Cleaning Up Plaster Dust IN Old House


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Old 02-25-12, 11:41 AM
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Cleaning Up Plaster Dust IN Old House

We had some water damage in our kitchen ceiling which caused some of the plaster to fall off, leaving a hole. We don't have much money so a friend came over to fix the hole. He squared it off so he can put hardi-board up there. This caused more dust/debris than I expected (in large chunks). I recently read some stuff about lead paint and now I'm a bit freaked out. What is the best way to clean this up?
 
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Old 02-25-12, 02:07 PM
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Welcome to the forums!

How old is your house. Lead was banned from all residential paints in the 70's but for the most part lead paint hasn't been used on residential walls/ceilings since the late 50's to early 60's.

Probably the best way to clean up the mess would be to pick up all the chunks and use a shop vac for the rest. Another method would be to mist the debris with water and then sweep it up. The main thing is to limit and contain the dust as much as feasible.
 
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Old 02-25-12, 02:25 PM
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Thanks, and..

...I have also read of 3 solutions to clean with: dishwasher soap, TSP (which is hard to find anymore) and vinegar. What is best? For now I'm going w/dishwasher soap.
BTW my house was built in 1915.
 
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Old 02-25-12, 02:36 PM
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Since your house was built in 1915 - any original paint will likely be lead based

Dish washer soap should be fine. TSP is a great detergent but it must be rinsed well or it will affect paint that is applied over it. I only use it on the exterior.

Children are more affected by the lead than adults so if there are any kids present - try to keep them away from the dust until it's cleaned up. You might want to wear a mask, the paper throw away kind should be fine for limited exposure.
 
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Old 02-25-12, 03:43 PM
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Thanks. I got dishwasher soap but dishwasher soap here contains no phosphates. So I guess I'll just use plain hand dishwashing soap plus vinegar for the counter surfaces and the TSP for the floor. The old paint has been painted over at least twice but I suppose that doesn't help much. No kids here.
 
 

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