Stains from water damage can be incredibly unattractive eyesores, and really ruin the aesthetics of your home. So understandably, you want to remove them. Well, here’s how.

Firstly, it’s worth double-checking that you’ve found and repaired the leak, and that there isn’t any structural damage to the ceiling requiring more serious repairs. We’ve written about both those things here and here.

But if you’re satisfied the only permanent damage is an ugly looking stain then tackling it is fairly straightforward.

Mix together a 1:1 solution of bleach and water. Then, wearing safety gloves and goggles, apply the mix to the stain and dry to gently blot it away with some good old-fashioned elbow grease.

Always wear safety gloves and goggles when applying harmful substances to the ceiling

A lot of the time this will be enough and your stain will be gone.

If that doesn’t work you can try what’s known as a pigmented stain blocker. These are really just paint primers, but what they do is cover the watermark in such a way that prevents it from leaking through the new layer of paint.

If you just paint directly over a stain caused by water you’re running the risk of it simply reappearing.

Once you’ve applied the primer you can then paint over the stain with the paint of your choosing and the job is done.

Quick, easy, and it will make a huge improvement to the way your home looks.