That's interesting—I've actually had better luck lightly misting the drywall itself rather than the sponge. Seems counterintuitive, but for me, it keeps things just moist enough without getting gummy. Your vacuum sanding block suggestion does sound intriguing though; dust control is half the battle. Has anyone experimented with adding a tiny bit of dish soap to their misting water? I've heard mixed things about it...wonder if it actually helps glide or just creates more problems.
"Has anyone experimented with adding a tiny bit of dish soap to their misting water? I've heard mixed things about it...wonder if it actually helps glide or just creates more problems."
I've tried the dish soap trick before, and honestly, I wasn't impressed. It seemed like a good idea at first—soap should help glide, right? But in practice, it left a weird, slightly tacky residue that made sanding even more of a hassle. Plus, it tended to bubble up a bit if I wasn't careful, which was annoying to deal with.
Personally, I've found that using plain water with a tiny bit of vinegar works better. The vinegar seems to help cut through any drywall mud residue without leaving behind any stickiness or buildup. And I'm with you on lightly misting the drywall directly—it feels counterintuitive at first, but once you get the hang of it, it really does keep things from getting gummy. The vacuum sanding block is a solid recommendation too, especially if dust drives you nuts like it does me.
I've messed around with dish soap too, and yeah...same experience. It just made things kinda gummy for me. I switched to just plain water and a sanding sponge—made the whole process smoother without the weird residue. Haven't tried vinegar yet though, might give that a shot next time I'm doing joints. Good tip on the vacuum sanding block...drywall dust is the worst.
I've had the same gummy mess happen with dish soap—never again. Plain water and a sanding sponge is my go-to as well, but I've found that lightly dampening the sponge rather than soaking it makes a huge difference. Curious about the vinegar though...doesn't it leave any smell behind? Also, has anyone tried those dustless drywall compounds yet? Wondering if they're worth the extra bucks or just marketing hype.
"Curious about the vinegar though...doesn't it leave any smell behind?"
I've used diluted vinegar before, and honestly, the smell fades pretty quickly once it's dry. Regarding the dustless compounds, I tried one recently—definitely less dust, but the texture felt a bit off to me. Jury's still out on whether it's worth the extra cost.
