Builder’s Dust – Removing It

 by:

David Andrew Smith

Have you ever had renovations or alterations done to your property? Then you are fully aware of the amount of fine dust that is generated and manages to get absolutely everywhere even in places far removed from the actual working area. You then spend hours, days and possibly weeks attempting to remove this dust. Is there a much faster route to dust removal?

There most certainly is and it means following two or three rules if you wish to be successful.

· Never attempt to sweep up the dust and debris. If there are large pieces of masonry, plaster and other building materials then you have no option but to sweep this up for its removal. When doing so ensure that as much air flow through is generated by opening all available windows and doors. Do not attempt to carry out the final clean for several hours after doing this. Allow all the dust to settle before attempting this procedure. Sweeping simply throws huge amounts of dust into the air which will then be gradually deposited on every available surface from ceiling to floor.

· Always vacuum the dust from all surfaces such as sills and skirting, around window frames and door frames using the small attachments that are supplied with the vacuum. Upright vacuums unless they come with a long length of hose attachment are not ideal for this as it is likely there will be some use of step ladders to reach and vacuum the higher points in the rooms.

· Having vacuumed thoroughly all surfaces including the vertical ones where dust is likely to gather these surfaces should then be wiped down with a damp cloth. If marks and stains have appeared then it is advisable to carry out this procedure using a universal cleaner.

· With regard to the flooring, carpets should be thoroughly vacuumed, but if it is hard flooring then after vacuuming a scrubber drier should be used. Simply mopping alone will not remove the dust. Mopping will only wet the dust and spread it around so that it dries as ‘muddy’ streaks.

· If floor boarding is in place then after vacuuming carpet should be laid as soon as possible because every time the boards are walked on dust will rise out of the gaps in the boarding and settle on all the surfaces once again.

· If a scrubber drier is not available then use a mop with a large amount of water and wet vac the water up rather than mop it up. This may require two treatments to be completely successful.

If you follow these simple guidelines then your property should be free of builders dust in record time.

About The Author David Andrew Smith is the owner of a commercial cleaning services company http://www.wesparkle.co.uk that provides its services throughout the UK.