How To Clean Laminate Floors – Laminate flooring is one of the most durable flooring options on the market, so it can withstand some dust and dirt during your home improvement efforts. Therefore, you can try all kinds of things to clean it and won’t have to worry about damage. We recommend the following steps similar to cleaning hardwood floors:

• Dust and sweep first, then mop.
• Use the vacuum to dust, but be careful with the attachments again, the soft brush is still the best choice.
• Use warm water with a soft cleanser to mop the floor clean.
• After that, just dry with a soft towel to avoid any marks.

How do I get heavy dust off my hardwood floors?

Use a broom or hardwood floor mop for cleaning wood floors daily. A microfiber dust mop pre-treated with a dusting agent will pick up dust and dirt and prevent scratches. Vacuum your hardwood floor once a week. Use your vacuum’s ‘hard floor’ setting.

What removes dust from the floors?

Quick Tips to Remove Dust –

Use dust collection filters to decrease the amount of dust and debris that is released from process equipment.

Choose surfaces that minimize the collection of dust to permit ease of cleaning.

Select a high-quality industrial vacuum cleaner that is equipped with a hose to effectively clean corners.

Use disposable paper vacuum bags that filter to 1 micron, rather than cloth bags.

Periodically inspect for dust accumulation in hidden areas, such as under furniture.

Use microfiber oil-free cloths and dust mops. Unlike dust cloths that just move the dust around, microfiber cloths are configured to capture and hold debris. Mops and cloths made from lamb’s wool also work well.

Will drywall dust ruin hardwood floors?

If It’s a Construction Job, Dust Is Always Part of the Price Gritty construction dust is the bane of any remodeling project or large home-repair job, whether you’re hiring a contractor or doing the work yourself. Dust can damage furniture and rugs and ruin the finish on a hardwood floor.

• Plus, as I’ve seen with nearly every home I’ve remodeled, dust inevitably finds its way far beyond the work area, traveling on shoes, clothing, the slightest breeze and even through ductwork.
• Although the dirtiest work takes place during demolition and drywall sanding, every phase of construction produces dust.

So it’s important to prepare for the onslaught before the job starts and maintain dust-containment systems to the very last days of the project. If a contractor is involved, that’s his responsibility, but dust control often slips down the list of priorities, forcing you to play watchdog.

If you’re doing the work yourself, preparing dust-containment systems can get forgotten in your eagerness to get right into the “real work.” Don’t let it. Dust containment falls into two general categories: protecting floors and confining dust to the work area. It does take time to set things up properly, but I can assure you that for every dollar or hour spent preparing, you’ll save $5 and five hours on cleanup or repairs.

FLOOR PROTECTION Hardwood floors. It costs $2 to $3 per square foot to sand and refinish floors, so protecting them during construction is a wise investment. My crew and I start by thoroughly vacuuming floors to remove existing grit, then we lay down a layer of 6-mil.

1. Polyethylene plastic, overlapping the edges 6 inches and taping the seams continuously with duct tape.
2. After that, we tape the plastic to the baseboards or walls.
3. Masking tape will do, but “blue tape,” designed to be removed without taking up paint or leaving adhesive residue, is a better choice (you’ll find it where paint is sold).

On top of this layer of plastic, we place a single layer of half-inch foam-board insulation, which costs around $7 for a 4-by-8-foot panel. Protective panel materials, like three-eighths-inch plywood or half-inch paper-based pressboard (Homosote), also work well.

To seal the panels, we cover them with another layer of 6-mil. poly, overlapping and taping the seams and edges. We also place crosshatches of masking tape in traffic lanes to reduce slippage. Carpeting. It’s tempting to use just a layer of kraft paper, but this won’t protect against spills. Plus, the leg of a stepladder can easily tear kraft paper.

So instead, we put down two layers of 6-mil. poly, treating the seams and edges as described above. We always cover these with a layer of kraft paper for added strength, paying careful attention to the seams and edges. We also cut five 4-by-4-foot poly patches and set them aside.

1. If a ladder or sharp tool punctures the protective layers, these are handy to tape down as patches.
2. For the path to the work area from the garage or door that leads outdoors, we usually lay down runners.
3. Rubber-backed 4,520-foot runners are ideal.
4. Rolls of heavy-duty, adhesive-backed protective plastic also work well (100 square feet costs $20), but since the material can be slippery on stairs, we also use the tape crosshatches here.

