I know, it's a bit of a weird one, but I've been plastering for years and am reasonably good at it (for an amateur!) but there's one thing I've never known... How on earth should I be cleaning the buckets afterwards?! Obviously I scoop out as much of the unused plaster as possible, put it in a bin bag and into the normal waste, then give the buckets a blast with the hose and a good scrub... But what should I do with the dirty water?! I've learnt the hard way that you can't just tip it in a drain as it can build up and cause a blockage... So what do the pros do?!
Pour it in another bucket and leave it to settle, pour off the water and put the sludge in a plastic bag ready for the tip/skip.
I just pour it over the garden at home, it doesn't affect or change the pH of the soil, & quicklys breaks down. Other way is to pour waste into 4 or 6 pint milk cartons, let it settle, drain off water, then screw cap on & bin it.
I'm with Kiab, chuck it onto the grass, it'll soon breakdown, specially when the mower has been over it a few times.
Let it settle and the plaster sinks to the bottom with clear water at the top. What you need to do is get what you can out of bucket when wet then wash out with small amount of water. Pour that dirty water in large tub. Leave over night and the water will be clear with sludge on the bottom. Pour water down drain then scoop sludge out. I don't pour anything dirty down customer drain. Any blockage over the coming months you might get phone call.
Sounds like I'm already doing the right thing and there is no special magic solution that I've missed! Thanks everyone!
I'll add to this thread. Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda. It's the same thing will clean dried plaster off tools. I use big tool box and let blades sit in for 24 hours mixed with water. Clean buckets to.
I'd have to disagree with this. Mixed plaster has a ph of around 12 which is well over that of soil which is 5.8 - 7.5 Over time pouring this over your garden will lift the ph and prevent your plants from taking up nutrients.