When you're painting or applying a wood stain, you want to use a tack cloth (also called a tack rag) to make sure the surface is really clean. Tack cloth is a special type of wiping cloth that's been treated with a tacky material designed to pick up loose particles of dirt, lint or dust.
Tack cloth (find yours on Amazon) is most commonly a cotton gauze but the quality can vary in the number of yarns per square inch, the weight of the cloth, wiping properties and of course, cost.
Where Do You Use Tack Cloth?
When using a tack cloth, the task is fairly manual so you're going to use it for smaller surfaces and probably not entire walls which would take a really long time. That means you'll want to prep these surfaces with a tack rag:
- Trim around doors and windows.
- Baseboards and other wall trim like chair rails and crown molding.
- Wood cabinetry and furniture you're painting or staining.
Be careful when buying your tack cloth, as it can be too sticky. For example, it's used to clean cars which are much dirtier, and so products like Bondo Tack Cloth, meant for cars, can be too sticky for home projects.
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