What are the Best Ways to Clean up Sander Dust?

Sander dust can fall to the floor and collect on furniture, walls, and room accessories. Whether hand sanding or machine sanding, this dust can be difficult to clean. If preparation failed or no plastic was laid out to catch the dust, cleaning can take multiple steps and possibly days of sweeping, vacuuming, and dusting. It is important to note that sander dust from large sanding jobs can collect in home air and furnace filters. These filters may need to be changed daily until the sanding job is complete.

The first line of defense against dust accumulation is preparation. Removing all unneeded items from a room before the sanding job is started will reduce the number of surfaces requiring cleanup and dust removal. Large furniture pieces and floors can be covered with plastic sheeting to speed up the cleaning process.

When removing dust from fabric, its label will give specific instructions regarding use of liquid cleaners to remove such soils and stains. The bulk of the dust can usually be removed with a vacuum cleaner. Filters on the vacuum may need to be cleaned several times to remove fine dust. If fine particles of sander dust are left on the item after vacuuming, the fabric can be machine washed, if advised on the label. Larger fabric pieces, like furniture, may require professional cleaning.

Cleaning sander dust from flooring may involve a three-step process. It may begin with sweeping the bulk of the dust into large piles and disposing of the debris in trash bags. Once the large portion has been removed, a vacuum cleaner can be used to remove the remaining sander dust. The final step involves rinsing the floor with a mop, and may involve several rinses to remove the finest dust particles. Walls covered with sander dust can be cleaned with the same method.

Sweeping compounds can also be used to remove dust from floors. These can be purchased with a sand base or without. The sand-based sweeping compound should only be used on unfinished floors, to prevent scratching. The sandless sweeping compound can be used on finished floors to contain dust for easy removal. Sweeping compound is brightly colored as a visual aid.

There are dustless sanders, vacuum sanders and sander tools available to reduce the amount of resulting dust on floors, walls, and fabrics. While these tools may not eliminate the need for cleaning after sanding, they should reduce the volume of dust. Opening windows and doors to the outside during dust cleanup should be avoided as the air flow could spread the dust beyond the central location.