Use tack cloths on baseboards, trim, cabinets, and furniture.
What Is a Tack Cloth?
The tack cloth sheet can be cut into smaller sizes.
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A tack cloth is much like a damp clothbut much better.
It picks up dust and grime from wood surfaces but it does so without water.
Water is anathema to raw wood.
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It raises the grain, necessitating re-sanding, which necessitates cleaning once again.
Using a damp cloth is a vicious cycle that can be broken one wayby using a tack cloth.
Since beeswax is tacky, dust and other light particles cling to it.
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Tack cloths are packaged as large sheets that are tightly sealed in plastic.
Most users cut them into smaller sections for use.
After a light wipe-down with a tack cloth, the surface will be entirely smooth and dust-free.
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A tack cloth is a one-use item, meaning it cannot be rinsed out and reused.
When it is full of sawdust and particles, you must throw it away.
Soil in large quantities will just smear when rubbed with a tack cloth.
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None of these will leave the sticky residue you might sometimes get with tack cloth.
How to Use a Tack Cloth
A tack cloth is simple to use.
While not essential, it is recommended that you wear latex or vinyl gloves when handling a tack cloth.
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Lighter pressure is always better.
This will highlight any particles remaining on the surface.
Dispose of the Cloth
Dispose of used tack cloths in standard household garbage.
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Do not burn them.
Tack cloth is generally not recyclable and it cannot be washed out.
So, the cost is rarely a motivator for making your own tack cloth.
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Begin in a well-ventilated area, wearing latex or latex-substitute gloves.
The cloth should be fully moist but not soaked.
When finished, the cloth should be tacky to the touch but not sopping-wet.
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Tack cloth is made from cheesecloth, but they are not the same thing.
Tack cloth is cheesecloth that has beeswax or another sticky wax embedded in it.
If you don’t have a tack cloth, mineral spirits can be used as a substitute.
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Dampen a cloth with mineral spirits and rub over the surface to remove dust and dirt.
It is not necessary to dampen a tack cloth with water.
Adding water will also gum up the properties that make tack cloths tacky.
