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submitted 2 months ago by Achyu@lemmy.sdf.org to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

Or ways to remove that accumulation fast?

Non-vacuum cleaner tips would be more actionable for me currently, but please do share your ways.

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[-] iii@mander.xyz 42 points 2 months ago

I have dust mite allergies. 2 most important changes I did were:

(1) no carpets, no curtains, only tile floors.

(2) and I love my robot vaccuum. They do 80% of the work, daily, whilst I'm away.

[-] Micromot@feddit.org 8 points 2 months ago

Do you have dust mite resistant sheet covers, that was the biggest improvement for me

[-] BCsven@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 months ago
  • 1 for using the word whilst betwixt daily and I'm.
[-] xmunk@sh.itjust.works 32 points 2 months ago

As someone with ADHD I actually keep a broom leaning against my standing desk and sweep to busy my hands whenever I'm thinking or on a call. Dusting/washing walls simply doesn't happen in our household due to how many steps are involved - but for most other cleaning we build it into tasks - so as I cook I clean cookware as I go - when I finish showering I squeegee the glass, and there's cleaning fluid within reach if I notice build up.

These are all really exploits designed to help ADHD people do shit but maybe they'll help you!

[-] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 24 points 2 months ago

My wife and I debate about dust. I view as perfectly natural thing that should just be let be and she argues that im an idiot. She wins those debates.

[-] ClassifiedPancake@discuss.tchncs.de 22 points 2 months ago
[-] HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com 7 points 2 months ago

she won me over a bit but now she wants dusting done even if no dust is visible. preposterous!

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[-] multifariace@lemmy.world 19 points 2 months ago

Don't live near dirt, wind or rain. Don't bring cardboard into the house. Don't allow animals in the house, including humans. Keep the house temperature over 2000.

[-] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 months ago

Keep the house temperature over 2000.

Only fire may cleanse this dirty world around us.

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[-] tetris11@lemmy.ml 16 points 2 months ago

When I was with my ex: every saturday morning. It sucked, but the reward of both chilling on the sofa in the afterglow of a clean apartment was awesome. God I miss that.

Now: rarely. If it begins to affect my mental health, I might pick up clothing off the floor. I don't clean for myself, I clean for the happiness of others

[-] dragnucs@lemmy.ml 15 points 2 months ago

As @xmunk said, cleaning needs to be embedded in other tasks. If you cannot figure out how to embed a given task then you can set it for a fixed schedule. For example, you say that you clean your desk or office on Saturday morning and you have a given set of steps you accomplish.

Another trick I learned from corporate world is to delegate the tasks. It is more manageable to follow up on someone doing it for you than you actually doing it. This can be someone else living with you, or someone you can hire to do. For example, you can hire someone to clean the house every Sunday. This later option could be expensive.

If you want to embed tasks and do it yourself, then you need to make them easy for you, for example, you can overstock cleaning products. Let's say you have a kitchen microfiber towel that hangs nearby and a dedicated cleaning product at reach. You consider that a meal (launch or dinner) equals, fetching the ingredients, cooking, eating and cleaning dishes, putting away dishes, and finally cleaning them. If you don't clean dishes then you consider you did not finish your dinner.

Same thing for the bathroom, you need cleaning tools at reach when you are in the bathroom, don't reuse kitchen stuff to clean the bathroom. Then when you shower, you clean the bathtub, the mirror, the sink, your underwear, wipe the floor, etc.

[-] paultimate14@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago

Depends on the home. Different places I've lived in have different needs.

For dust in particular, you should consider sources of dust and airflow.

I grew up in a house with central air conditioning, so that system had a filter that needed to be replaced periodically. You can buy a variety of different filters- coarser filters last longer but let small particles through, while finer filters need to be changed more often but get the air cleaner.

