how to clean 15 years of dust in shed

Colinoh

So I'm kind of taking over the Ould lads shed but he hasn't cleaned it properly in probably 15-20 years.

Under the table saw the dust was about about 7-10 cm deep in spots and I was digging through it with the shop vac hose. It's all over the walls, all over every surface, in the rafters, all over the fluorescent tubes, the wall mounted storage bins are full of dust, everything is literally caked in it. Everything I pick up or move kicks up dust. I have to individually hoover every single screw driver, spanner, tool, storage box. It's a nightmare.

How do I clean it properly? I can't sweep as it just kicks the dust up. Every time I hoover the floor and clean a surface the dust settles and everything is dirty again within a few hours.

The only thing I can think of is hit everything with compressed air, hoover the floor and worktops, wait for the dust to settle and repeat.

Any better suggestions without spending a fortune on air filters and the likes? It's not being used as a wood workshop anymore so it won't be needed.

Thanks.

MakersMark

Do you have the option to take everything out of the shed and damp it down with water a little?

Gant21

Open a section of the roof if you can’t get it out the door and get a leaf blower and out the door and or roof with it.

lucalux

I'd imagine working with the ventilation do you have (as above) and opening windows (if there are any) and doors to catch a breeze coming through the shed, then shop vac as much as you can.

Remove as much of the contents as you can to outside. Assuming you have space here sorry!

Remove all the wall mounted storage if you can, empty the place basically.

Sort things into one pile (plastics etc) which you can blast with a hose outside, and another pile (electrics etc) that you'll need to clean by hand/with a compressor.

Wet the floor and blast the rafters/walls with air compressors, hopefully the wet floor will catch most of the falling dust.

(What kind of floor is in the shed? A Window/floor squeegee is fantastic on a smooth, like polished cement or lino floor, won't raise any dust on a damp surface.)

Keep at it until you have the majority of the dust out of the shed with the shop vac etc.

Then once the majority is out. Start from the top, get a spray bottle (even small pump weedkiller bottle thing), wet down the areas you're about to dust, then dust.

That way you won't lift as much dust each time you wipe a surface, and starting from the top means you'll have the majority of it falling down to areas you've yet to clean.

Sounds like a tough job, but you'll be delighted when it's done I'd say!

10-10-20

Hire an industrial vac with a brush-head?

https://www.hirehere.ie/dry-vacuum-industrial?search=vacu

eusap

Get a Garden blower to blow the dust off the shelves and then stand at back of shed and blow the air out

p.s. make sure the shed does not have an asbestos roof

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119204858#Comment_119204858

I was going to suggest the same thing but use Hoover function if poorly ventilated. It's a Dirty job.

OP, I would suggest NOT dampening down initially, you'll just create a horrid sludge, perhaps when you removed the majority of dust by hoover or blowing and be sure to water a good mask, particles with get everywhere including your lungs.