DUST CONTAINMENT Doorways. Before the project starts, always designate one doorway as the entry and exit to the work area. To seal up the other doorways, we use 6-mil. poly and masking or blue tape. For doorways that open onto other rooms or hallways, we seal both sides.

• For the designated entry doorway, we use a two-layer plastic system.
• On each side of the jamb we secure one sheet of plastic that’s 12 inches bigger than the doorway on all four sides.
• We use masking or blue tape, or a staple gun if the jamb isn’t finished.) Leaving the sheet on the dusty work side of the door intact as a single sheet, we slit the outside sheet down the center.

These plastic skirts will help keep airborne dust from traveling. Another option is to install a temporary dust door. These plastic doors (around $20) open and close with zippers. Protective Products is the leading maker of them and other clever dust-control systems.

Depressurize the room. Whoever is in charge of dust control should pick a window at the far end of the work area and mount a window fan there, blowing out. We seal around the fan and window frame with 6-mil. poly, then we tape the plastic to the sides of the fan to create a good seal. Weather permitting, we run the fan all day long.

This draws air into the work area and keeps dust from drifting to other areas of the house. Adjust HVAC system. If ducts are part of your heating-and-cooling system, make sure it doesn’t run during construction, if possible, or divert air away from the work area.

1. We cover any registers in the work area with kraft paper and tape.
2. Homeowners who have to run the system should replace filters weekly during the project.) We also remove all window air-conditioning units from the work area-they easily get clogged with dust.
3. Work outside.
4. Once the job is underway, the most dust comes from cutting wood.

I have my carpenters cut outside whenever possible, but for wood cuts that must be made indoors, I ask that they attach dust-collecting vacuums to power saws. The same goes for sanders, especially those used by drywall contractors. It’s a good idea to follow this example if you’re doing the work yourself.

Sweep up and vacuum. Whether it’s a big job or a small one, at the end of each day I have my crew sweep up; twice a week we thoroughly vacuum the work area. Before anyone uses a shop vacuum, we clean it out and brush off the filters. I’ve also found that lightly misting the filter with water makes it more effective at trapping fine dust.

Cleaning construction dust off of hardwood floors before customer moves into her home!

We always purge the vacuum by running it outside the house for a minute before bringing it inside. A dirty vacuum started “cold” indoors will throw off lots of its own dust. Get a cleaning service. No matter how carefully you and your contractor follow my advice, the job site will get dusty and some dust will find its way outside the work areas.

Can you mop up drywall dust?

FAQs – How long does drywall dust take to settle? Once the sanding is done, the dust takes only around 5-10 minutes, but when you begin cleaning it up, you will learn that it is stirred up very easily because it is so fine. Especially if you’re using a regular broom, you will find this dust gets into the air quickly, so I recommend wearing a mask when cleaning up the drywall dust.

1. Is dust from drywall a fire hazard? Drywall is made up of a material called gypsum that is essentially in between thick pieces of paper.
2. The drywall itself is not flammable, which means the dust is not a fire hazard.
3. If it were flammable, you would have houses catching on fire way more often because most homes have drywall.

Is drywall dust toxic? Luckily, drywall dust is not toxic. However, because it is so fine, it can really get in your nose and mouth when you’re trying to clean it up and make you cough and sneeze your head off. Ask me how I know. It’s super important that you wear a mask when cleaning up drywall dust.

1. Not only will it help with the coughing and sneezing, but it will also help keep as much of the dust out of your lungs as much as possible.
2. Is it okay to vacuum drywall dust with a regular vacuum? Technically yes, you can.
3. I just highly recommend using a shop vac as opposed to a regular vacuum.
4. When you use a regular vacuum cleaner to collect fine dust, the bags and filters block quickly, resulting in the vacuum sending dust back into the air.

If a regular vacuum is all you have or it’s not in the budget to buy or rent a shop vac, make sure you use a heavy-duty HEPA filter on your regular vacuum to clean drywall dust effectively and safely. Can drywall dust be wet mopped, or will that make a mess? You can wet mop drywall dust, but I would only recommend doing that once you’ve done a good few sweeps with a shop vac and a microfiber cloth first.

