If you are planning to carry out renovations or repairs in an older property with lime plaster walls, it is important to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself from dust exposure. This may include wearing a mask, using a dust extractor, and ensuring the work area is well-ventilated. It is also important to take care while cleaning up the debris as this, too, will agitate dust. What is Lime Plaster? Soak a colourless sponge or cloth in the solution and wring it out so it’s damp (this stops streaks). In addition to the potential health hazards associated with lime plaster dust, there are also environmental hazards to consider. Lime plaster is a breathable material, which means that it allows moisture to pass through it. As lime ages over hundreds of years, it may begin to crumble. At this stage, it should be replaced because as the plaster crumbles, it gives off dust. Remove any newly-revealed stains or mould with a baking soda paste, hydrogen peroxide, or a chemical mould-killing solution (for more serious concerns). If you own an old house, you may have heard of lime plaster. Lime plaster is a traditional building material used for thousands of years. It is made by mixing sand, water, and lime, usually non-hydraulic lime (also known as slaked lime, high calcium lime, air lime, fat lime or lime putty). It is breathable, meaning moisture can pass through it, unlike denser cement or polymer-based renders and plasters.

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. Even if you can stop some of the dust this way you may need to do other work that could still produce high amounts of dust. In these cases the most important thing is to stop the dust getting into the air. There are two main ways of doing this which both give very good results: Mist your walls with the sugar soap mixture and leave it on for around half an hour. Do this in sections from top to bottom. Air cleaners are a must in the equipment inventory of every construction or renovation company. They reduce dust in the workplace to a minimum. If hazardous substances are involved, there are penalties if the filter is missing. The simplest option for filtering exhaust air are transport fans, which are fitted with a cassette filter on the intake side or a dust bag on the exhaust side. M-class filters are available for both variants. Paint mist can additionally be extracted with a cassette filter. If filtration according to dust class H is required, air cleaners are used. These units are used in the remediation of, for example, old CMF, asbestos or mould. In contrast to transport fans, these units have much finer filter material, filter change indicators and much tighter closing housings. The high-performance filter PowerFilter 3500 by Heylo is very efficient with its high air performance of 3,200m³/h and can be used in many different ways by connecting up to 3 hoses and using different filters. Lime plaster is also vapour permeable, which means that it allows the building to breathe. This is important because it helps to prevent moisture build-up, which can lead to damp and mould problems. Lime plaster helps keep your home dry and healthy by allowing moisture to escape.I’ve been talking about microfiber cloths for years now. I can’t understand why you would dust with anything else—ultimately microfiber helps you spend less time cleaning! A microfiber cloth is electrostatically charged, meaning it very literally attracts dust. They’re also highly absorbent and they don’t leave lint or dust behind which means streak-free surfaces. In short, these tools save you time by helping you clean more efficiently. I love them so much I decided to make my own. Clean Your Ducts & Replace Air Filters The OSH Answers document Extrinsic Allergic Alveolitis has more information about diseases from exposure to organic dusts. Removing old lime plaster can be a messy and dusty process, and it’s important to dispose of the waste properly to avoid any health or environmental hazards. Here are some tips on how to dispose of old lime plaster: Test wash a small area with soap and water first to ensure the paint isn’t affected by the mixture. Re-Paint Your Walls Every Few Years

Read our guide on how to treat damp walls before painting them for more comprehensive advice. How to clean walls without removing paint Firstly, it is important to understand that lime plaster is not toxic in itself. It’s made from natural materials such as lime, sand, and water, and it contains no harmful chemicals. However, if the plaster is old and crumbling, it can produce dust that could be harmful if inhaled in large quantities.The abrasive nature of baking soda helps remove stubborn marks and stains. However, it might remove paint leaving a dull or shiny patch depending on paint. Test in an out of the way area if unsure. Cleaning your painted walls not worked, it’s time to repaint Dust is released during almost every operation of a tool or machine. Smaller particles enter the air as airborne dust and take a relatively long time to settle. The finer the particles, the longer they remain in the air and the more harmful they are to health. Mix up a solution of sugar soap as recommended by the manufacturer. Typically 50ml for 4 litres of water for general cleaning and double this for more stubborn areas. Use a soft sponge in the same way as you would for warm soapy water and clean off with clean, warm water. Spot clean with baking soda

To avoid respiratory or other problems caused by exposure to dust, controls must be implemented. As per the hierarchy of control, the first consideration should be hazardous substances substituted with non-hazardous substances. Where substitution is not possible, other engineering control methods should be introduced. Some examples are: Of course, you'll also want to clean your carpets with a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter regularly. Our pros love the Miele Complete C3 Canister Vacuum, since it has a HEPA filter as well as five power settings to work on all carpet heights and densities. For dusting ceiling fans Dust extraction systems are typically used to improve the air quality when using tools that generate a lot of dust – and are an excellent solution for ensuring a clean, dust-free working environment. However, they don’t just keep your area clean whilst working, they improve safety and protect your machinery by removing dust and shavings. You should look at ways of limiting the amount of dust you could make before you start work. For example you could: Our expert advice takes a deep dive into the grimy world of dirty walls, offering you the ultimate guide on how to keep your walls squeaky clean in some common scenarios. What is the easiest way to wash your walls?If you are working with lime plaster, it is important to take steps to minimize the spread of dust. This can include using dust suppression techniques such as wetting down the plaster before working with it, using dust extraction systems, and sealing off the work area to prevent dust from spreading to other parts of the building. How to Handle Lime Plaster Dust Some types of lung diseases caused by the inhalation of dust are called by the general term "pneumoconiosis". This simply means "dusty lung". There are a number of things that can happen when using water or vacuum extraction that can stop the dust being properly controlled. Even if this does not happen, some tasks are so dusty that enough escapes into the air to still be a risk. For this reason some form of respiratory protective equipment (RPE), usually in the form of a mask, is also needed for high risk tasks such as: ICRA assessments are performed before construction and renovation projects at hospitals and healthcare centers as a matter of implementing infection controls. When general construction or renovation activities begin, the degree of infection controls usually followed in healthcare settings is not a priority. Risk factors increase with the flow of construction workers and materials, along with bacteria that are released during the remodeling or renovation demolition. It enters into the healthcare environment and can create HAI problems. Without proper containment, increased dust and debris means airborne particulates and bacteria can spread further through the healthcare environment. How to Properly Manage a Construction Project in a Healthcare Environment Wood dust – Wood is widely used in construction and is found in two main forms; softwood and hardwood. Wood-based products are also commonly used including MDF and chipboard (see also Wood dust).