Cleaning Drywall Dust

Lester asked:

Hi,
I’m fixing up a few rooms that had nail holes and gouges etc.  I went around spackling and sanding.  Now I have a lot of drywall dust on the walls, should I wipe them all down before painting?  If so, what cleaning product or just plain water should I use?  And should I just use old rags or is there some better way to do the job?

Lester

  Hello Lester,

Cleaning drywall dust from the walls is an important step prior to painting.  Not only will drywall dust impair the paint’s adhesion, it can also affect the finish, leaving a course and patchy appearance once the paint has dried. Additionally, be sure all repaired areas are sanded completely smooth before paint is applied.  It is much more difficult to sand uneven areas after painting.

To prep the walls for painting, first vacuum excess dust from the walls and floor .  Next use clean rags or for even better results use a micro fiber cloth, lightly dampened with water, to wipe down the walls.  Rinse the cloth often in a bucket of clean water and change the water often as it becomes milky.

A pole sander with the cloth clamped in place or secured with rubber bands or twine may be used to reach higher areas.  Depending on the amount of drywall dust, it may require multiple passes to remove it all.   Wipe over the cleaned walls, after they have dried, with a black or dark color cloth to test for dust residue.  If dust is visible on the dark cloth repeat the cleaning process until no dust is evident.

Good luck with your project,

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