Can drywall dust damage hardwood floors?

In the Future – During a further discussion with the contractor’s helpers, they said they were unaware that you aren’t supposed to wet-mop hardwood flooring (they did say they dried up the floor real well after they wet-mopped it, and they were sure they got all the dust off!).

• We can never assume that people—from homeowners to the builders to the installers doing the work—are as well educated about our products as we hope they are, even about topics that seem obvious (like not wet-mopping a wood floor).
• So, as an industry, we need to take every chance we get to educate and inform.

: Drywall Dust Causes Wood Floor Finish to Crack

Do air purifiers help with construction dust?

How to get dust out of the air – Though it can be helpful to open up windows and air the place out, when it comes to getting rid of construction dust and fumes in the air, an air purifier is the most effective solution. suck in the air full of particulate matter and trap the airborne dust in their filters.

Then, clean air free from floating pollutants is blown back into your space. This process continues on a loop until up to 99.999%¹ of nano-sized particles down to 0.01 micrometers are removed from the air. For reference, a single grain of silica dust is about 5 micrometers. Airmega uses multiple layers of filtration, including a patented Green True HEPA™ filter.

Together with an odor-neutralizing activated carbon filter, Airmega’s network of capture technologies can significantly reduce the number of harmful particles like dust, pollen and dander from your spaces, as well as viruses and bacteria. If you are looking for an air purifier for construction dust and fumes to use during renovation or after construction is complete to clear out the air, consider Airmega.

Does vinegar eliminate dust?

All you need is vinegar, olive oil, and a touch of soap to recreate my grandmother’s dust-repellant spray recipe. The coating the spray leaves helps more dust propel off surfaces and onto the floor, which means you’ll have to clean those hard to dust places a little less.

How long does dust take to settle after building work?

13th August 2015 / in Blog / If you’re having building work done or renovations carried out on your home, it’s a good idea to deep-clean your home to eliminate any dust and dirt. Depending on the scale of work, everything from your carpets, walls and windows to your cupboards, work surfaces and bathrooms may need cleaning.

Remove any rubble or debris that’s been left behind with a dustpan and brush or a broom. This way, you can get rid of the larger rubbish, ready to begin removing the smaller surface dust. Vaccum your carpets and upholstery straight away to avoid dirt accumulating and staining. Continue to do this every few days over the next two weeks to remove any extra dust from the air. Clean wooden, laminate, stone or tiled flooring with a gentle floor cleaner mixed with warm water to removed the surface dirt.*Remember to always check the manufacturers instructions before cleaning your flooring. If you haven’t removed your curtains or blinds, make sure that you clean them as they tend to gather dust. We recommend gently vaccuming them to remove the dust before washing as per the manufacturers instructions. For more information on curtain cleaning, click here. It may be necessary to wash your walls and the inside of your windows to remove any dust or grime.

Once the majority of the dust has been removed, it’s time to deep clean your home.

It’s a good idea to wipe down any surfaces with an antibacterial product. For a natural surface cleaner, try mixing baking soda with lemon juice, vinegar or even just some water to form a paste. Rub this all over your work surface and rinse thoroughly with water. The baking soda will break down the dust and will eliminate any stains. Dust any ornaments, electrical goods, mirrors, picture frames and skirting boards with a microfibre cloth

If the job is too big for you to undertake yourself, why not call in the cleaning experts? ServiceMaster Clean can carry out builders cleans, along with our sister brand, Merry Maids, Working together, we ensure that your property is cleaned to the highest possible standard.

Can you get sick from construction dust?

NIOSH Warns of Silicosis Risks in Construction, Suggests Measures to Reduce Exposure

• Contact: Fred Blosser (202)260–8519 June 1996
• Exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust during construction activities can cause serious or fatal respiratory disease.
• Employers and workers can take several steps to reduce exposures and lower risks.
• Exposure to respirable crystalline silica dust during construction activities can cause silicosis — a serious and potentially fatal respiratory disease — but employers and workers can take practical steps to reduce risks, according to an Alert released by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
• The NIOSH Alert, “Request for Assistance in Preventing Silicosis and Death in Construction Workers,” details the hazards related to silica exposure among construction workers, provides prevention recommendations, and contains cases reports of construction workers who have died or are suffering from silicosis.

