Major Dust Problem

Hamurabi

So this is something that's been bugging me for awhile now, and I can't find any good solutions through Google (or my Google-fu isn't strong enough), so I figured I'd ask here.

Basically, we've had a major problem with dust in my house pretty much since I moved in. It's possible it was also this bad in the old house, but I don't think it was. There also seem to be two different kinds. One type is made up of slightly larger particles that stick together and look a lot like dryer lint; I find it a lot on my PC's intake filter, and it looks kinda like hair when it accumulates. The second, more frustrating type, looks like a very fine white soot, and I find it everywhere. Within a couple of days of wiping them down, all my glossy black electronics (and PC) will have a thin layer of this soot-like dust on them, guaranteed.

So H/A, what can I do about this dust problem? Is there anything I can do?

zerzhul

I tend to think that dust is just a part of life, but some minor things to check are related to having a forced-air heating system. If you do have a forced air heating/cooling system, make sure the furnace filter is clean, and if it is not, replace it. Also you can get filters for the individual air vents for each room, both the air returns and the H/C vents can benefit from this. Edit: you can also have the ducts professionally cleaned, which may help further.

Also make sure to regularly clean your vacuum cleaner's filters and make sure the cleaner is sealed. Older vacuum cleaners can often have issues where the seal around the filter fails and it spews dusty air back out while you are vacuuming.

Hamurabi

We changed the (23" ?) filter on the A/C unit and it didn't do anything at all. We don't use a vacuum cleaner, because the whole house is tile. It could well be that the A/C unit requires a professional cleaning, but I dunno how much that would cost, and even whether that's definitely the source of the dust.

YoSoyTheWalrus

I don't understand how tile means no vacuum cleaner. My house is all hardwood and I vacuum at least once a week, it picks up a lot of stuff that sweeping doesn't. Aside from changing all your filters... I think you're just gonna have to start dusting more often, Ham, as unfortunate as it sounds. And vacuuming.

Dr. Frenchenstein

my "vacuum" is a swiffer, so i would see the no vacuum statement. (although i got a swiffer vacuum recently, and it is goddamn awesome)

Hamurabi

We (read: my mother, because I am a man-child) broom and mop. The floor's usually not an issue -- it's everything else.

Barrakketh

Hamurabi wrote: »

We (read: my mother, because I am a man-child) broom and mop. The floor's usually not an issue -- it's everything else.

So you believe. What do you think happens when you sweep? Dirt stays on the floor, dust goes airborne. Similarly, if you're dusting with a feather duster or something similar that shit is getting launched into the air and will later settle on the things you just cleaned.

Do you wash your covers/sheets/pillow cases weekly? Those like to pick up dust, including things like dead skin. What about rugs, fabric upholstery, pillows for the couches, etc? Do you take them out and beat them, or vacuum the larger objects like the couch?

bowen

Do you have pets, Hamurabi?

Hamurabi

Barrakketh wrote: »

Hamurabi wrote: »

We (read: my mother, because I am a man-child) broom and mop. The floor's usually not an issue -- it's everything else.

So you believe. What do you think happens when you sweep? Dirt stays on the floor, dust goes airborne. Similarly, if you're dusting with a feather duster or something similar that shit is getting launched into the air and will later settle on the things you just cleaned.

Do you wash your covers/sheets/pillow cases weekly? Those like to pick up dust, including things like dead skin. What about rugs, fabric upholstery, pillows for the couches, etc? Do you take them out and beat them, or vacuum the larger objects like the couch?

I mean, this is entirely possible.

But like I said in the OP, I've never noticed it to be an issue until we moved here. Maybe I just never noticed.

bowen wrote: »

Do you have pets, Hamurabi?

My sister has nine cats in the house (I know, I know...).

Though wouldn't it be an issue mostly with hair, and not necessarily fine, powdery dust, if it stemmed from pets?

zerzhul

Isn't cat dander fine powdery white dust?

Enc

Hamurabi wrote: »

Barrakketh wrote: »

Hamurabi wrote: »

We (read: my mother, because I am a man-child) broom and mop. The floor's usually not an issue -- it's everything else.

So you believe. What do you think happens when you sweep? Dirt stays on the floor, dust goes airborne. Similarly, if you're dusting with a feather duster or something similar that shit is getting launched into the air and will later settle on the things you just cleaned.

