- Wear long sleeves, gloves, and a decent respirator—not just a flimsy mask.
- Baby powder helps keep fibers from sticking to skin, weird but true...
- Cold showers after, hot water opens pores and makes itching worse. Learned that one late.
"Cold showers after, hot water opens pores and makes itching worse. Learned that one late."
Couldn't agree more with this point—learned it the hard way myself during a renovation project a couple of years back. Hot showers felt great initially, but the itching afterward was unbearable. Switching to cold water was a game changer, even though it wasn't exactly pleasant at first.
Another tip I'd add is to tape your sleeves and pant legs closed at the wrists and ankles. It might seem excessive, but fiberglass fibers have an uncanny ability to sneak into every little gap. I used painter's tape because it's easy to remove and doesn't leave residue on clothing.
Also, if you're dealing with insulation removal or installation frequently, investing in disposable coveralls can be worthwhile. They're relatively inexpensive and save you from ruining your regular clothes. Plus, you can just peel them off carefully afterward and toss them straight into a garbage bag—no fuss.
The baby powder trick is interesting; I've heard about it but haven't tried it personally. Instead, I usually apply a barrier cream or lotion beforehand—it seems to help prevent fibers from embedding deeply into the skin. But now I'm curious about giving baby powder a shot next time...
One last thing: don't underestimate proper ventilation. Even with a good respirator, having fresh air circulating through the attic space helps immensely in reducing airborne fibers. Setting up a fan near an open window or vent can make the whole experience less miserable.
Good luck with your attic project—it's definitely not fun work, but these little precautions make all the difference in comfort afterward.
The cold shower advice is spot-on, learned that lesson myself after a particularly itchy weekend. One thing I'd add though—be careful with barrier creams or lotions beforehand. I tried that once, and while it helped initially, it also made the fibers stick to my skin more stubbornly in some spots. Maybe I used too much, who knows...
Painter's tape on sleeves is a solid trick. I usually go a step further and wear nitrile gloves tucked under my sleeves—fiberglass loves wrists for some reason. Disposable coveralls are great too, but if you're doing this regularly, investing in a washable Tyvek suit can save money over time.
And yeah, ventilation is huge. A simple box fan blowing outward through an attic window can make a surprising difference in how much airborne junk you breathe in (even with a respirator). Learned that one after coughing up insulation dust for days afterward...not fun.
Haven't tried baby powder yet either, but now you've got me curious. Might give it a shot next time I'm crawling around up there.
Agree on ventilation, that's key. One thing I'd add—don't overlook goggles. Learned the hard way fiberglass dust loves eyeballs too, spent a whole evening red-eyed and miserable. Cheap swim goggles do the trick just fine, weirdly enough.
Good call on the swim goggles, never thought of that one. I usually stick with proper safety glasses—call me skeptical, but swim goggles always fog up on me. Still, fiberglass is no joke. Ventilation helps, but I've also found that long sleeves and gloves are lifesavers. Learned that after a weekend project left me itching for days... never again.
