Dust catcher cuts clean up time

I love working on home-improvement projects, but I hate cleaning up afterward. I suppose there's nothing unusual about that, but I often spend more time sweeping and vacuuming than completing the project. That's why I'm always looking for ways to reduce clean-up time.

During a recent remodeling project, in which I was cutting holes in drywall, I discovered a very simple, yet effective dust-catching technique that virtually eliminated clean-up.

Using a sheet of newspaper and some painter's tape, I fabricated a U-shaped trough measuring about 6 inches wide and 8 inches deep. 

I then taped the newspaper trough to the wall directly below where I was about to cut. As I sawed through the drywall, all the dust fell straight down into the trough.

And because I used painter's tape, not standard masking tape, I was able to peel off the tape without damaging the wall paint, and move the trough to the next hole location.

If you decide to try this trick for yourself, remember that it's important to completely tape the folded seams of the newspaper trough to prevent any dust from leaking out.