We recently had drywall work done in our house, and the contractor vacuumed up most of it. Now, our cleaner is saying it could take a week or more for all the dust to settle, which worries me since we're moving in this Friday. I'm currently 31 weeks pregnant, and I have two kids who are 2 and 4. I've purchased air purifiers for each bedroom and the living room, but I'm still anxious. How much dust could still be in the air? I'll be wet dusting every day and vacuuming after we move in, but how dangerous could this situation be?
3 Answers
You should be okay! If most of the dust was vacuumed and you're not crawling around on the floors, you shouldn't have too much to worry about. Just do some extra cleaning, and let your air purifiers handle the little bits that might still be floating around. Keep in mind, any fumes from the new paint you plan to use could be more harmful, but as long as you're mindful, you'll be fine!
It can take days to weeks for tiny particles to settle, depending on your humidity. If you're in a humid place like Tennessee, that's actually good because moisture helps weigh the dust down. Use box fans to circulate air and push dust outside, and if you have access to a leaf blower, it can help too. If it's super dry and you're nervous, consider bringing in a remediation company for fast action. But really, just moving air around should make a big difference!
Thanks for the tips! Since we're in Tennessee and it's humid, I think we might be good. They've had the AC running, so it hopefully caught most of the dust in the filter.
Make sure to place box fans in windows to exhaust air outside. Just keep in mind that it takes time for dust to settle, so be mindful of your HVAC system and check the filter regularly. But honestly, you should be fine to move in. Just stay cautious for the first few days!
Thanks for the reassurance! We painted everything, just minor touch-ups left, and most of it was low VOC.