Potpotpotter Posted November 16, 2023 Report Share Posted November 16, 2023 Hello! A complete newbie to this community. I have a home basement studio and I wanted to know how others with a home/ basement studio manage dust? I do wear a mask whenever I clean and do wet sponging but I always keep coughing. I also have 3 cats that are always around me since their food and little is in the basement too. I sometimes wonder if they would have issues with silica with constant exposure. My basement is finished but has a tiny window which not really accessible. Plus I live in Canada so half of the year our windows are closed. people in similar situation like mine, how do you operate? Thank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted November 16, 2023 Report Share Posted November 16, 2023 Hi Pot, Welcome to the Forum! Good question. I'll circle back and post links to further reading later... Meanwhile, I work in a single car garage space (previous Studio was also a single garage space!), which does have ventilation options, however, much of the year is rather hot, else chilly. I try to keep after the floor with a wet mop - an actual commercial bucket, wringer and mop. Having the floor accessible helps there. The mop is handy for cleaning off shoes/sandals as well - don't track it around! In general, any dry clay - bits, pieces, splatter, slip - can easily become dust. Hence, I'm looking to keep dry clay to a minimum, wipe off the work surfaces, tools, wheel. No waving cloth about that has dry clay embedded in (rags, clothing, the dreaded canvas, ugh). The only dry clay I want to see is greenware awaiting first fire (on shelves, out of the way and protected), and clay to be reclaimed (stored away). I'm seeing the wedging station being a dust source, also trimming at the wheel. There are strategies for minimizing those dusts, tbc. The typical dust generators I see are: stepping on clay that's on the floor dry clay, slip, glaze, etc. that's disturbed and flies into the air airborne dust that's settled, then re-launched, repeat, repeat... It's nice to have ventilation, however, I try not to roll up the door or open the window if there's any dust to be kicked up by moving air - clean up time. Best case, my Studio is relatively dust free when I start a session, then I've cleaned up at the end for next time. Pyewackette, Pres and Rae Reich 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potpotpotter Posted November 16, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2023 Thank you Hulk! These are some great tips. Someday I would love to convert my garage into a studio or maybe build an insulated shed in my small backyard. Until then, wet mopping all the way. Rae Reich and Hulk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted November 16, 2023 Report Share Posted November 16, 2023 More reading: Very paranoid about Silicosis - Studio Operations and Making Work - Ceramic Arts Daily Community Silica Dust Exposure - Studio Operations and Making Work - Ceramic Arts Daily Community Can air purifiers remove silica dust from my Ceramic Studio - Studio Operations and Making Work - Ceramic Arts Daily Community| Dust Collection For Small Studio - Clay and Glaze Chemistry - Ceramic Arts Daily Community Toxicity (digitalfire.com) Dedicated Studio shoes/sandals, no tracking clay into the house! For if/when clay gets on clothes, have a few clean sets handy in the Studio. Change rags when there's any dry clay on thar, bag or drown in water, along with dusty clothing! ...else, wet that rag. Wipe down clay smear/bits inside the clay bags with a big ol' sponge, then spray a mist of water in thar before closing up the bag. Dry clay on plastic sheeting/bags -> instant dust! Handle the dried out empty clay bags outside, away from the Studio (clean inside and out, save for reclaim!). Some forum regulars are using air filtration systems, also centralized vacuums (where the exhaust is routed outside/away). My overhead kiln vent doubles as a glaze mixing station fan. I'm handling the glaze material outside, away from the Studio door - repacking from the sacks and bags into lidded containers - then hosing the area down later. Find a P100 (or equivalent) dust mask/respirator that fits you well and wear it when doing dust things. Check/clean surfaces regularly. Note where dust accumulates, and how much - that's why I believe wedging and trimming are what generates dust in my Studio. How else can one assess the dusty-ness of the working space? Heh, I've posed this question several times over the last five years or so... Pyewackette, LeeU, Callie Beller Diesel and 3 others 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted November 17, 2023 Report Share Posted November 17, 2023 Hulk covered all the good points, and I can confirm they work in a Canadian climate! My space is a former basement bedroom with a too small window as well. If you work as clean as you can (within reason), your cat will likely get more dust inhalation from bentonite cat litter. I find the biggest thing is to keep clay off the floor. If it helps ease any anxiety, unless you’re sanding things in the basement or mixing glazes barefaced, it’s probably the large particles that are irritating your lungs and making you cough. Assuming you’re using proper mopping technique when you clean*, if you’re still coughing and you live in a humid area, you might want to look into a dehumidifier. *proper mopping technique is either pouring water down and wiping it up with the mop into an empty bucket, or changing your bucket water often and using a clean head as needed. Rae Reich and Hulk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potpotpotter Posted November 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2023 Haha! You are probably right about the litter! all these are very good points here. Thank you for sharing your tips Hulk and Rae Reich 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Potpotpotter Posted November 20, 2023 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2023 On 11/16/2023 at 9:42 AM, Hulk said: More reading: Very paranoid about Silicosis - Studio Operations and Making Work - Ceramic Arts Daily Community Silica Dust Exposure - Studio Operations and Making Work - Ceramic Arts Daily Community Can air purifiers remove silica dust from my Ceramic Studio - Studio Operations and Making Work - Ceramic Arts Daily Community| Dust Collection For Small Studio - Clay and Glaze Chemistry - Ceramic Arts Daily Community Toxicity (digitalfire.com) Dedicated Studio shoes/sandals, no tracking clay into the house! For if/when clay gets on clothes, have a few clean sets handy in the Studio. Change rags when there's any dry clay on thar, bag or drown in water, along with dusty clothing! ...else, wet that rag. Wipe down clay smear/bits inside the clay bags with a big ol' sponge, then spray a mist of water in thar before closing up the bag. Dry clay on plastic sheeting/bags -> instant dust! Handle the dried out empty clay bags outside, away from the Studio (clean inside and out, save for reclaim!). Some forum regulars are using air filtration systems, also centralized vacuums (where the exhaust is routed outside/away). My overhead kiln vent doubles as a glaze mixing station fan. I'm handling the glaze material outside, away from the Studio door - repacking from the sacks and bags into lidded containers - then hosing the area down later. Find a P100 (or equivalent) dust mask/respirator that fits you well and wear it when doing dust things. Check/clean surfaces regularly. Note where dust accumulates, and how much - that's why I believe wedging and trimming are what generates dust in my Studio. How else can one assess the dusty-ness of the working space? Heh, I've posed this question several times over the last five years or so... All these points are so good! Thank you for taking the time and sharing it with us all. Pres and Hulk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly in AK Posted November 22, 2023 Report Share Posted November 22, 2023 My approach is to get everything wet that I can without ruining it, flood the floor, then squeegee it outside. It took a lot of effort to arrive at baseline we felt comfortable with. Since then it’s regular (weekly) passes with a HEPA shop vac, high and low, with the garage door open. Followed by flooding the floor and squeegeeing it all out or down the floor drain if it’s mostly water. When weather doesn’t permit the open garage door it’s an n-95 canister mask till the job’s done. Pyewackette, Hulk, Callie Beller Diesel and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted November 22, 2023 Report Share Posted November 22, 2023 I had a basement studio for 13 years, I used wet mopping to clean it. This basement didn't have any windows, have you considered that you might be allergic to the liter or the cats. I am allergic to cats now, I use to sleep with a cat when I was younger. If I am in the same area I cough, if the dander gets is in the air I quit breathing. Denice Rae Reich 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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