If you have used a shop vacuum or cotton rags to wipe surfaces before painting, you might know that these tools take off much of the dust, but not all of it. The first time you use a tack cloth, you will be amazed at how thoroughly it removes the smallest dust particles from surfaces in preparation for painting, staining, or finishing.
What Is a Tack Cloth?
A tack cloth is a large sheet of loosely woven cheesecloth impregnated with beeswax. Cheesecloth is any loosely woven fabric, much like medical-grade gauze. The tack cloth sheet can be cut into smaller sizes. A tack cloth is much like a damp cloth—but much better. It picks up dust and grime from wood surfaces but it does so without water. Water is anathema to raw wood. 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 way—by using a tack cloth. Since beeswax is tacky, dust and other light particles cling to it. A tack cloth is used until it is loaded with too much debris to be effective any longer, then it is discarded.
How a Tack Cloth Works
Using a tack cloth can be likened to wiping down a surface with a damp cloth, but without the harmful effects of water on your porous surface. The loosely woven, gauzy fabric of the cheesecloth is impregnated with natural beeswax, which operates like a magnet for dust but does not penetrate the pores the way that water does. Tack cloths are packaged as large sheets that are tightly sealed in plastic. Most users cut them into smaller sections for use. Professional painters and woodworkers use tack cloths to clean off surfaces like baseboards or trim before painting, staining, or top-coating with varnish. After a light wipe-down with a tack cloth, the surface will be entirely smooth and dust-free. 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.
Where to Use a Tack Cloth
Use a tack cloth for cleaning small interior areas or items for paint or finish as it excels at picking up sawdust, metal shavings, and other dry construction-related particles. Appropriate surfaces and uses for tack cloths include:
Baseboards Door and window trim Window muntins and mullions Cabinet faces Drawer fronts Small amounts of drywall dust Furniture before painting
Where to Avoid Using a Tack Cloth
Tack cloths are not appropriate for every use. Surfaces need to be relatively clean for the tack cloth to do its job of removing the finest of dust particles. Soil in large quantities will just smear when rubbed with a tack cloth. Tack cloths work well for removing the last remnants of dust, but they do clog quickly and should not be used as scrub cloths to perform the main cleaning chores. Avoid or be careful when using a tack cloth for:
Damp surfacesGlassMetalCeramic or porcelainRough areasLeather or cloth
How to Use a Tack Cloth
A tack cloth is simple to use. A work surface with a 4 square foot area can be wiped down with tack cloth in less than a couple of minutes. While not essential, it is recommended that you wear latex or vinyl gloves when handling a tack cloth. Beeswax is not noxious or toxic but it can be annoying since your hands could remain tacky for a day or two.
How to Make Your Tack Cloth
Tack cloth is inexpensive and is available at most home centers, hardware stores, and dedicated paint stores. So, the cost is rarely a motivator for making your own tack cloth. However, if you find yourself in a pinch, you can create your own the way that experienced woodworkers do, with white cotton dishtowels, turpentine, and varnish. Begin in a well-ventilated area, wearing latex or latex-substitute gloves.