I now live in a much older house that does not have central air (radiator heat, window units for AC). My wife also likes fan noise to sleep, so we bought an air purifier that we generally leave running in the bedroom and I change that filter periodically. Our basement gets bad dust because it's unfinished with a concrete floor and rafter ceiling, and the litter boxes are down there, so we got another filter that stays on there.

Porous and soft surfaces hang on to dust. Carpets, rugs, tapestries, upholstered furniture, piles of clothes or bedding. Putting your clothes away in a closet or dresser helps. Storing extra bedding in a cabinet or closet helps. Vacuum the carpets and rugs. Don't let dirty laundry pile up. Wash bedding regularly (every week or two). A lot of couches have removable, washable covers that are nice to wash like once a year.

Hard surfaces are easier to clean. If you put those clothes in a dresser, wipe the top of it off with a damp cloth every now and then. A broom can help with floors a bit, but wet dusting with something like a Swiffer is better. If you have rugs you can take them outside and beat them., although vacuuming is often easier. If you have carpets... You're really screwed unless you get a vacuum.

The hardest part is decorations. Frames hanging on walls are just a pain because you simply have to wipe them down. Knick knacks on open shelves are terrible because you've got to pick up the thing, wipe it off, and wipe off the spot under it. Glass display cabinets are much easier to keep clean because dust will almost never get inside. As long as you keep the horizontal surface clear it's just an easy flat thing to wipe off. Vertical glass panes will need the occasional wipe, but not as frequently and it's still way easier than all the books and crannies of a figure or crystal or trophy or whatever else you've got on display.

As for prevention, I brush my hair in one particular spot in my bedroom and clean the brush out after each time. Shower regularly. Stay on top of laundry. The idea is to get skin and hair disposed of, and doing so with water tends to prevent it from getting into the air and settling as dust. Trim your nails somewhere so they will be disposed of properly. Brush your pets.

[-] Leeks@lemmy.world 15 points 2 months ago

If you have HVAC, make sure the filter is replaced regularly and try running a higher MERV filter.

[-] kevincox@lemmy.ml 13 points 2 months ago

Robot vacuum cleaners aren't great a cleaning, but they are very effective at keeping the dust down. You will still want to clean occasionally but with a robot vacuum running regularly you can do it much less often and the house feels cleaner in the meantime.

I'm also lucky enough to be able to afford house cleaners now. It is such a nice gift to our family to not have to worry about doing these things. We can spend that time doing stuff together rather than cleaning and we don't think about how dirty the house is and dread cleaning it nearly as often. If you can afford it I would highly recommend it. It definitely isn't cheap but many people have more expensive habits that bring less joy IMHO.

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[-] oxjox@lemmy.ml 11 points 2 months ago

I'm constantly cleaning. I live alone in a 100+ year old building. It's no exaggeration to say that there's a coating of dust moments after I get done dusting.

I use a microfiber duster for daily cleaning and a heavily diluted mixture of water, vinegar, and soap for deeper cleaning.

The only thing I can think of, but haven't tried, to minimize dust accumulation is to run a humidifier. That should theoretically give the dust particles something to cling onto and be less prone to becoming airborne as you move about. Perhaps a daily water misting from a spray bottle could work - I should give that a try.

I have an air purifier in my bedroom. It doesn't do very much. I don't really understand how they're supposed to work anyway. There's no way it's going to suck in dust from the other side of the room. I wonder sometimes if it actually makes things worse. I use it mostly for the white noise to sleep with.

[-] colournoun@beehaw.org 5 points 2 months ago

You need a bigger air purifier. :) I have one that will definitely suck in dust from the other side of the room.

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[-] Psythik@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Making sure there's no gaps around your HVAC air filter is a good start. Air should only flow through the filter. I like to put duct tape around the sides of of it, forming a seal around the grill so that no air leaks around the sides. Buy one with a MERV rating of 9-12 to minimize dust and pollution. Don't go any higher than that (and avoid HEPA) unless you don't mind a higher power bill and slightly more stress on your system.

