Drywall dust results from particles loosed in the air from sanding drywall. It appears as a puff or cloud in the air or as piles on the floor and surroundings. You’ll most often see it in and around newly constructed buildings.
It’s essential to get rid of drywall dust as soon as sanding or construction is complete. Breathing in small amounts of drywall dust may not be harmful in the long term, but inhaling drywall dust over a long period or without a mask can cause various health issues.
For the best advice on how to get rid of drywall dust and expert post-renovation cleaning service in Toronto, contact Brihlo Luxury Home Services Inc. Our skilled house cleaning experts can spruce up any home post-construction. Here are a few tips on tackling drywall dust:
Option #1: Prevent Messes Beforehand
For optimal cleanliness, think of how you can limit messes before starting the job. Preventative measures to take before handling drywall, sanding, or joint compound mixtures include:
Hanging tarps and dropcloths– Drape tarps and drop cloths across open doorways, room entryways, and windows to keep dust from wafting through rooms.
Apply painter’s tape– Small features like wall trim, crown moulding, light fixtures, and windowsills can collect dust buildup. Cover these areas with painter’s tape to consolidate the mess where you can clean it easily.
Sealing ducts- To avoid dust circulating through your home’s airways, carefully seal your heating ducts and ventilation system. Start by closing vents, then cover them with painter’s tape, tarps, or plastic.
Open windows beforehand- To give the room fresh air and promote air circulation, open a window. This ensures that the air, dust, and debris are not lingering in stale air and can exit your home. Fresh air will additionally speed up drying times when applying wet joint mixture compound to drywall.
By taking preventative measures at the start, you’ll face less mess as you work and expose yourself and your home to less drywall dust.
Option #2: Wet Cleaning
Wet cleaning uses damp surfaces to collect drywall dust and leftover bits of the joint compound mixture. If you have an excess of joint compound mixture or drywall mud to remove, ensure it is still damp. Once the mixtures and compounds have hardened, they will not wipe away.
It may help to clean up piles of dust and debris before wet cleaning. This also eliminates excess dust that might otherwise stick to the walls after wet cleaning.
Dampen a cloth or large sponge in warm water. Keep a bucket of water nearby for rinsing out excess dust from the cloth. A mop will also work and may make reaching high surfaces easier.
Start from the top of the wall and wipe downwards. Get into corners, crevices, and hard-to-reach areas to avoid leftover dust. Repeat the process on all wall spaces until you’ve covered the entire room.
After the damp walls are dry, you may ventilate the space. Open a window, turn on a fan, or vacuum. Ensure your vacuum has a HEPA filter when cleaning drywall dust. A regular household vacuum will clog when sucking up drywall debris.
Option #3: Sweeping Compounds
Sweeping compounds, made of dried wood shavings, wax, and oil, stick to dust and debris to make sweeping after construction projects more effective. When you sweep up the compound, the construction residue comes with it. Sweeping compounds are not hazardous and pose no health risks if used correctly.
To use sweeping compounds, spread the mixture over the floor of a room with drywall dust. Then, sweep the mixture back and forth to grab the dust and debris. After mixing the sweeping compounds with the drywall dust, you can remove everything with a dustpan.
Do not attempt to clean sweeping compounds with a household vacuum, as the oil and wax will clog the machine. A shop vac is safe for cleaning compounds. Sweeping compounds make for an efficient, simple solution to how to get rid of drywall dust.
Option #4: Scraping
Scraping dried joint mixture compounds and drywall mud is sometimes the only way to remove hardened substances. First, look around the room and identify areas with excess hardened joint mixture compounds. Do not pull these areas, as you can remove more than you need or damage the wall.
Push the flat edge downwards against the wall using a putty scraping knife. After passing the affected area, sweep back upwards. Continue this process until the wall has an even texture.
For small detailed areas, consider using a moulding scraper. These small tools are perfect for correcting minor blemishes from joint mixture compound droppings.
Option #5: Hiring Post Construction Cleaning Services
The best option for removing drywall dust and joint compound mixture residue is to hire a post-renovation cleaning service. The right company will ensure that your space is free of excess debris and ready for the next step in your construction project.
Not only does this option take the responsibility off your hands, but it also ensures that your cleaning items won’t risk damage. For example, if you do not have a shop vac and don’t want to risk breaking your vacuum, you may want to consider professional cleaning after renovations.
If you’ve already tired yourself out with the construction work, make cleanup a breeze by hiring a post-construction cleaning service. You can go home and wind down while the cleaning service prepares your project for future developments.
How Brihlo Luxury Home Services Inc can help
Brihlo Luxury Home Services Inc will ensure a spotless removal for any post-construction or renovation project. Our detail-oriented technicians comb your space multiple times for any signs of residual dust. To learn more about how much deep cleaning costs can run and how to get rid of drywall dust, contact Brihlo Luxury Home Services Inc, the most professional cleaning service in Toronto.
Call our experts at 416-923-3300 or email [email protected] to learn more about our service and schedule an appointment with us today. We guarantee exceptional results.
