Cleaning Guides

How to Clean Plaster Dust from Your Home

Anyone who has experienced construction works at least once knows how much mess it can create. Unless you prepare your house beforehand, you risk having a fine layer of dust build up all around your living place. However, it is impossible to predict everything and you may end up not only with the dust but plaster stains on your skirting boards, windowsills or even worse, on the hardwood floors! 

There is always the easier solution – to get your house professionally cleaned, but if you want to get the job done yourself, then worry not, we got you covered. 

Table of Contents:

This post will be helpful for those of you, who:

  • Have had a renovation job done recently;
  • Have plaster dust or stains on a hardwood floor, skirting boards or tiles;
  • Searches for the best way to clean up after plastering.

Keep on reading!

How to clean plaster dust

The most important thing to remember when cleaning plaster dust is to have a system. Otherwise, you risk moving the dust around the house without clearing it out completely. So, get the sleeves rolled up and prepare to spend some time swiping and hoovering. 

When cleaning plaster dust, make sure to wear protective equipment, like goggles and filter masks. The construction dust is toxic and can cause irritation, coughing and breathing difficulties. 

You will need:

  • Broom;
  • Wet and dry vacuum or any other vacuum you have;
  • Mop – best to use the dust mop;
  • Dust mop treatment;
  • Vinegar – if you don’t have the dust mop treatment. 

1. Swiping

What you want to do first is to remove all the bigger pieces. Use a broom for that, but be careful not to swipe the dust too much. If the intensive swiping can not be avoided leave the dust to settle for 15-30 minutes. 

2. Vacuuming

The next step is vacuuming, however, don’t rush to grab your regular vacuum cleaner. Vacuuming plaster dust can be lethal for your home appliance. The best option is to use a wet and dry vacuum with a bigger container and no filter that can prevent dirt or dust collecting.

If you are brave enough to risk the “health” of your domestic appliance, then check the filters regularly and clean them once they start getting blocked by the dust. It’s essential to clean the filters often, otherwise, you’re running the risk of overheating, and eventually, burning your vacuum cleaner.

Use the vacuum cleaner on the window sills, around the door frames, skirting boards or any other surfaces where the dust might have landed. 

3. Mopping

Vacuuming won’t remove the dust fully, therefore, you need to thoroughly wipe the floor. A dust mop, or a dry mop, is a perfect tool for this matter. The head of the mop is usually flat, which allows you to clean even the corners. The microfiber material that they are made of traps the dust, so you can be sure that it won’t move anywhere else. 

If you are using a dry mop, spray the dust mop treatment on the microfibre surface. Do not dump it in water, as it might be harder to remove the dust from the mop afterwards. The treatment can be easily purchased online, or you can mix two cups of white vinegar with five litres of water. Once you see that the mop is full of dust, vacuum the microfiber. 

The mop shouldn’t necessarily have a microfiber head. A regular mop can also do the job, just make sure that you change the bucket water regularly.

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How to clean plaster off hardwood surfaces

While you’ve been cleaning the dust, you might have noticed that your hardwood floor has some plaster stains on it. Unless floor sanding isn’t in your repairs to-do list, you should act as fast as possible and remove those stains. You see, plaster is a very acidic substance, therefore over time, it can leave permanent marks on untreated wooden surfaces.

So, this is what you should do to clean plaster off hardwood:

  • Soap water. If the plaster hasn’t hardened yet, try to gently rub it with a damp sponge and remove the spills.
  • Non-abrasive sponge. This method can be used when the plaster stains have already hardened but still fresh. Put any degreasing solution, like Elbow Grease, on the sponge. Tap the solution in with the soft side, and scrub it afterwards with the other side of the sponge. When using a degreaser, don’t forget to put on gloves, as it can cause skin irritation. 
  • Sandpaper. If the plaster has dried, try scrubbing it with a piece of sandpaper. However, you should be aware that sandpaper can damage a delicate wooden surface. To avoid this, consider wrapping a piece of sandpaper around your finger to minimize the chances of scraping a clean surface. From time to time wipe the area with a cloth wet in warm water and oil mixture, to prevent the plaster dust spread.
These cleaning methods can be used on any timber surfaces like skirting boards, door and window frames or laminate floors.

How to remove plaster off tiles

Unlike timber, the tiles are not porous, so cleaning the plaster stains off them is relatively easier than off the hardwood. 

Usually, plaster has a tendency to wash off of shiny surfaces over time, however, some of the more stubborn stains might require a bit of help. So, this is what you should do to remove plaster off tiles:

  1. Prepare a soap mixture.

    Mix 2 tablespoons of mild dishwashing soap in a bucket of warm water.

  2. Scrub the stain. 

    Using a sponge, scrub the stain. Under pressure, the edges of the stain should start cracking and coming off. The spot should eventually become thinner and fully come off. However, if it takes you too much time, move to the next step.

  3. Soak the stain in hot water.

    Take a cloth and dump it in hot water. Place the cloth on a stain. If needed, refresh the cloth with more water. Once the stain starts softening, scrub it with a sponge.

  4. Repeat if needed.

    Plaster stains removal is a tedious job, however, once you have the result you will be happy that it’s finally over and your tiles are shining as they used to.

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Does the cleaning process seem too complicated?

The renovation mess is something that seems impossible to get rid of fully. Even if you have cleaned your house two, three or even five times, you might be left with a feeling that the small dust particles still fly around the house. Moreover, the cleaning takes too much time and effort, not speaking of the additional expenses on equipment.

Why not trust this job to Fantastic Services? The teams of cleaners that we work with use their own professional equipment. The stains are dissolved with special detergents and surfaces are polished with heavy-duty equipment. No need to scrub the stains for hours! 

Need a professional cleaner?

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Takeaways

  • Be systematic with the plaster dust cleaning – move from one room to another;
  • Always start with collecting the big pieces of plaster, followed by vacuuming;
  • The leftover dust can be collected with a mop dipped in a water-vinegar solution;
  • The plaster stain on hardwood should be cleaned as soon as possible, otherwise, you risk having “burn” marks on the timber;
  • If you have plaster marks on tiles, a simple scrubbing with warm water and soap should do the job.

***

Do you have any delicate surfaces that you are hesitating to clean yourself? Share your situation in the comments down below. Our professionals will gladly help you out.

Image source: Syda Productions/shutterstock.com

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