So can you vacuum drywall dust? Unfortunately, drywall dust is something we often neglect how dangerous it can be. One of the many dangers that come with drywall installation is dealing with a lot of dust. As you sand down and smooth out your freshly taped walls. Clouds of fine dust particles will rise into the air to create a problem for anyone who breathes it in! Luckily, there are ways around this respiratory hazard. But they don’t come without their drawbacks. So what can you do to prevent this situation? Can you vacuum drywall dust? Or you should wipe it down? However, both options have consequences of their own. Vacuuming is a far better and more convenient option. But can you actually use your regular vacuum cleaner on drywall dust? Or will it get ruined? Let’s find out the answer.
Even if your household vacuum has a HEPA filter. The chances are high it will still get clogged with drywall dust. Shop vacs are better for these fine particles. We recommend them because they’re more powerful and don’t have filters to clog up. Let’s find out in detail what makes it a wrong choice. Also, check our list of the best vacuum cleaners for drywall dust.
Why is a Regular Vacuum Not a Good Choice for Vacuuming Drywall Dust?
Dust is a big problem for homeowners who are in the process of remodeling their homes. The dust can clog up your vacuum. And make it impossible to clean properly. So you’ll need an alternative method if that’s what you’re dealing with.
Are you tired of all the dust building up on floors? Most vacuums will get choked out by this kind of task very quickly. Unless they have specialized filters. Or bags made just for containing acceptable debris like sawdust. But even then, those systems might not be enough either! Luckily other household tools work well at removing particles from surfaces. Without even causing any harm. There are tons of Shop Vacs available in the market that you can check out.
Some vacuums are more efficient than others. For example, one vacuum might use the power of a small motor to suck up dust efficiently. At the same time, another more extensive and more robust engine could create an excessive amount of wear. It can lead to clogs in your machine’s piping. Or result in it becoming sluggish from overheating due to dust accumulation.
The best way to solve the issue of dealing with drywall dust is to settle for a high-quality shop vac. The chances are that will not get ruined easily. Before you begin with the cleaning up procedure. There are specific measures you need to take. Clear everything from your work area and make sure it’s clean before starting. Unplug anything plugged in while working near an outlet. Plug any electrical appliances into power strips. So if one of them accidentally gets turned off during use, all connected devices won’t lose power as well.
- Let’s check out our list of the 12 best vacuum cleaners for drywall dust!
How to Prevent the Spread of Drywall Dust?
When it comes to the room that you’re painting or remodeling. Start by emptying everything of this space. If any furniture must remain in the room. Wrap every inch of it with plastic and tape up all edges where drywall dust could enter. Because frankly speaking – anything is possible. The next step is to cover vents. Close closet doors & on top of that, make sure there are more painters’ tapes than skin left uncovered! Tape one piece over another when they meet for ultimate protection against unsuspecting particles burrowing their way into your fresh paint job. From a variety of angles.
It might be difficult for the main entrance to a room to find an already made zip-up dust containment doorway. If you can’t afford one or don’t have access to them in your area, then producing your own is worth considering! To do this, line two sheets of plastic vertically up in front of each other. And overlap generously with another piece hung over the entire door frame for extra protection. From not only dirt but also accidental spills and messes. Using tape on either side will ensure that they stay put when working inside. So is there any need for cleanup outside after work hours or even during? All you’ll have left are minimal cleanups instead of major ones like before!
- INTERESTING READ: What to do with old vacuum cleaners? | Try these Options!
Cleaning Up Drywall Dust from the Room
There are many steps to cleaning up drywall dust, but the key is using a wet cloth or spray bottle with water. This way, you can clean it very thoroughly. Without kicking more into the air, making your job that much harder!
The plastic sheets should be the first thing you clean, and using water is your best bet for this. Wipe down the walls with a damp cloth or mist them until they’re wet to make it easier to get all of that dirt off! Afterward, spray every surface in the room and use whatever cleaning method makes sense for what’s around. Whether that means sweeping up dust particles into a pan or sucking them up with a vacuum cleaner.
Let’s see the process in detail.
Step 1
In order to create a clean room, you will need to open the windows and turn off any heating or cooling systems. Block all air vents with plastic sheeting so that no dust can enter from outside of your house. Lastly, put on a mask before entering in case anything is floating around inside.
