After Drywall Installation: Best Way to Get Your Home Clean Again

Drywall installation can be a necessary part of repairing and repainting parts of your home. As a homeowner, you’ll likely encounter this project sooner or later. If you’re new to installing drywall, there are some essential things to know about working with it.

It can be a fun job, but it’s often messy, and it’s vital for your health and safety that you know how to contain and clean up drywall properly.

Here are some proactive ways to keep your drywall dust contained and how you can get the cleanliness of your home good as new.

Importance of cleaning up drywall dust

Proactive ways to contain drywall dust

Before you start your drywall project. There are some things you can do to limit the amount of drywall dust that can linger around your home. Here are some valuable items you’ll need:

• •Dust mask                                                                                       •Damp Cloth
• •Eye protection                                                                                •Spray bottle with water
• •Thick plastic drop cloths                                                              •Broom and dustpan
• •Painters’ tape                                                                                  •Shop-vac
• •Zip-up dust containment doorway                                             •Fan
• •Sander with vacuum attachment

If you can remove all the furniture out of the room, that will be your first step. If this isn’t realistic, you can wrap the furniture in plastic and tape up all the edges, keeping the furniture protected from the dust. Next, you’ll want to cover the entire floor, including vents and closet doors. Make sure to seal the edge of any plastic with painter’s tape. When there are spots where the plastic pieces meet, there should be a sizeable overlap.

If you have a significant drywall installation job ahead of you, consider investing in a zip-up dust containment doorway. If you want to make your own, you can do that with two vertically-hung pieces of plastic covering the doorway of the room you’re working in. Ensure there is considerable overlap between the two pieces, and you will be in good shape. While you’re working, tape the doorway shut. Depending on your sanding method, you could opt for wet sanding or choosing a sander with a vacuum attachment. Which helps minimize the amount of dust overall.

Cleaning Up Drywall Dust

First, suppose you’ve started the job and now there is dust everywhere. Here’s what you should do. First and foremost, always ensure you’re wearing a mask and protect your eyes with safety goggles. This will help protect you from the dust.

Second, the best way to combat drywall dust is with water. The dust absorbs water, making it too heavy to float. Keeping a few spray bottles around will help you be able to sweep up or vacuum the dust as it settles on the ground.

Lastly, using a damp cloth, you can wipe down the walls once you’ve finished sanding. You’ll notice where the dust is collected, and you can spray every surface in the room, including any furniture covered with plastic. Be a bit conservative on the amount of water you’re spraying as you don’t want to have a huge water mess to clean up instead. From here, you can do whatever is easiest for you in terms of method. Whether continuing with a cloth, mop, shop-vac, or sweeping, any of these methods work fine. Repeat one or two more times to ensure you have done an excellent job. Change into clean clothes and take a damp cloth to the room once you’ve removed all the plastic.

How to get drywall dust off your furniture

Even after all the prep work and being diligent, drywall dust can make its way onto your furniture. Whether it’s from your clothing or somehow got under the plastic coverings, the fine dust can be sneaky. Often ends up around your house in small amounts.

Using a shop vac is important, as your everyday vacuum likely doesn’t have a heavy-duty HEPA filer on it. Drywall dust can clog and break your household vacuum. So investing in a shop vac or borrowing one from a family member or neighbor will help you immensely.

If you have significant dust on a piece of upholstered furniture, take it outside, set up a fan, and keep it directly on it. The fan will help get rid of the dust. You can use a damp cloth to pick up any residual dust afterward.

You can use a damp cloth or a product that can help you trap the dust on a cloth for wooden furniture.

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Skip the extensive clean-up that can be frustrating and hire Home Painters Toronto to take care of it. We leave your home as clean as when we are welcomed into it, regardless of how big your drywall installation job is.

Our team of professionals will get the job done within your budget. Drywall installation can be a lot of work if you’re not a seasoned pro, so let us take it off your hands.

If you’re thinking about enlisting the help of a professional for your drywall and painting job, give us a call, and let’s settle the details together.

Call 416.494.9095 or email brian@HomePaintersToronto.com 

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