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    adobepro's Avatar
    adobepro Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #1

    Feb 2, 2009, 03:50 PM
    Cleaning Up Ceramic Glaze Tile & Mortar Debris
    Hello,

    Unfortunately, I didn't know that the contractor was going to cut the ceramic glazed tile in my apartment for the floor, in addition to mixing mortar for the tile in my studio apartment. After the tile install was completed, an ~ 1mm thickness of this debris landed pretty much everywhere and when I tried to clean via a wet bounty towel (extremely gently), it left fine, hairline, scratches on plastics (such as my LCD display) -- only when I dabbed the surface did it not leave scratches, but a whitish residue which freaked my out to wipe off because I fear that it may scratch the surface. In addition, with a vacuum, all it did was pickup a little but of the "stuck" dust but not all.

    I covered certain things, but that was because I was concerned about existing "human" dust, like dead skin cells any other forms of particulate in the air that becomes dust -- I just assumed they would cut the tile outside, not in my apartment.

    Can any off any recommend a proper way of cleaning this without scratching anything in the process or am I basically..

    In addition, when vacuuming (I'll be using a hepa vacuum) can you recommend any breathing masks to prevent breathing in the clay/glass tile (I assume the tile ceramic base is clay, and the glaze is glass) as I walk around and kick up into the air this debris?

    Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks,

    Alex
    21boat's Avatar
    21boat Posts: 2,441, Reputation: 212
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    #2

    Feb 2, 2009, 05:02 PM

    The big stores have a real mask for the dust. They are about $45.00 a piece.
    Get a tack rag to get the dust off the plastic items. This is found where the stains are and sandpaper/fine steel wool.
    Tack rags are sticky and are used to refinish wood to stain and seal and it will work hear perfectly. You DAB the tack rag and it doesn't leave scrapes because the dust sticks to the 'tack rag"

    So give the list to the tile man so he can clean up HIS mess. He should have know better.

    I do this kind of work for a living and PLASTIC to wall in work area and ALL tile is cut out side unless we MAKE a plastic WALLED in cut area. Many time we set the saw up in front of a window exhaust fan to control this and this is in a re hap where the floors are still ply.

    Signed 21 Boat

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    adobepro's Avatar
    adobepro Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
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    #3

    Feb 3, 2009, 03:14 PM
    Hi 21Boat,

    Thanks so much for your response. Well, I'd rather not have them touch any of my stuff, and they'll be just as reckless, In my opinion, as they would with cleaning -- they already broke my bathroom sink pedastal (and broke the replacement on the way back to my house with it!) I kick myself for trusting them to begin with, esp. since I paid more for a licensed contractor, but things are what they are and I've learned and will never let this happen again with future projects.

    With that being said, I'm heading out to the Home Depot tmrw, and have a question on the tack rag -- is this sticky enough to leave a residue on the plastic? For instance, can I safely use this on a matte LCD screen or would it stick to the screen? Is there any particular type (doing a search online reveals quite a few.)

    As for the mask, would you recommend a particular type?

    Again, I thank you so much for the direction to go with the clean up.

    Thanks!

    Alex

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