How to clean a burnished ceiling?

redglue

Hello there,

I had recently tried to clean off some "self-levelling floor cement/compound" that was splashed to the ceiling.  I used damp cotton rag (just water).  After wiping the self-levelling floor cement I noticed a mark that does not go away.  At different angle it looks different.  I have attached two pictures.  The mark is slighting darker colour if I stand from the light source, and the mark is brighter if I stand against the light source.  

Is this because of burnished ceiling?  If so, what can be used and how best to fix it?  Do I need to do a touch up?  

I do not know if the ceiling paint is acrylic or oil based.  However, it was painted not very long ago.  

Please advise. Thank you very much.

Standing at the direction of light.Standing against the direction of light.

MitchellMc

Hi @redglue,

It sounds like you’ve done your best to carefully clean the ceiling, so don’t be discouraged — this sort of mark is actually quite common. The change in sheen you’re seeing is very likely from burnishing during the cleaning process, which would explain the reflective look from certain angles. Unfortunately, once the surface sheen has changed, it can’t be reversed just by cleaning, but the good news is it’s an easy fix with a repaint. Your ceiling paint is almost certainly water-based, as oil-based paints are rarely used for ceilings these days. With a quick touch-up — ideally feathered into the surrounding area — you can have it looking as good as new again.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell