A tack cloth is a must have in my work space. The purpose of a tack cloth is to remove all sanding dust and particles from furniture before applying paint or stain. This creates a smooth-flawless finish.
When I use a traditional tack cloth, (the 100% cotton cheese-cloth type with the sticky chemical agent on it) my hands or gloves end up with a sticky residue on them and this drives me NUTSO! Every time I wipe, I have to throw away the gloves and put on a new pair or wash my hands because the sticky stuff won’t come off otherwise. We all have our pet peeves.. right?
A better alternative… a reusable Micro Fiber Tack Cloth.
The benefits of these Micro-Fiber Tack clothes are they do an amazing job of sucking up dust without spreading it around or leaving any residue on my hands OR the furniture.
The little micro fibers trap the particles like a magnet.
Unlike a traditional tack cloth, there is no special storage required. They are washable and reusable. Eco-friendly and economically friendly. And no weird smell or sticky chemical agent.
They also work like magic if slightly dampened. The wood dust loves sticking to these micro fibers whether they are dry or slightly damp. Impressive! Oh, and so easy to wash. I hand wash (all of 30 seconds) in my paint sink with a squirt of Dawn and then hang to dry.
So what type of tack cloth do you like to use? Leave me a comment below!
Also, you can catch last weeks Q-T-T here. And if YOU have any ideas or tips you would like to share on the SI Quick-Tip-Tuesday-Series, feel free to send me an email.
And remember, today is filled with endless possibilities!
Denise x
I thought I was “cheating” because I didn’t have an “official” tack cloth but using microfiber. I love microfiber cloths! They work great stuffed in a swiffer wet or dry. I use them as tack cloths and then, like you, wash/rinse and, bam, ready to go again. Now, I just have to find a way to wash out the wax when I use it for applying wax to my painted furniture.
No we’re not cheating Christina! 🙂 In fact, when I posted this on my Facebook Page, a lot of people chimed in with what they use instead of tack clothes. There really is no right or wrong, it’s all personal preference. And I’ve never tried washing out wax. I use old rags and throw them away… but that would be a great Q-T-T! 🙂
I’m new to this world of diy, my question regarding washing out the wax from the microfiber towels…. Can you put the towels in a Ziploc bag marked with the type of wax and just reuse it?
That’s a great idea!