Plaster dust everywhere [sad]

[mckenzie]

Thankfully the plasterer has finally finished but the whole house now feels dirty (he has done the ceilings and part of the walls in the back of the house which is quit open plan).

What are the tips please for getting rid of the dust and cleaning throughly?
Are there any or is it just clean, clean and clean again?

TIA

[helenatroy]

Hoover and then wash the surfaces down. Let everything dry and repeat. Open windows Hoover again and dust as normal. Am in the thick of it as we speak. I tend to do a wash and vacume each day and a deeper clean on the Friday ( builders still here for another week). When they finish I will also get a professional cleaner in for a deep clean.

[PigletJohn]

don't use your domestic hoover if you can avoid it. The fine dust may damage or clog it. Domestic vacs should be hidden to prevent builders using them.

Protect electronic equipment such as PCs, TVs, DVD players from the dust. Preferably leave them turned off until cleaned.

I recommend a canister vac such as this (not the cheapest one). Sometimes places like Aldi, Lidl and Toolstation have something similar. Buy a spare cartridge filter and some paper bags at the same time. Don't buy one if you can't get a cartridge and bags for it. It will be very useful for future building adventures. When emptying, tap the filter to get the loose stuff to fall off. When it eventually clogs, you can wash it with warm water, WUL and a soft paintbrush in the pleats. Use your spare one until it is fully dry. The cartridges are waterproof so can be used when vacuuming up water and drains.

When you have hoovered several times, damp-mop and damp-sponge (dry dusting will just spread it back into the air). You have to do lampshades, tops of cupboards, tops of doors, architraves, curtain rails....

[PigletJohn]

(they are open in Sundays. Order online before travelling to make sure it is in stock today).

The long guarantee means you will probably have finished the job and got your money's worth before it runs out (useful with budget tools).

[mckenzie]

Thank you so much! The builders have one of those hovers and it's here.

[mckenzie]

Pigletjohn, I have used my house Hoover every evening on the carpet on a small walkway that we've had to keep using.
I'm worried now I've might have damaged it. Is there anything I can do?

It's a Cibo Felix upright Hoover.
TIA

[PigletJohn]

I suppose you could clean or replace the filters and bag frequently. However the fine dust usually blows over the motor in the cooling airflow.

[DoItTooJulia]

We have an old Henry for this. Don't even bother with bags for it. Wash it out, let it dry, good to go again. (The soft filter but inside benefits from a wash but takes a long time to dry) vacuuming is the best way followed by damp dusting. And as Pp said. Repeat.

Plaster dust is such a ball ache. You need to wash all fabric too (curtains and the likes).

I feel your pain.

[Motherwithflaws]

I used cheap baby wipes for cleaning surfaces doors light switches, skirtings etc instead of messing with a cloth and water.

[PigletJohn]

plaster dust is very fine, so using a bag as well delays clogging of the filter.

[TronaldDump]

A couple of drops of oil in the water (any oil - olive or vegetable for eg) helps to pick up the dust and stop you just spreading it around when you mop or wipe too. Good luck!!