During the times of the year when you're not running A/C or heat, change the fan setting from "Auto" to "Circulate" so that it clicks on for a few minutes every hour or so. This will help keep the air clean.

If your air quality is really bad, you can always suppliment your HVAC system with a dedicated air purifier. You don't need anything fancy or expensive; a box fan with 4 HEPA filters taped to it is among the cheapest and most effective ways to clean the air.

[-] GroundedGator@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

I also suck at this. There is a lazy way though you'll have to accept a certain look. My great grandmother had doilies everywhere. Every surface was covered. Most nearly completely, a few of the bigger tables just had a small one. Once a week she would collect them all and wash them. I didn't realize till much later in life that the purpose they served was to collect dust to keep it off your surfaces.

I wonder if something more aesthetically passing to the modern eye would be as effective or if the intricate lace is important to the function.

[-] Cowbee@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 months ago

About once a week, though I live in a one bedroom apartment. Deep cleaning is about once a month.

[-] scytale@lemm.ee 8 points 2 months ago

I walk around the house with a swiffer mop before I take a shower. Then vaccum the carpets in the rooms once a week. Showering is usually the trigger to do some sort of maintenance cleaning in the house. My logic is that if I’m gonna get dirty, I’ll do it before I shower.

[-] digdilem@lemmy.ml 7 points 2 months ago

Don't have dogs. Don't have woodburners. Don't have horses. In fact, don't live any kind of outdoorsy life if you want a dust-free home.

My home is dusty. I decided that the above was more important to me.

[-] random_character_a@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

I don't agree on the HEPA level sterility. Dust is not a nuclear waste.

Dust tends to accumulate in quiet areas, like corners and under furniture where air currents from movement don't disturb it.

Just keep those areas clean with a dustpan and the whole remains tolerable. Although rugs need to be taken outside and beaten from time to time.

[-] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 months ago

Oh shit, dust exists.

[-] arrakark@10291998.xyz 6 points 2 months ago

I used to have a very large air filter standing in the corner of my room. It wouldn't eliminate the need to vacuum, but it would reduce the dust in the air and make it less noticeable. I got rid of it because the filter cartridges were sorta discontinued/really expensive

[-] Breezy@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

Air purifiers are your friend. They drastically reduce dust and make every room feel better.

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[-] sentient_loom@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 months ago

I should clean more often.

But my humidifier is also an air purifier and it pulls a LOT of dirt from the air. I change the water every week and it's filthy. Surprising how much dirt is in the air to "purify."

[-] 12newguy@mander.xyz 4 points 2 months ago

Could you explain how this humidifier/air purifier works? I've wondered about the possibility of an air purifier that uses water rather than a "screen" but haven't seen anything. My wife and I both have allergies, and our house gets really dry in the winter so one small appliance to deal with both issues sounds like a nice solution.

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[-] JackFrostNCola@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

For the 'remove the accumulation' part - get a pack of microfibre clothes. One wipe over a surface will be enough to get most dust, plus they do a great job of windows & mirrors, windex/glass cleaner is much more effective followed up with microfibre rather than another cloth or paper towels.
Once the cloth gets a bit of dust built up put aside and use the next clean cloth and keep cleaning, throw them all in a normal wash whenever you're done (just do NOT use fabric softener).

[-] LoganNineFingers@lemmy.ca 4 points 2 months ago

So many things factor into this...

Our house became significantly (like 97%) less dusty when our dog passed.

The age of your house

The type of furnace filter

Routine

We have 3 small kids, so we try to tidy up physical stuff (toys, clothes, bags, etc) every day. Dishes too.

Once a week is wiping down nin-kitchen surfaces

Once a month is wiping down baseboards and door trim

[-] BlueLineBae@midwest.social 4 points 2 months ago

If we're strictly talking dust accumulation, there's a few things you can do to reduce this.

