How Do You Get Rid Of Fiberglass Dust In The House

Fiberglass is utilized in numerous home insulation tasks. It can produce dust when it is trimmed or sawed, called fiberglass dust. These are not visible to the naked human eye as these can be very small, ranging from 1-1000 microns. 

Many can assume why not leave it if it’s too small to see.

But long exposure to fiberglass dust can affect your health. Tiny fiberglass particles that make up fiberglass dust can seriously harm people’s health when they come into contact with them. 

Therefore it needs to be cleaned away as soon as possible.

You can take some measures to eliminate fiberglass dust from the house. Cleaning, vacuuming, and refurbishing the house after eliminating the contaminated household items is the possible way out.

How Can You Identify Fiberglass Dust?

At first, it is important to find the presence of fiberglass dust in the house, which will make you adopt ways to get rid of this.

Fiberglass dust may not be seen by the naked eye, but you need to make sure whether you are being encountered with fiberglass dust in the house or not. So first, you need to know what does fiberglass dust look like. 

Under the microscope, fiberglass dust is more like white fluffy particles and also slightly shiny when it comes to bright light contact.

You cannot see the tiny particles with the naked eye. But when they grow large enough, they glitter and resemble the original fiberglass’s color, which can be pink, yellow, or orange. 

You may find fiberglass dust in windows, door jambs, carpets, mattresses, and drapes in your home.

If you notice shining particles of dust all around the house, fiberglass contamination may exist and needs to be treated right away. 

How To Get Rid Of Fiberglass Dust?

Cleaning fiberglass dust might be very costly, depending on where the fiberglass came from. Don’t try to sweep the dust up with a broom.

Unfortunately, sweeping the entire house won’t get rid of the fiberglass dust. Fiberglass cleanup is a little more difficult than that. 

Now let’s see what can be done to remove fiberglass dust from your house.

1. Wear Protective Gear

You need to cover yourself before starting the cleaning process. You must wear certain protective equipment to protect your body from the particles.

Make sure not to leave eyes, nose and your head uncovered. 

It is advisable to wear clothing that covers all of your skin to avoid any skin irritation. Put on goggles, a dust mask,  long sleeves, gloves, and sturdy shoes. You should also put on a cap to keep the dust from getting into your hair and causing scalp irritation.

2. Identify The Source

Locate the contaminated source and area which is responsible for fiberglass dust. Most of the time, the air duct system or insulation in your home may be the source of fiberglass dust. These are where fiberglass dust is most likely to come from. 

If the problem is with the air duct, you will need to replace the entire system because fiberglass cannot be removed from it.

If the whole house seems contaminated, shut down your central HVAC system. It is a strong possibility that the HVAC system is circulating fiberglass dust throughout the house.

3. Clear The House

As the first cleaning step, move all the furniture and make the house empty. Moving your furniture out of the area is preferable before you begin cleaning it up.

So that cleaning would go more smoothly, remove everything from the house. This will make adequate room for thorough cleaning.

4. Use A Vacuum Cleaner

Now you may wonder what you can use for cleaning such tiny particles. A regular vacuum cleaner will spread dust throughout your home, poisoning the air and surfaces.

But there are vacuum cleaners designed for the thorough cleaning of tiny particles. Have one and start cleaning the house.

Use a HEPA or ULPA vacuum cleaner to eliminate fiberglass dust since these can remove tiny particles like fiberglass dust. Then mop and wipe down all surfaces with a moist rag/cloth.  

Vacuum the areas like windows and door jambs as these can accumulate fiberglass dust. Keep vacuuming again and again for thorough cleaning.

5. Clean The House And Other Household Items

The home must then be thoroughly cleaned to eliminate all traces of dangerous fiber dust. Clean the floors and any areas where fiberglass dust might collect.

Cleaning your furniture and other household items before returning them to their original locations is a smart idea. 

Additionally, you may clean the floors, walls, and ceiling thoroughly. You should clean the things you’ll be bringing back inside the house as well.

Check the air filters and house vents. To avoid dropping fiberglass particles on the floor, dispose of them in a plastic bag.

6. Eliminate Contaminated Items

Throw away contaminated objects that you are unable to clean but still retain fiberglass dust. Thus you can avoid reintroducing the dangerous fibers into your house after cleaning. 

You may need to replace bedding, carpets, and even some furniture as these will spread fiberglass dust if you move them back into the house. 

Remember that not all things can be cleaned. Therefore, it is best to throw away this kind of stuff.

7. Refurnish The House

You will be compelled to make new purchases free of fiberglass dust contamination, which is why fiberglass removal is expensive.  

Replace objects with fresh items that haven’t been exposed to fiberglass dust and contain the least amount of toxic components. Plywood and synthetic items are not preferable. It’s better to buy the ones with natural fiber.

8. Ventilate Your Home Properly

Before moving back into the house, the last step to entirely removing fiberglass dust is to ventilate the house properly. Open your windows and arrange proper air circulation in your house.

A HEPA air scrubber, which may remove hazardous particles, may also be helpful.

It is advised that you use a good air purifier to get rid of any toxins that might stay in the house after the dust cleaning process.

Concluding Remarks

Fiberglass is a lightweight, affordable material. It is present in many household products as a result. It’s quite difficult to find out if someone is being exposed to such tiny dust, and the majority of people don’t become aware for a long time.

Some others only discover it after they’ve already left the contaminated site.

Long-time exposure to fiberglass dust can irritate the eyes and skin and trouble your respiratory system. You can face cough, sneezing, breathing issues, and many more. 

That’s why you may follow the discussed steps and get rid of fiberglass dust before it is too late. But If you’re doubtful that you can’t entirely remove the dust by yourself, hire a specialized cleaning company, and they will do it for you.