aware of what type of paint you have. Polyurethane is what ordinary wall paint is made out of. Try to use soap and water first. For tougher stains like lipstick and wine and maybe crayons, you will need a tougher cleaner. You can probably get Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to get that off, but soap and water should be sufficient. I would not spray any kind of cleaner on it. I would not use Formula 409, bleach, or anything like that on the walls." These chemical cleaners are simply too harsh for most painted surfaces.
If soap and water and the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser are not successful in removing the stains, you will need to clean a bit more aggressively. For paneled walls, you can use a product such as Murphy Oil Soap. For ceilings and painted or wallpapered walls you can try a tri-sodium phosphate solution. Tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) is available in hardware stores. Be sure to follow the directions on the package very carefully. And follow all precautions and warnings. When cleaning the ceiling, you have to be especially careful about chemicals dripping down on to you, so wear safety goggles to protect your eyes. Place drop clothes on the floor too, to protect your carpeting or wood flooring. Clean up any accidental spills immediately. Wear gloves to protect your hands while cleaning, whether you are cleaning the ceiling or the walls.
If the stains have set for a long time, they may be impossible to remove without damaging the walls or ceiling. In these cases, you may have to repaint or re-wallpaper. Don't take a chance on mixing different chemicals together in order to remove stains. This can cause very toxic fumes to form. It's better to invest a little time and money into refinishing your ceiling or wall than to suffer a lethal chemical reaction.
