Ibbygirl Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 what I currently do isn't working for me. I don't know if I just have an exceptionally dusty house or what, but my living room ceiling is always dusty. I have a broom that I've swept the ceiling with, but that just gets the dust everywhere and we all sneeze for days, plus all the furniture, sofas etc are covered and I hate using the vacuum because the nozzle is so small and I have to hold the vacuum up and stand on a chair to vacuum just a small patch of ceiling and it just not a good method. Any ideas?? Thanks to all who reply. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyfulMama Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 What if you would put a dust cloth on the broom (old t-shirt or similar) and spray with Pledge/Endust or similar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 What if you would put a dust cloth on the broom (old t-shirt or similar) and spray with Pledge/Endust or similar? I have a popcorn ceiling though so it really kind of needs the bristles to get the dust completely off. I don't know if I sprayed the broom itself though if that would work. Haven't tried that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Don't look up? :lol: Rosie (a much worse housekeeper than Ibbygirl) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 Don't look up? :lol: Rosie (a much worse housekeeper than Ibbygirl) LOL I probably could pretend it wasn't there if it didn't give my son allergies. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Electric air cleaner? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 Electric air cleaner? link? never heard of one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tylianna Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Ugh! I've heard those popcorn ceilings were annoying. Sorry, I don't have hints on how to clean it, but if you took it off and painted, it would stay clean. I think you would have to use some sort of razor to get it off, then paint over the flat surface. I hope you find a solution! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 Ugh! I've heard those popcorn ceilings were annoying. Sorry, I don't have hints on how to clean it, but if you took it off and painted, it would stay clean. I think you would have to use some sort of razor to get it off, then paint over the flat surface. I hope you find a solution! Thanks hon. It wouldn't be so bad if we didn't run the ceiling fan all the time, but I live in South Florida so the fan is a must to keep the air moving. I dust the fan blades every other day, but it still doesn't stop it from blowing dust up to the ceiling. :mad: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SailorMom Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Maybe you should have the duct work cleaned.... a ceiling should get that bad that quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 Maybe you should have the duct work cleaned.... a ceiling should get that bad that quick. Yeah maybe. How far in would the dust go because I do occasionally take of the grills of the air conditioning vents and clean them and wipe in the duct area. I wonder if I just live in a dusty area. :confused: They built a bunch of high-rise condo apartments just down the street from me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 "Dust the ceilings?!" exclaimed Garga in great dismay, lips quivering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I wonder if one of those electro-static attracting cloths or dusters would "grab" the dust for you? From an allergy perspective it really sounds like you need some HEPA units to me. Are certain rooms worse than others? We have a HEPA in my son's bedroom and then in the main playroom as well (which is big). It really helps cut down on dust and other allergens. It never occurred to me to dust ceilings. Off to see if my ceilings get dusty! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 http://www.allergybuyersclub.com/hepa-air-cleaners.html They're pricey, and you have to keep the windows shut to do any good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Tips to cut down the amount of dust. 1. Change your air-filter every month. 2. Switch the blades on the ceiling fan. (They can move air up or down.) 3. Install an air-filter system. 4. Increase humidity. Cheater dusting tip. Blow all the dust down and then vacuum it up. Ostrich feather dusters are great, and you can get a long handle one or temporarily switch the broom on in to reach up high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I just take off my glasses and the whole house looks better. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sun Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Is it possible that using the broom on the popcorn ceiling is damaging the popcorn and creating more dust? Popcorn ceilings often have asbestos in them, so I'd be really worried about using a broom or really anything at all on it out of fear of damaging it and releasing asbestos into the room. Is there any possibility of removing the popcorn or just putting new drywall over it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 do you have those hypoallergenic A/C filters? I bought one and it made a huge difference in how dusty my house is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 "Dust the ceilings?!" exclaimed Garga in great dismay, lips quivering. :lol: :lol: Believe me, Garga, when I tell you I'm not a neat freak. I'm not even in the same neighborhood, it's just that my son sneezes and coughs a lot at night and I'm pretty sure it's allergies and I can't help but notice that my ceiling gets a little furry looking from the dust that flies up there and wonder if that has anything to do with his sneezing and coughing. ;) I wonder if one of those electro-static attracting cloths or dusters would "grab" the dust for you? From an allergy perspective it really sounds like you need some HEPA units to me. Are certain rooms worse than others? We have a HEPA in my son's bedroom and then in the main playroom as well (which is big). It really helps cut down on dust and other allergens. It never occurred to me to dust ceilings. Off to see if my ceilings get dusty! Thanks. I'll check them out. I think it's worse in his room but he also sneezes a lot in the living room too. I was wondering about those kinds of cloths too, but didn't know if they actually work. Does anyone here use them that can chime in? http://www.allergybuyersclub.com/hepa-air-cleaners.html They're pricey, and you have to keep the windows shut to do any good. Thanks hon. :) Tips to cut down the amount of dust. 1. Change your air-filter every month. 