How To Clean Up Drywall Dust From Concrete? (5 Steps)

The process of remodeling or building a home creates a huge amount of drywall dust. These drywall dust are hazardous to our health. Therefore, it should be cleaned off before it gets into our bodies while we breathe. 

Now, how to clean up drywall dust from concrete?

You have to follow five methods to clean drywall dust from concrete. First, increase the ventilation of the room you are working in. You can also install fans that face the outside. Then sweep the concrete floor with a broom and dustpan. After that, use a vacuum cleaner. Next, mop the floor. Lastly, inspect the floor properly. 

The above information is not enough for anyone. We have written down all of the six methods in detail. 

We will come back to this further down the article but here’s a link if you want to see more about the special clean up drywall dust from hardwood floors.

As a result, we encourage you to read the entire article. It will only take 5 minutes to complete.

Why Should You Clean Up Drywall Dust?

You might ask yourself, can drywall dust make you sick?

Yes, it is possible.

The chemicals in drywall dust may induce persistent throat and airway irritation. The coughing, phlegm production, and breathing difficulties are akin to asthma over time. Workers suffering from sinus or respiratory disorders may confront far more serious health problems.

Dry dust is a real threat to anyone. They directly affect the lungs and the eyes. Silicosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), lung cancer, and asthma. These are all disorders that can be caused by it.

These diseases can permanently kill anyone. Because if anyone regularly breathes dry dust, death is inevitable. Over 500 workers die every year due to dry dust. Silica is a material that is extremely harmful to humans. And silica is a component; dry dust is made off with. 

You must now want to know, should I wear a mask when sanding drywall?

If you are asking this to yourself, then you are absolutely right. Wearing a dust mask will keep drywall dust away. You could contact them on a regular basis. But if you take precautions, no harm will come to you. 

Here are some best masks that we recommend for you-

3M 8511 Paint Sanding Valved N95 Cool-Flow Respirator.
Honeywell Nuisance Disposable Dust Mask.
BASE CAMP M Plus Dust Face Mask.

The above products are some of the best products that we recommend.

How To Clean Up Drywall Dust From Concrete

What Is The Best Way To Clean Drywall Dust?

Before jumping into the methods, wear a mask that can protect you from drywall dust. We have mentioned the health hazards of dry dust above. Just keep them in your mind before cleaning dry dust. 

Now, these methods will help you clean the drywall dust from your concrete- 

Step 1 of 5: Ensure Proper Ventilation

In the first step, you have to open all the windows and doors in the room. You will boost ventilation by doing so. And it will allow the air to come in and out properly. 

Always remember to keep vents, air conditioning, and heating systems switched off. This will at least keep the drywall dust from circulating around the room.

Moreover, wherever you are working you must have some ventilation like windows and doors. If you have windows then keep a portable fan in the window. Keep it facing the outside. 

What will happen when you do this? 

Well, the fan will create air pressure outside. So, when the air will flow towards the outside. Then it takes the drywall dust with it. 

This is a very effective way. You should try it and you will definitely see the results. Now, if you have more windows, put fans on each of the windows to get better results. 

Step 2 of 5: Use A Broom And A Dust Pan

Now in this step, sweep the concrete floor. Take a broom, a dustpan, and a garbage bag. Then sweep the whole floor Properly. Use the garbage to collect the drywall dust.

Next, grab a water spray bottle to spray a mist on the floor. This way the drywall dust won’t get airborne. 

Don’t have spray bottles with you? 

Don’t worry! We’ve got your back. Here are some amazing spray bottles that you can use-

Product 1- Pinnacle Mercantile Plastic Spray Bottles.
Product 2- Harris Professional Spray Bottle.

Just grab any of these and start the cleaning process! 

But remember, you won’t be able to absolutely clean the dry dust through this step. As a result, you must proceed to the next step. But before moving to the next step, wait for at least 10 minutes.

Step 3 of 5: The Concrete Floor Should Be Vacuumed

Now, this step might seem like an easy way to clean up the dust. But it is quite tricky. You should use a good quality vacuum cleaner to clean the concrete floor. 

Now, you might want to sparkle some more water on the floor. In that case, using a good quality vacuum with a brush attached is very necessary. Otherwise, wet drywall dust will damage the HEPA filters of your vacuum. 

Put on a dust mask to protect yourself from the particles. Using the brush attachment on the vacuum. Then vacuum the concrete floor. After that, you must wait for the dust in the air to settle.

Vacuum the floor once again when the dust has accumulated on it. Lastly, remember to vacuum right to left and left to right. 

Read more about it at the process of cleaning floorboards with methylated spirit.

Step 4 of 5: Mop The Concrete Floor

Wondering what will clean up drywall dust off the floor completely? Well, after you have used the vacuum cleaner, you should mop the floor. 

The wet mob will pick up the residue that was left after using the vacuum. 

So, grab a mop and begin cleaning the concrete floor. Wet a microfiber pad to mop the floor. It will remove any drywall compound particles that have remained on the concrete.

Step 5 of 5: Inspect The Room

In this last step, you have to inspect the whole concrete floor. You need to make sure no drywall dust remains after you mop the floor. 

Open all windows and doors to ensure that the ventilation process is not impeded. And let the concrete floor dry.

These are the methods that you follow to clean drywall dust from concrete. These are very effective methods for anyone who wants to clean drywall dust.

We hope we were able to provide you with the information you were looking for. And now you know enough about how to clean up the drywall dust. 

Related Questions

Question: Is drywall dust harmful to your vacuum?

Answer: Drywall dust will regularly clog or shred your filter. Drywall dust has the potential to harm your vacuum motor. When you vacuum drywall with a shop vacuum. Then the drywall is normally redistributed by the air from your vacuum. This is a low-cost device for filtering drywall dust.

Question: How can I get rid of drywall dust before painting?

Answer: First Into the air, then back down into your finish. That’s how drywall dust is going to disrupt your paint. So, to eliminate drywall dust, wipe it away with a lightly dampened cloth. A vacuum with a brush attachment can also be used.

Question: Will an air purifier aid in the removal of drywall dust?

Answer: Drywall dust would quickly destroy one of those tower-style filters. You might be able to use them on another floor of the house. But they won’t be able to keep up with the dust in the basement.

Question: How long does it take for drywall dust to settle?

Answer: Different types of drywall dust particles settle at different times. The particle less than 10µm settles at 3 minutes. And particles 5µm in diameter settle at 8 minutes. 10µm in diameter particles is thoracic and 5µm in diameter is respirable. 

Question: Is it possible for drywall dust to pass through walls?

Answer: Dust can cling to and grasp almost anything. Especially things with jagged edges or ridges. Dust can adhere to flat surfaces. Dust builds up over time. Even though it is not totally visible to the human eye. However, you will notice that your walls always have some sort of dust layer on them.

Bottom Line

We hope you got how to clean up drywall dust from concrete floor. We have written down everything you need to know about cleaning drywall dust.

Finally, we’d want to thank you for continuing with us. And if you need any further help or if you have questions. Simply leave your question in the comments area. You can also contact us via email.

Best of luck with the steps on how to clean plaster dust off concrete floor!