How to Clean Wood After Sanding

Preparing a piece of wood for a project, large or small, is a multistep process. Two of these steps are sanding it to remove imperfections and then applying paint or stain. However, before moving from one step to the next, you need perfectly clean wood, otherwise the appearance and durability of the finish may suffer. Keep reading to learn how to clean wood after sanding it so you get a smooth finish every time.

Tools You Need To Clean Wood After Sanding

brown wooden terrace outside clear glass door by Im3rd Media is licensed with Unsplash License

First things first, here are the tools you’ll need to clean a piece of wood after sanding it:

• Clean microfiber cloth: To remove most of the dust
• Tack cloth: To pick up fine dust that the microfiber cloth may have missed
• Vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment: To get into those hard-to-reach places
• A soft paintbrush: To help you get into deep grooves or other similar areas
• An air compressor: To blow out dust of corners and cracks
• Diluted trisodium phosphate, denatured alcohol, and mineral spirits: To remove any remaining fine dust and oils

Steps for Cleaning Wood After Sanding

Now that you know which equipment you’ll need for this job, let’s look at the best way to clean wood after sanding it.

Gently Dust the Wood Off

Use your soft paintbrush to sweep the piece of wood and remove most of the dust. You can use its tip to get into hard-to-reach places, such as corners. Depending on the shape of the wood, it may help to have paintbrushes of different sizes to make it easier for you to get into all the areas. 

Vacuum the Surface

Now that you’ve got some of the dust out of the way, go over the wood with your vacuum cleaner. Most vacuum cleaners have a brush attachment, and using it can help you clean more effectively. Thoroughly vacuuming the wood will get rid of most of the fine dust particles.

Wipe With a Microfiber Cloth

Even after dusting your wood with a paintbrush and vacuuming it, there are probably still dust particles clinging to your wood. Take the cloth and gently wipe every area of the wood. Using a white microfiber cloth will allow you to see how much dust you’re still picking up because it makes the brown particles easy to see. If you think you’re picking up too much dust, it may be a sign that you need to sweep and vacuum the wood again.

Use Mineral Spirits To Clean the Wood

The next step in preparing the wood for painting is to clean its top layer with mineral spirits. Despite being a liquid, this product won’t cause the wood to swell or hurt it in any way. It’s highly effective at removing oil stains, and because it dries quickly, you won’t have to wait long to continue your project. Just pour a little on the wooden surface and gently wipe it along the wood grain.

Wipe It With a Tack Cloth

A tack cloth is a special kind of cloth that’s coated with beeswax to make it sticky. This stickiness excels at picking up stubborn dust particles that may remain. Rub every area thoroughly to ensure that most, if not all, of the dust is wiped away.

Remove Any Remaining Stains With Trisodium Phosphate

After sanding the wood, you may discover some stains that the sandpaper couldn’t quite remove. You can use a brush and trisodium phosphate to remove them. Trisodium phosphate comes as either as a powder or a liquid, and you use it by mixing it with water and brushing it onto the piece of wood. It will clean and prepare it for painting without causing any damage.

Use an Air Compressor To Finish the Job

Finally, if you want to be absolutely sure that you’ve removed every little bit of dust from your wood, pull out the air compressor. Hold the nozzle at an angle and blow compressed air on every area of your wood to blast it clean. Just be careful that you don’t blow dust all over your workspace.

Tips for Cleaner Wood After Sanding

Use these tips to make sure you do a good job:

• Vacuum thoroughly: This may be the most important step, as it takes away most of the dust particles. Pay extra attention to angled areas, such as corners and joints.
• Use tack cloth: Before moving on to painting or staining the wood, it’s important to make certain your wood is clean. You can check by wiping an area with a tack cloth and seeing if any dust clings to it.
• Work in a clean, open space: Sanding and cleaning your wood in a clean and open environment can prevent dust particles from making their way back onto your wood. If possible, sand your wood on a raised surface to more effectively disperse the particles.
• Sand and clean multiple times: Ideally, you want to use a coarse-grit sandpaper for your first pass and work your way up to a finer finishing grit. Cleaning between each round of sanding will minimize dust buildup.
• Work in good lighting: Dust particles can be hard to see in low light, making them easy to miss. Consider using a powerful light source, such as a headlamp or clamp light, to inspect the wood when you’re done cleaning it.

Call Teak Master for a Professional Deck Restoration

While we encourage DIY initiatives, some jobs are better left in the hands of professionals. If you live in the Los Angeles area and your deck needs restoring, maintaining, or protecting, our professional team at Teak Master can give it what it needs to keep looking fresh for as long as possible. Regardless of the type of wood your deck is made of, we have the knowledge and experience to restore its original shine. Contact us today  to learn more about our services and with any questions you may have.