2. Switch the blades on the ceiling fan. (They can move air up or down.) 3. Install an air-filter system. 4. Increase humidity. Cheater dusting tip. Blow all the dust down and then vacuum it up. Ostrich feather dusters are great, and you can get a long handle one or temporarily switch the broom on in to reach up high. Thanks for the tips. We don't have any problems increasing humidity down here. ;) I'll have to see if I can switch the fan blades. If it would blow the dust down that would be so much easier. I could just sweep it up then. I just take off my glasses and the whole house looks better. :D LOL I think I would need ear plugs too to not hear my son coughing and sneezing. lol Is it possible that using the broom on the popcorn ceiling is damaging the popcorn and creating more dust? Popcorn ceilings often have asbestos in them, so I'd be really worried about using a broom or really anything at all on it out of fear of damaging it and releasing asbestos into the room. Is there any possibility of removing the popcorn or just putting new drywall over it? :eek: I thought that only houses built before a certain year had asbestos. Mine was built in the 80's. Is there a way to find out for sure? The broom I use has really fluffy and thick (but soft) bristles and it gets the dust off without removing (too much) of the popcorn. I'd love to get rid of the popcorn to tell the truth, but if I have to worry about releasing asbestos I'd be afraid to touch it. :eek: do you have those hypoallergenic A/C filters? I bought one and it made a huge difference in how dusty my house is. We have a washable filter. DH washes it every month. I don't know if it's hypoallergenic or not, but I would wager not since it can be washed. Dunno. Thanks everyone for all your wonderful replies and suggestions. Off to look at Hepa filters now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacie Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 There should be a switch on the side of your ceiling fans that can reverse the direction the blades spin. I switch them to blow the air up, which moves the dust. I also keep a hepa filter in the house, and will use my hair dryer on the ceiling, with the air filter nearby. I live in a high humidity, warm climate too and have two boys with bad allergies and one with asthma. It's a must-do for us!! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 There should be a switch on the side of your ceiling fans that can reverse the direction the blades spin. I switch them to blow the air up, which moves the dust. I also keep a hepa filter in the house, and will use my hair dryer on the ceiling, with the air filter nearby. I live in a high humidity, warm climate too and have two boys with bad allergies and one with asthma. It's a must-do for us!! :grouphug: Hey! I found the little switchy thing on the fan. Never even knew it was there. It was covered in dust. :lol: I switched it and it changed the direction that the fan blades were spinning. Will it blow the dust in a different direction?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I have one of those microscoping poles that has a microfiber bristle duster head on it. I think I got this at either Wal-mart or Target many years ago - maybe Lowe's..... I have cathedral ceilings and very high stairwells, etc. and it reaches everything I need to reach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 I have one of those microscoping poles that has a microfiber bristle duster head on it. I think I got this at either Wal-mart or Target many years ago - maybe Lowe's..... I have cathedral ceilings and very high stairwells, etc. and it reaches everything I need to reach. Will it be safe on the popcorn do you know?? Now I'm freaking out that it might have asbestos in it. :eek: Does anyone know how you find out if you have asbestos in your house? Is there like a gov. agency site or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Will it be safe on the popcorn do you know?? Now I'm freaking out that it might have asbestos in it. :eek: Does anyone know how you find out if you have asbestos in your house? Is there like a gov. agency site or something? Is it a true POPCORN ceiling (sprayed), or just textured? Mine are textured, but I refer to them as popcorn all the time out of habit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravin Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 If you own the house, I'd start with removing the popcorn. Something of a chore, but totally doable on your own. Then it'll be EASY to dust! I wish we could do that in this house. We use the vacuum with a brush attachment. Takes time, but does the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 You could use a dust mop. :001_smile: http://www.amazon.com/Bissell-Smart-Details-Microfiber-Duster/dp/B002SG6HOM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296514220&sr=8-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 Is it a true POPCORN ceiling (sprayed), or just textured? Mine are textured, but I refer to them as popcorn all the time out of habit. It is a sprayed on popcorn ceiling. If you own the house, I'd start with removing the popcorn. Something of a chore, but totally doable on your own. Then it'll be EASY to dust! I wish we could do that in this house. We use the vacuum with a brush attachment. Takes time, but does the job. We own the house. We could remove it I'm sure, but what about what the other poster said about it containing asbestos? I use the vacuum with the brush attachment too, but it's a big room (combined dining and living room) with a big ceiling and it's a pita to climb up the chair, vacuum what my arm can reach, get down move the chair, hike the vacuum up on