8 Ways On How To Clean Drywall Dust : Expert Method

Every house owner tries to use good and high-quality materials while building their homes to look welcoming and beautiful. 

For instance, most homeowners today use drywall sheets on the walls and ceilings of their houses because of their robust nature. 

Drywall sheets are made from gypsum and other additives, which help to reduce water absorption and prevent the growth of mold and fungi. Thus drywall sheets add durability to any home.

But sometimes, any pointing materials or termites damage the drywall sheets, and you must replace them. Installing drywall sheets requires a sanding process which generates a lot of dust.

Drywall dust is very fine and close to powder. If you don’t clean, the dust can quickly spread all over your house.

The article discusses step by step guide on how to clean drywall dust. So, you can keep reading this article to know more about cleaning drywall dust and preventing it from spreading all over your house.

How To Clean Dry Wall Dust?

Installing drywall sheet generate a lot of dust during sanding. The dust is very fine and needs cleaning immediately.

Wear a respiratory mask while cleaning the dust to prevent it from inhaling. Remember inhaling drywall dust particles will have adverse effects on health.

It’s also best to wear eye goggles to prevent dust from entering your eye.

Simultaneously, wear gloves while cleaning the floor so that dust particles will not attach to your hands.

Drywall dust can cause severe health problems like coughing, breathing difficulties, and lung cancer. So, try to use all the personal protective equipment while cleaning the drywall dust from the work area.

Now let’s discuss step by step how to clean drywall dust easily. 

1. Prepare The Room

Drywall installation involves a lot of dust. It can cling to furniture, walls, and other belongings in a particular room. So your first duty is to remove all your belongings from the room where you have planned to install new drywall sheets.

If you have heavy furniture inside that room and cannot take it outside, it’s best to wrap it in plastic and secure it with tape. If you don’t cover the furniture adequately, the drywall dust can permanently damage it.

Once you cover all the furniture, it’s time to cover all the air vents, floor edges, and closet doors. If you have carpet in another room, cover it with a self-adhesive plastic sheet.

Ensure to open the windows in the work area have good ventilation. 

Try to keep a portable fan with its face pointing outwards. It will help blow the air outside the room and not inside. Simultaneously, it will direct the dust to move outwards along with the air.

Seal the areas nearer to the fan and the window edges, as they can collect dust. Cover those areas with a plastic sheet and secure them with tape.

If you have air conditioning units installed on windows of the work area, then remove them; otherwise, they will get choked with dust.

2. Sweep The Floor

You need to sweep the floor. Try to start from the exterior and then gradually move toward the center of your room.

Collect the dust in a tray and put it immediately in a trash bag. You need to tie the bag immediately to seal the dust inside. If you don’t seal, there are high chances of dust again spreading inside your house.

3. Use Floor Sweeping Products

Do you have a lot of drywall dust on your floor, and you cannot clean them properly? If yes, there are various sweeping products available that you can utilize to remove the dust that clings to your floor.

You will find these products in any home improvement store. They are usually sold in bags or buckets. You have to spread these products on the floor where you want to clean the dust. 

You have to take a broomstick and start sweeping from the outer edges to the middle of the room. You will notice that removing the dust from the floor is easier this time.

Collect all the dust in the dustpan and dispose of it immediately in the trash bag.

The sweeping products consist of sawdust, oil, and sand. They are perfect to use on concrete, wooden, and metal floors.

Some products require 24 hours to spread on the floor. So you need to read the manufacturer’s instructions ad then spread the sweeping products on the floor.

4. Vaccum The Products

It’s best to use a vacuum cleaner to clean the remaining dust on the floor. If you have a wet/dry vacuum cleaner, it’s best for this purpose. But if you don’t have then rent it from any home improvement store. You must use the vacuum bag mainly designed to collect the drywall dust.

The filter can get choked while collecting dust. So try to use filters that can be washed and used again.

5. Use vacuum Cleaners With HEPA Filters

Most household vacuum cleaners don’t have a HEPA filter which is highly necessary for cleaning drywall dust. If you are unsure whether your vacuum cleaner has a HEPA filter, it’s best not to use it. Using them without knowing can soon clog the filters, ultimately leading to expensive problems.

Sometimes drywall dust gets collected where it is hard to reach and clean. You can attach a hose to the vacuum cleaner and easily clean those places.

6. Wipe Up The Dust

Take a bucket and fill it with cold water. Now take a cotton cloth and dip it in the water. Wring it as much as possible. It is because an utterly wet cloth can damage the drywall sheets. 

Try to begin from the wall of the work area and then gradually move down.

You need to change the water in the bucket when you find it cloudy or dirtier. Wring the cloth often to remove the excess water from the cloth.

 Wipe the cloth on the floor, baseboards, light fixtures, outlet cover, plastic sheets, and floor. It will help to remove all possible dust that cannot be removed during sweeping and vacuuming.

7. Vacuum For A Second Time

You need to use a vacuum for the second time. Try to use a brush this time to clean the dust from any small openings in the walls or floor.

Use a hose in the vacuum to clean the dust first from the floor. Once you complete it vacuum the entire floor of the work area. Try to vacuum all the corners of the room twice to remove all the drywall dust.

8. Clean The Work Area Once Again

Clean the room again to remove dust on the floor or baseboard. Take a dry cloth and wipe almost all the plastic sheets, baseboards, and window ledges.

If you are more concerned about the dust, take a bucket with cold water again. Damp a cotton cloth in it, squeeze to remove excess water, and then wipe on almost all surfaces, including the floor. Always use clean water in the bucket to remove the dust; once the water becomes cloudy, change the water.

Also Read : How To Cover Glass Front Door For Privacy 

Additional Tips For Cleaning Dry Wall Dust

• Try to clean the dust frequently throughout the project to prevent the dust from settling down everywhere. We will recommend at least once cleaning up the dust a day during the continuation of the project. You can take a microfiber cloth and wipe it over all the surfaces.
• Drywall dust is a fine powder that can hang in the air even if you stop the sanding process.
• Don’t allow more people to walk in the working area. If you allow more people to walk, then drywall dust will quickly spread over the large area of your house, making it difficult for you to clean.
• Choose only one entry to the working area. You need to close other entries; otherwise, it will spread the drywall dust everywhere. You can place a mat just at the entrance of the working area. You can wipe the soles of your shoes on the mat before leaving the working area. 

Conclusion

Drywall dust is quite dangerous for your health. So you need to wear personal protective equipment while cleaning the drywall dust in your working area. We have listed above the procedure that needs to be followed regarding how to clean drywall dust. 

You can follow the methods to clean the dust in the working area. 

Thank you for reading this article.

FAQ : How To Clean Drywall Dust