Do you wash your covers/sheets/pillow cases weekly? Those like to pick up dust, including things like dead skin. What about rugs, fabric upholstery, pillows for the couches, etc? Do you take them out and beat them, or vacuum the larger objects like the couch?

I mean, this is entirely possible.

But like I said in the OP, I've never noticed it to be an issue until we moved here. Maybe I just never noticed.

bowen wrote: »

Do you have pets, Hamurabi?

My sister has nine cats in the house (I know, I know...).

Though wouldn't it be an issue mostly with hair, and not necessarily fine, powdery dust, if it stemmed from pets?

Pet dander, ie, dried skin that flakes off all the goddamn time, is probably the biggest contributor. Cats, especially if you aren't giving them weekly oil treatments (which is impossible without $texas because they are cats), are one of the biggest contributors to dust in any household. They are like walking feather dusters, dragging whatever they collect from walking along in their fur and dropping it wherever they might be.

Three humans plus nine cats makes me think dust is a totally normal thing to expect everywhere always.

bowen

Dust is actually skin, yeah. The cats are the reason for it! We have 4 cats and holy egads the dust. Vacuum at least once every 3 days to keep ahead of it.

Hamurabi

...Oh well damn.

bowen

Invest in reusable dust rags because you're going to go through swiffer pads like mad.

Hamurabi

Also: five humans plus 9 cats. -_-

Creagan

Well, that explains your dust problem. Also, if you live in the city, that explains the fine black soot stuff. Something about being in the city means black, sooty dust. (Which is a bitch to clean, let me tell you.)

The first thing you're going to want to do is invest in some air filters. That cuts down on air-particle dust a lot. I recommend Ionic ones, because you can wipe those down manually and with the amount of cats you have, it sounds like that will actually be cheaper for you.

Second, you need to change your cleaning routine. At least once a week, you need to dust every flat surface in the house with a damp rag. Cats like high places and likely stir up extra dust by hanging out on your refrigerator and whatnot, so you need to get EVERYWHERE. I'm talking the tops of door frames, windowsills, picture-frames, and the baseboards. Move from the top of the house to the bottom. Then, sweep/vacuum the floor before mopping it.

Vacuuming is better for dust, because sweeping just kind of stirs it up. When I clean, I sweep my apartment, vacuum, and then mop after dusting. But I've been told my cleaning habits are somewhat obsessive so you might not want to go that far.

Hamurabi

God that sounds like a nightmare.

I mean, we need to get rid of these cats anyway -- because let's be real, nine cats -- so I think I'm just gonna break it to my mom and sister that this shit is not sustainable.

And start putting up "FREE KITTEN COME GET YOUR FREE KITTEN" ads in vets' offices.

bowen

Keep in mind, you'll likely have to put them down or give them to a shelter, which will probably put them down after a few months.

Unless they're newborns, but still, just prepare for that.

Enc

There are non-euthanizing shelters in most major cities, and at least one or two in most states. If you have to take a day to drive to ensure your cats end up in an ethical shelter it is worth the imposition.

Hamurabi

I mean, frankly, I'm personally not that worried about euthanizing.

But my mom and sister would probably lose their shit at the whiff of it, so yeah I guess I need to find a place for these kitties that won't kill 'em.

Enc

Hamurabi wrote: »

I mean, frankly, I'm personally not that worried about euthanizing.

But my mom and sister would probably lose their shit at the whiff of it, so yeah I guess I need to find a place for these kitties that won't kill 'em.

They are living creatures. While ending up with nine is problematic in a lot of ways it's not the cat's fault your sister is hoarding. They deserve good homes like anything else.

Gdiguy

It's possible that they're both just cat-related, but do you have a dryer? If the first type really actually does look like dryer lint, it's possible that your drier isn't hooked up properly - when I moved into my current apt, there was a little hole in the vent going out of the dryer, which was causing lint to blow into my apt. Usually you'd notice this (i.e., lots more right around the dryer, gets warmer in that area when you run it, etc), but theoretically possible?

But yeah, still probably just the cats.

Hamurabi

Ultimately the outcome for the cats will be exactly what you (and my mom and sister) want it to be.

But the euthanasia discussion is really off-topic; I only mentioned it because bowen brought up the chances that the cats would be euthanized.

bowen

If your dryer has a leak, chances are it's pumping out a ton of moisture into the house too, you'd notice that really quickly, especially behind it.

MrDelish

Gdiguy wrote: »

It's possible that they're both just cat-related, but do you have a dryer?

what an inhumane way to get of extra cats