Step 2
Don’t sweep up the drywall dust pile it on the floor and let your broom do all of the work! Hold a garbage bag. Or pail beneath where you’re sleeping to collect any residual particles. Wait 15 minutes for airborne particles to settle before proceeding with the application.
Step 3
Clear the dust in your home by first, putting a fan at an open window, and pointing it outside. Next, go through the room once more and sweep vigorously. While directing all of that dirt towards the fan as you do so. If possible, opening two or three windows will create additional cross-drafts. Making this cleaning technique even more efficient!
Step 4
Vacuum the floor and finish the job of vacuuming. A great way is to use upholstery attachments to get out every last bit of dust in corners. Extract dirt from between hardwood floors or tiles grout – you can’t let that go!
Step 5
To finish cleaning, wipe the floor and all woodwork down with a damp cloth to remove dust residue. The specially-made fabric will quickly pick up what’s left. Without turning back into mud called a joint compound that produces dust. Use it on rough surfaces such as tile grout or masonry to eliminate any remaining stains from this type of job!
Cleaning Up Drywall Dust from the Furniture
It’s not just your clothes. Drywall dust is so fine that it can invade other parts of the house. Settling on furniture and carpets as you make your way to clean up after a messy day.
The fine particles of drywall dust are unruly. And can cause significant harm to your vacuum’s filters. If you have a high-quality HEPA filter on the unit designed for this type of mess. It will probably be okay (though other types may still get clogged). However, if not built with these specific needs in mind. Any machine could end up more harmful than helpful. As they try to suck all those tiny pieces from their surfaces.
When you can, try taking upholstered furniture outside and set it next to a fan that will blow the dust away. You could also use Pledge if your furniture is wooden instead of fabric.
You may not have considered cleaning all of your indoor appliances before now. But as they’ll be hard at work this summer when we’re trying to keep cool indoors, why not give them a good scrub? Make sure you wipe down any rubber seals on fridges or freezers. Especially those with ice dispensers. Because mineral deposits from tap water are attracted to these areas more than others in an appliance’s housing. So they need extra care!
Also, check out the 4 ways to reduce drywall dust.
How to Get Rid Of Drywall Dust without Ruining Your Shop-Vac?
Sweep the floor by starting with slow strokes close to the walls and sweeping inwards. Sweep gently not to stir up dust, then clean a pile of collected dirt into a bag before finally dumping it outside.
Dust is like the bane of anyone’s existence. It sticks to everything and makes a mess for you to clean up later on. If you’re dealing with plenty, don’t forget your sweeping compound! Sweep away dust just as quickly by using something that will help keep it down. While cleaning so your house stays less dusty in-between sweeps too.
An intelligent way to make sure that no matter how much dust accumulates around our home. We can sweep it all out quickly without having any more unwanted dirt sticking ever again? Give yourself some time before getting started. Because not every cleaner works right after one use. It takes 24 hours or even longer for many products. But then never worry about chasing those pesky specks from flooring again.
The final step is to haul out your best wet/dry shop vac, which should feature a good filter. The old-fashioned way of brushing the floor with an upright vacuum cleaner just isn’t as effective anymore. Because you’re missing all those tiny spots that get easily clogged up. And stop airflow when they start building up dust bunnies over time. A quality brand name like Eureka will have features such as mighty suction power for picking up pet hair. Or deep carpeting debris without having to switch heads on their models.
To make your drywall vacuuming more efficient. Spend the extra money on special vacuum bags. They are designed to prevent any loose powder from escaping into the atmosphere. This will ensure a cleaner home for you and those around you!
You should use a HEPA filter for collecting fine dust particles. Make sure you have an extra backup filter at hand. In case of the original falls into heavy clogging. But an even better-use one! You can even reuse them after you rinse it off! The experts suggest having two filters ready to go. One as your emergency standby while waiting for yours to dry.
Conclusion
After reading this blog post. You should now know how to deal with the dust that comes from drywall installation. But it’s not an easy decision! You can either vacuum or wipe down your walls, but both methods have their pros and cons. If you’re looking for more information about these two options. Let us know in the comments below, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible with some helpful advice. We hope this article was helpful- please share if it was!
