Best way to clean up drywall dust?

[TaraPA]

Can I just say, OMG!! We are finishing our basement, and they've been doing drywall for the last week or so. I can't keep up with the drywall dust that is covering EVERYTHING! We were in WDW last week & I thought I had it under control, only to come home to see it looked like it snowed in the basement AND the 1st floor! I do have a towel at the base of the door to the basement, and have all the heating/cooling vents closed, but it's just everywhere.

How do I clean up the really thick dust - the stuff down in the basement? I'm afraid trying to vaccum it even with a shop vac will stir it up even more. I could wet mop it and wipe everything with wet rags but that could take days & days.

Any suggestions?

 

[rie'smom]

Vacuuming, dusting, and mopping are the only things you can do at this point.
Wish I had known before because I would have suggested finding a sheet rock installer who does wet sanding. There is almost no dust.

 

[TaraPA]

I didn't even know wet sanding was an option - darn it! I guess I will put on a face mask tomorrow & just take the old vacuum down & start trying to suck it up. Ugh.

 

[TaraPA]

Oh by the way - I LOVE your pic - Marie is mine & my son's favorite character! We just saw her on Saturday!!

 

[malibuconlee]

If its really bad in your basement go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy a sweeping compound. Sounds like it makes more work, but you put it down over the floor and it helps keep the dust from flying up when you sweep it off the floor.

Helps having a DH in construction.

 

[LuvMickey36]

If your initials are BP and you are remodeling your dads house to put it on the market, use the new household vac he got for christmas.

Seriously, I have no idea, but some of the idea by pp sound good! Good Luck!

 

[cabanafrau]

Saw this on a home improvement show, recommended it to a friend during her kitchen reno and she swears it works:

Fasten a cheap furnace filter to the air output side of a box fan with a bungie cord. Keep the intake side of the fan facing the area where the dust is being kicked up during actual work or clean-up. Quite a bit of the dust is drawn into the fan & trapped into the filter.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

If its really bad in your basement go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy a sweeping compound. Sounds like it makes more work, but you put it down over the floor and it helps keep the dust from flying up when you sweep it off the floor.

Helps having a DH in construction.

That is neat. I will remember that. Once we used a concrete saw in the basement for drain tile....let's just say that was a nightmare to clean up.

 

[hulagirl87]

having done one too many home improvement projects over the past 2 years, I can recommend the shop vac. Best investment we have made. I love that thing! It gets up everything including the drywall dust and that stuff gets everywhere. don't get it wet, that will just make it pasty. we made that mistake!

 

[Golf4food]

Move to a new house. It's the best way. Trust me.

 

[TaraPA]

I love all these ideas - thanks! I keep putting it off. They're still working down there so I keep telling myself to just wait til they're done. I did just vacuum & wet mop the whole 1st floor (all tile or hardwood) and I swear I still see dust everywhere. I'm about to give up, I jsut can't get ahead of it!!

 

[MinnieFan4ever]

Be sure to change your A/C filter when you are done. I am not sure where you live, but turn your air or heat off if you can. Less dust will get sucked in.

 

[AKL_Megs]

We JUST finished our basement as well! Our drywall guy used a ShopVac and a special attatchment as he sanded... We had NO dust, I was amazed!

Of course, it's too late for you now, unfortunately. I guess all you can do now is give it a good vacuum and mopping.

 

[SpecialK]

We used a shop vac when we finished the basement. Don't expect to only have to do it once - that stuff is insidious. Weeks after you think you're finished cleaning it up, it will appear again.

 

[TaraPA]

That is neat. I will remember that. Once we used a concrete saw in the basement for drain tile....let's just say that was a nightmare to clean up.

We did that too since we're putting a full bath down there - OMG that day was awful & it kept setting off the smoke alarm - that's how thick that dust was!!!

Then the drywall....

Now the tile cutting...

It will never end!!

 

[ilovepcot]

I found this thread a week too late. We're adding a wing onto our vacation home so we can live in it year round. I was horrified when the drywall was finished and went into the rooms. We had covered a brand new vanity for our bathroom *very carefully* (it's a dark mahagony color) and it was now white! I teared up when I saw it. We've been dealing with this for a week now and still aren't done. Live and learn. Oh...the next area we're doing WILL NOT have drywall.

 

[TaraPA]

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who thinks they're losing their mind over the battle of the drywall dust! Years from now someone will say "what do you remember most about 2011" and I swear I'll say "the #^*!#&&%^# dust!!"