I came relatively late to tack cloth. For years, I used cotton rags and towels to wipe down surfaces to painting. Then, I heard about tack cloth. No, tack cloth is nothing new - I was just particularly slow in this regard. Then I came to love it.
What is Tack Cloth?
Tack cloth is cheese cloth impregnated with beeswax. Professional painters use it to clean off surfaces prior to painting, staining, or otherwise coating with some kind of permanent liquid treatment. Tack cloth is a one-use-only item. It cannot be rinsed out and reused. When it is full of sawdust and particles, you must throw it away.It is hard to emphasize just how smooth and dust-free your surface will be after using tack cloth. The first time I ever used it on window mutins, I must have spent ten minutes just admiring the cleanliness of those mutins.
What Do You Use Tack Cloth For?
The list is endless. But generally, you'll be using tack cloth for smaller surfaces, not entire walls:- Baseboards
- Door trim
- Window mutins and trim
- Cabinetry
Buy Direct - 12 Pack Gerson 18"X36" Smooth Finish Tack Cloth
Caution: It is possible to buy tack cloth that is too tacky. I have bought tack cloth that literally leaves my hand sticky. So, imagine how sticky the painting surfaces will be, as well. I have used Bondo Tack Cloth, which (as the name implies) is more appropriate for extremely dirty automotive surfaces than for less dusty residental surfaces.
