The short answer
If a tile is dirty, it can usually be cleaned. If it's damaged, it needs replacing. Most ceilings are mostly dirty with a handful of damaged tiles, so the cheapest result is usually to clean most of them and replace a few.
Quick guide by problem
| What you see | Usually | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Even yellowing or grey film | Clean | Grease, smoke and dust sitting on the surface |
| Brown film above a kitchen line | Clean | Airborne grease; lifts off with the right solution |
| Dust and cobwebs | Clean | Surface only |
| Brown rings or tide marks | Replace | Water has soaked into the tile |
| Sagging or warped | Replace | The tile has absorbed moisture and lost strength |
| Black or green spotting | Replace | Possible mould; never clean and reinstall |
| Chips, cracks, holes | Replace | Physical damage |
Why cleaning usually wins
Replacing a ceiling means demolition, disposal, waiting on materials and, in a business, days of disruption. Cleaning is typically one visit, often overnight. In acoustic tiles, cleaning also restores some of the sound absorption that a coat of grease takes away.
The mistake to avoid: swapping only the worst tiles
Replace three tiles in a yellowed ceiling and you get three bright white squares that make everything around them look worse. If you're replacing some tiles, clean the rest at the same time so the ceiling reads as one surface. That's exactly how our ceiling tile replacement works.
Before replacing water-stained tiles
Find out why they got wet. A new tile under an active leak will stain again within weeks. Fix the roof, pipe or HVAC drip first, then replace.
Can you paint ceiling tiles instead?
You can, but paint fills the small holes in acoustic tiles, which reduces how well they absorb sound. Paint over grease also tends to peel. Cleaning keeps the tile working as designed.