Stain Resistance

Ceilume's thermoformed ceiling tiles and panels are highly stain resistant and easy to clean. This contributes to their long service life, minimizes maintenance costs, and reduces the environmental burden of replacing ceilings just because they are dirty. Our ceiling panels and tiles can be used with confidence in dirty environments and spaces with rigorous hygiene requirements.

Leaks on the upper level of our factory stained the luminous ceiling below with rust and grime of the shop floor, leachate from the wood floor deck, and dust that had settled on top of the panel. It took several months for us to get around to cleaning the ceiling, so the stain had plenty of time to work its way into the panel. Yet most gunk came off with damp cloth and the rest with help from a multi-purpose cleaner. Check out this before and after!

Test Data

Field tests have been conducted by our customers on millions of square feet of Ceilume tiles and panels over the course of several decades. This data overwhelmingly indicates that, under actual conditions of use, Ceilume thermoformed rigid vinyl products are difficult to stain and easy to clean.

Our tiles and panels have also been through both laboratory and our own field testing. Lab tests are conducted in accordance with ASTM standards and provide reference points for comparing products, but they do not represent actual conditions of use; contaminants are placed on top of lab specimens and sit overnight instead of draining as they would from actual ceilings and walls.

• Tested in accordance with ASTM D1308-02 - Effect of Household Chemicals on Clear and Pigmented Organic Finishes. A small amount of each contaminant was placed on surface of each type of ceiling panel. After 16 hours, panels were wiped clean with paper towel and water and examined for stains. If necessary, samples were sprayed with a household all-purpose cleaner, allowed to sit for several minutes, and then wiped clean with damp rag.
• See National Technical Systems test reports PR063996 (2017-05) and PR068632 (2017-09), available upon request.
• Ceilume is specially formulated for stain resistance; verify performance of other products.
• Mineral fiber is ASTM E1264, Type III, Form 2.
• Test under proposed conditions of use for project-specific performance characteristics.
• Faint Stain: Lab report states "Some of the stains are very 'faint' and... appear as very slight discoloration of the surface where the substance was applied. They are very difficult to notice at first glance, and require an angled view under lighting to be seen."

Specimen Examples

Ceilume White

Ceilume's white material resisted staining by all contaminants except permanent marker.

Ceilume Color

Some of Ceilume's colored material had "faint" stains due to several contaminants. Discoloration can be seen in the lab's standard photographic set-up but is unlikely to be noticed by casual observers.

Ceilume Faux Metal

Ceilume's laminated finishes were stained by certain chemicals, findings that may be applicable when selecting ceiling and wall treatments for locations where these chemicals are present.

Ceilume Faux Wood

Ceilume's laminated finishes were stained by certain chemicals, findings that may be applicable when selecting ceiling and wall treatments for locations where these chemicals are present.

Mineral Fiber White

Mineral fiber ceiling panels were tested for comparison to Ceilume's vinyl tiles and panels. All but one contaminant stained mineral fiber and could not be removed by cleaning.

Cleaning Recommendations

Simply dust or vacuum, wipe with soft damp cloth, or use low-pressure spray washer. If required, use multi-purpose cleaner recommended by its manufacturer for use on plastic. Do not use cleaners containing abrasives, organic solvents, chlorine bleach, liquid grease remover, or other harsh chemicals. Test in an inconspicuous location before proceeding.

We recommend uplift prevention clips to secure lay-in ceiling panels that will be subject to frequent cleaning, scrubbing to remove tenacious grime, or spray washing. Approved clips can be used with drop-out ceiling panels.

Smoke-stained mineral fiber panels in this cigar lounge could not be cleaned and had to be replaced.

Compare that to a Ceilume customer who wrote, "after about 7 years of a smoke filled cigar store the [Ceilume] tiles were getting heavily smoke covered and smelling like stale smoke... I laid four tiles on the ground outside and just scrubbed them quickly with a soft brush and a bucket of water and car wash soap. While rinsing them off the water was a horrible yellow color. I set them in the sun to dry and that was it, good as new. Back to the original color. But the truly amazing thing was the smell... To pick up a dirty tile and smell it, then pick up a cleaned one was like night and day."

Dirt frequently accumulates around air diffusers due to the Coandă Effect. The problem is aggravated when using mineral fiber ceilings, as shown here, because dirt becomes lodged within crevices and clings to fibers making it difficult to remove. Vinyl panels do not have this problem.

For More Information

Please see "Which Ceiling Panel Would You Hire?" in the January 2020 issue of Walls & Ceilings for more information about stain resistance and additional ceiling panel performance characteristics.