the chair with me and repeat. I really wish there was a better way. You could use a dust mop. :001_smile: http://www.amazon.com/Bissell-Smart-Details-Microfiber-Duster/dp/B002SG6HOM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1296514220&sr=8-1 That actually looks really good. Do you know if the dust traps inside the microfiber or if it would scatter like with the broom? I wonder how well that would work on the ceiling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 You might be ok as I think most of the popcorn ceilings w/asbestos was in the 70's? But if it was 1980 you're close to that and don't know for sure what the builder used in date of materials. I think you can get it tested in labs like this but I'm not sure how to remove it safely to do that! We have this hepa. It's extremely reasonably priced I felt for the square foot it covers. It has made a huge difference in my son's allergies and allergy related asthma. His allergies do include dust. We have this one (not quite HEPA) in his bedroom which is much smaller. Are you making his bedding dust free (hot wash and dry weekly of anything on his bed, dust protection on mattress and pillows, etc.)? We make sure my son has a shower before bed per the allergist so he's not bringing the allergens with him to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted January 31, 2011 Author Share Posted January 31, 2011 You might be ok as I think most of the popcorn ceilings w/asbestos was in the 70's? But if it was 1980 you're close to that and don't know for sure what the builder used in date of materials. I think you can get it tested in labs like this but I'm not sure how to remove it safely to do that! We have this hepa. It's extremely reasonably priced I felt for the square foot it covers. It has made a huge difference in my son's allergies and allergy related asthma. His allergies do include dust. We have this one (not quite HEPA) in his bedroom which is much smaller. Are you making his bedding dust free (hot wash and dry weekly of anything on his bed, dust protection on mattress and pillows, etc.)? We make sure my son has a shower before bed per the allergist so he's not bringing the allergens with him to bed. Yeah I think this house was built in '82?? I need to ask my neighbor. He would know I'm sure. He owns 4 other units in this complex and has done a lot of renovations and work on the homes. Those filters look nice. I'm going to talk to my dh about getting the one for the bedroom. Do they have to have water or anything like that in them or do you just plug them in and they run? I do give him showers before bed, wash his bedding weekly and have the allergy pillow cases and mattress cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 That actually looks really good. Do you know if the dust traps inside the microfiber or if it would scatter like with the broom? I wonder how well that would work on the ceiling. My regular dust mop does a pretty good job of trapping the dust when I spring clean. I'd imagine the microfiber would work better than mine does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 My regular dust mop does a pretty good job of trapping the dust when I spring clean. I'd imagine the microfiber would work better than mine does. Thanks. I think I might just have to get one of those. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Yeah I think this house was built in '82?? I need to ask my neighbor. He would know I'm sure. He owns 4 other units in this complex and has done a lot of renovations and work on the homes. Those filters look nice. I'm going to talk to my dh about getting the one for the bedroom. Do they have to have water or anything like that in them or do you just plug them in and they run? I do give him showers before bed, wash his bedding weekly and have the allergy pillow cases and mattress cover. No water--just plug in and turn it on! Both have filters that you vacuum periodically to clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 No water--just plug in and turn it on! Both have filters that you vacuum periodically to clean. Great! Yeah, water and my son don't really go good together. Ask me why we don't put the humidifier in his room anymore when he gets sick.:glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 From my experience, the filters that can be washed don't work as well as the higher quality air filters for hvac units. The holes are larger or something and they just don't trap the finer dusts and such. After I switched to the HEPA and the mid level filters our dust went way down. It does cost more per month,but it made a huge difference for us. We also have our unit serviced by professionals about every 6 months. The service includes a thorough cleaning of the unit outside and the fans inside of the unit. That helps as well. You may want to wakl outside and look at the unit. You can wash it off gently with your hose. There may be dirt and dust trapped on the experior that is being sucked in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 From my experience, the filters that can be washed don't work as well as the higher quality air filters for hvac units. The holes are larger or something and they just don't trap the finer dusts and such. After I switched to the HEPA and the mid level filters our dust went way down. It does cost more per month,but it made a huge difference for us. We also have our unit serviced by professionals about every 6 months. The service includes a thorough cleaning of the unit outside and the fans inside of the unit. That helps as well. You may want to wakl outside and look at the unit. You can wash it off gently with your hose. There may be dirt and dust trapped on the experior that is being sucked in. I'm going to tell dh about the air handler filters. Our outside unit is new. We got it over summer and we try to hose it down once a month and never run the air conditioner when the lawn guys are out there with their weed whackers and leaf blowers nor when there are clothes in the dryer (as the dryer vent leads right outside next to the air conditioning unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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