  • Make sure to change the filter in your HVAC system and intake vents every few months with a high quality filter. The better the filter, the more you need to change it.
  • You can also add an air filter to individual rooms. I added them to all our bedrooms and it helps a ton with keeping dust down.

Aside from that, you'll still need to dust every so often and how often will depend on how fast it gets dirty again and how deep you want to clean. I use a vacuum and damp rag to dust shelves and such every month and I dust other things like blinds and fan blades and pull out furniture and appliances once a year. Every few years we'll need to remove something that usually never moves and we'll clean up the dust from that. I will say it's much easier to clean stuff regularly when you don't have lots of things laying around or taking up space. Keeping literal objects tidy makes it less of a chore. It's a lot easier to just wipe a table than to wipe a table and all the knick knacks.

[-] pixeltree 4 points 2 months ago

Usually after a while of being able to see the routes I walk in my apartment visibly, it manages to stress me to the point where I can do something about it and I'll spend a solid 10 hours cleaning and tidying

[-] juliebean@lemm.ee 4 points 2 months ago

we've got a super tiny apartment.i clean constantly, and dust isn't much of an issue cause just about every surface sees constant use.

[-] dessalines@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 months ago

Kipple is unavoidable, but an air filter helps a lot more than you think.

Also if you have pets, might be worth it to get a robot vacuum. Even the 3+ year old models are still great.

[-] Ephera@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I wipe my floor with a damp cloth/mop every two weeks or so. That removes a lot of the dust with relatively little effort.

[-] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 4 points 2 months ago

I only vacuum every other week to a month.

I offset this by having air purifiers running in every room.

If you’ve got central HVAC: replace your air filters. Consider going for the high-grade HEPA ones, too.

[-] Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

I would like to say I use a heavy-duty dry swiffer on the floor (wood) every other day, but honestly maybe twice a week. It gets tons of dust and cat hair and it's quiet and fast. I have an old fashioned feather duster that does a decent job on shelves of books and knickknacks without moving them, and fascinates the cat. I have a wet mop but don't use it often. I put MERV13 filters in my HVAC, but I realized the suction was lifting the nearby ceiling tiles instead, so I taped them down.

Consider what contributes to dust in your home: I don't go out much, and can't track in mud, but I live over the garage in my apartment building, over a very busy street, and have sliding-glass balcony doors for windows, so a lot of my dust is tires and exhaust. Also pollen year-round because SoCal, and of course cat and myself shedding. Litterbox dust too, at least she's not a big digger. I don't have laundry machines in my unit but I imagine they'd make lint dust. You might not be able to change things that add grime, but it helps you feel less like it's your fault.

When I worked in a china shop, we wiped down every item on every shelf with Windex (spray your paper towels, not what you're cleaning) every day. But I was getting paid for that. It makes a huge difference, along with knowing someone else will notice.

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[-] MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 months ago

Quentin Crisp: "There is no need to do any housework at all. After the first four years the dirt doesn't get any worse."

My only deviation from this philosophy is when visitors are coming. The bath and toilet get a good deep clean, I run the vacuum cleaner around the place, and also dust the guest room if they're staying overnight.

My worst fail was when I had people over for dinner, and as we all sat down I saw half a dozen dead flies on the (dusty) windowsill. Invisible when you were standing due to the curtain, but right in your eyeline when seated.

[-] aceshigh@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

I clean 2ce a month. I know what kind of cleaning I value and I just do that. I don’t dust often… but I use an air filter.

[-] Teppichbrand@feddit.org 4 points 2 months ago
[-] roserose56@lemmy.ca 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The way I do it is to start by dusting all the countertops, cleaning the tables, and throwing every food or dirt down on the floor, then I vacuum all the floors (tiles), moving tables, chairs, and other things around. I mop and I clean the bathroom (toilet, sink, shower) while the floor dries. Finally, I mop once more and I make a coffee to relax.

edit:I also clean the kitchen countertop, stove, coffee machine and everything else on the kitchen.

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this post was submitted on 30 Dec 2024
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