Silicosis, a scarring and hardening of lung tissue, can result when particles of crystalline silica are inhaled and become embedded in the lung. The disease can be progressively debilitating and fatal. In construction, workers can be easily exposed to silica when using rock containing silica or concrete and masonry products that contain silica sand when preforming such tasks as chipping, hammering, drilling, crushing, or hauling rock; preforming abrasive blasting; and sawing, hammering, drilling, and sweeping concrete or masonry.

1. Even materials containing small amounts of crystalline silica may be hazardous if they are used in ways that produce high dust concentrations.
2. The human and economic costs of silicosis are unacceptable,” said NIOSH Director Linda Rosenstock, M.D., M.P.H.
3. It is vital that government, industry, labor, and the public health community work together to help employers and workers recognize these risks and take action to avoid them.” The following page contains recommendations for reducing workplace exposure to silica and preventing silicosis.

Among some in the construction industry there is a lack of awareness about the sources of silica exposure, the nature of silicosis, and the causes of the disease. Construction workers, managers, and equipment manufacturers urgently need information about the hazards of breathing respirable crystalline silica.

NIOSH requests your assistance in disseminating this information to those at risk and to those who can effect prevention. NIOSH recommends the following measures to reduce exposures to respirable crystalline silica in the workplace and to prevent silicosis and deaths in construction workers: Recognize when silica dust may be generated and plan ahead to eliminate or control the dust at the source.

Awareness and planning are keys to prevention of silicosis. Do not use silica sand or other substances containing more than 1% crystalline silica as abrasive blasting materials. Substitute less hazardous materials.

1. Use engineering controls and containment methods such as blast–cleaning machines and cabinets, wet drilling, or wet sawing of silica–containing materials to control the hazard and protect adjacent workers from exposure.
2. Routinely maintain dust control systems to keep them in good working order.
3. Practice good personal hygiene to avoid unnecessary exposure to other worksite contaminants such as lead.
4. Wear disposable or washable protective clothes at the worksite.
5. Shower (if possible) and change into clean clothes before leaving the worksite to prevent contamination of cars, homes, and other work areas.
6. Conduct air monitoring to measure worker exposures and ensure that controls are providing adequate protection for workers.
7. Use adequate respiratory protection when source controls cannot keep silica exposures below the NIOSH REL.
8. Provide periodic medical examinations for all workers who may be exposed to respirable crystalline silica.
9. Post warning signs to mark the boundaries of work areas contaminated with respirable crystalline silica.
10. Provide workers with training that includes information about health effects, work practices, and protective equipment for respirable crystalline silica.
11. Report all cases of silicosis to State health departments and OSHA.
12. DDHS (NIOSH) Publication No.96–120

Obtain a copy of the NIOSH Alert, “Request for Assistance in Preventing Silicosis and Death in Construction Workers” DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No.96-112, or for information on other occupational safety and health concerns call: 1-800-35-NIOSH or 1-800-356-4674. : NIOSH Warns of Silicosis Risks in Construction, Suggests Measures to Reduce Exposure

How do you vacuum construction dust?

Painted walls – If your walls are freshly painted, which is the usual case with renovation works, you will have to wait for the walls to dry completely before you can clean them from the dust. In this case, it’s not recommended to use a broom because it will damage the paint’s integrity.

How do you clean heavy layers of dust?

For dusting vents and filters – Remove heavy dust from ceiling, floor or appliance vents with a soft-brush vacuum attachment or electrostatic mop, like the Swiffer Sweeper). (You can also use a long-handled microfiber duster,) Then, dampen a microfiber cloth and wipe the surface.

Is it better to vacuum or dust hardwood floors?

Vacuum regularly. – Nothing removes dirt and fine debris from the cracks and crevices of a wood floor like a good vacuum cleaner. The best choice is a canister vacuum because it has a long, oval floor brush attached to reach tiny spaces. “If you only have an upright model, be sure to turn off the rotating brush to keep the bristles from scratching your floors,” Forte recommends.