Last weekend I finally got around to tiling that basement floor, man, concrete dust absolutely everywhere. Looked like a flour bomb went off! Knew I needed a fast cleanup without hiring fancy pros.

The Dust Disaster Zone

Stared at the mess. Dust coated every surface – floor, tools, even little paw prints from poor Mittens exploring. My usual broom? Big mistake. Sweeping just sent clouds of grey powder flying right back onto everything. My old shop vac choked trying to suck it up dry, spitting half of it back out. Total waste of time and just spread it further. Felt pretty stupid.

Figuring Out What Actually Works

Okay, new plan. Rummaged online. Kept seeing two words: water and filtration. Needed moisture to weigh down the dust and a vac that wouldn't spew it everywhere.

• Ditched the dry sweep: Never again. That's just asking for the dust to float everywhere.
• Found my wet/dry vac: Dug out the old beast. Checked the filter – looked shot. Grabbed a new HEPA filter bag specifically for fine dust. Crucial step. Regular bags don't cut it.
• Water is your friend: Skipped the garden hose. Too much water = concrete slurry nightmare. Found a pump sprayer in the garage, filled it with plain water. Started with a light mist on a small patch.

The Actual Cleanup Steps

Put on my mask and goggles. Dust gets nasty.

1. Gentle Spray Down: Mist a small area lightly. Not soaking! Just enough to dampen the dust so it sticks together.
2. Let it Settle: Waited maybe 10 seconds. Saw the dust clump up a bit.
3. Vacuum Attack: Went over the wet area SLOWLY with the vac in wet pickup mode (make sure the bag is rated for wet!). Heard it suck up the sludge easily.
4. No Pressure: Kept the vac head flat. Didn't scrub or mash it.
5. Rinse & Repeat: Moved section by section. Light mist, wait, suck. Light mist, wait, suck. Avoided big puddles!

For the walls and stuff that couldn't get wet? Used a microfiber cloth dampened slightly, wiping gently. Dry cloths just rub the dust in deeper.

Results & The Remaining Annoyance

Surface looked way, WAY better. Fast? Yeah, once I got going, it moved. The vac with the right bag is a beast for this. Way faster than my initial dry disaster. BUT... concrete dust is sneaky.

Still found fine film on stuff I missed in corners the next day. Even with the wet vac, some super fine particles manage to escape. Needed a second damp wipe-down of surfaces later. The dust kind of settles out of the air over time. Slightly annoying. But manageable.

Big takeaways: DO NOT dry sweep. Use LIGHT water. HEPA filter bags are mandatory for your vac. Work small sections. Microfiber for dry surfaces. Be ready for a tiny bit of fine dust reappearing after.

Got it cleaned up in a reasonable time without calling anyone. Still finding the odd dusty fingerprint here and there though. Nasty stuff!