joannqn Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 (edited) I understood why our old house was dusty. We had forced air heat with the furnace in a dirt cellar. The house was located on a major arterial, so all that traffic kicked up extra dirt and dust. Plus, it was old (90 years) so there was lots of dust in the carpeting, ducts, etc. This house doesn't have a furnace. The heating is exclusively cadet wall heaters, and I opened them all up and cleaned them about 3-4 months ago. We are on a cul-de-sac, in a quiet neighborhood. The only cars that come here either live here or are visiting someone who lives here. The house is only about 20 years old and the carpet is newer than that. We have one less pet than we did at the other house. We have a wood stove but haven't used it in a few weeks. I'd say that this house is twice as dusty as the old house. Any ideas of where the dust is coming from? It's making my nose and eyes quite unhappy. And the Zyrtec I've been taking seems to be making my nose more congested, but I can't not take it. Without it I sneeze all day and my eyes itch and water. When my eyes get like that, sometimes the white of my eye blows up like a balloon; it isn't pleasant. This is what my DVD player looks like in a week: Edited April 21, 2011 by joannqn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quad Shot Academy Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 :bigear: Me too. We have no pets and vacuum every other day with a new hepa filter vac. My house looks just like yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 :bigear: Me too. We have no pets and vacuum every other day with a new hepa filter vac. My house looks just like yours. One positive that has come out of this is that I learned the brush attachment for my Miele works very well as a blind cleaner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 We are dealing with the same thing, but I think ours has to do with our house being less air tight and people running in an out more (we now have a fenced yard, so the kids go out by themselves now). We have no carpet, so that's not it, and we are home the same amount of time (no more skin cells than before). One thing that has helped is getting air purifiers for all bedrooms and the living room. Hope you find a solution soon, allergies are no fun at all. ETA: One more thought, is your new house less humid? The humidity can help keep the dust out of the air, but if the air is too dry the dust tends to be more problematic. We live in an area where it is very humid during the summer and fall and dry the rest of the year, so we get a bit of both lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 We just moved out of an old dusty house into an almost new house, left behind a gravel road for newly paved streets, and we're still dusty. At the old house we had a lot of trees that acted as a wind break, catching much of the dust and tree debris. Now we are open on the south and west sides of the house, more wind= more dirt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest momk2000 Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Wow, I thought it was just me. Copious amounts of dust here too. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elise1mds Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 It's bad here, too. I've been changing the air filters at least once a month. That helps, but it's not cheap (we use the really good filters to help DS' allergie) and certainly not a fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 I'm pretty sure you can't put air filters on cadet heaters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koerarmoca Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 we have a lot of dust in our new house.. its crazy. I bought dusters for dd2&5 and just let them loose. while its not a perfect dust job it helps some :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 We have a lot of dust, and I think it increased after I had to purchase a new vacuum a few years ago. I went with a bagless vacuum, and the next one will not be. I am starting to believe that the bags actually help hold the dust in better. We also have the "popcorn" ceilings. A friend with asthma had her doctor tell her to get rid of them. You can scrape it off and refinish it, but you are talking a lot of work. Could either of these be the reason? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 We have a lot of dust, and I think it increased after I had to purchase a new vacuum a few years ago. I went with a bagless vacuum, and the next one will not be. I am starting to believe that the bags actually help hold the dust in better. We also have the "popcorn" ceilings. A friend with asthma had her doctor tell her to get rid of them. You can scrape it off and refinish it, but you are talking a lot of work. Could either of these be the reason? Nope. Our ceilings are the same texture as our walls...regular mud and paint. I use a Miele canister vac. They work so well that even the inside is dust free when I remove the bag (it automatically closes when you open the canister). And the HEPA filter truly works; it lets out no particulates at all if you believe the youtube video about them. I do believe the video as there is absolutely no vacuum smell from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Have you tried vacuuming the ceiling and walls? Maybe there is contractor dust falling down when ever the door slams? Do you have screens on the windows? Screen door on the front and back door? What kind of dirt do you have outside? Is it very dry and dusty or is it more compact and dense? If it is dry and dusty, maybe a spritz of water outside the doors and windows when they are open would help. (this seems unlikely as wet of a winter we have had) Is your dryer vented properly? Maybe you need to replace the vent hose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 A wood stove (as much as I love them) will leave a fine residue of an ash-like substance on furniture nearby. Our dust comes mainly from the fact that there is no pavement around us - all dirt, right now mud. I have dust in the summer from opening the windows and dust in the winter from the wood stove. Dust is a part of life. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 A wood stove (as much as I love them) will leave a fine residue of an ash-like substance on furniture nearby.Our dust comes mainly from the fact that there is no pavement around us - all dirt, right now mud. I have dust in the summer from opening the windows and dust in the winter from the wood stove. Dust is a part of life. ;) :iagree: Wood stoves give off ash-dust all winter...it gets into carpets, curtains and upholstry fabric...walk on the carpets, move curtains, sit on couches...that ash goes airborn and settles on surfaces everywhere. Another possibility: besides our (red) road dust, is POLLEN from open windows/doors. Our "dust" turns yellow in the spring, so does my car, and porch... I think pollen is worse than ash or road dust, it makes us WAY more miserable. :ack2: Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Uhura Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 We have a lot more dust right now in my new home. In my old home w/ forced air heating, the air constantly went through the ventilation system and was filtered. In my new home, the heating is baseboard heating (water) so air is not being circulated through the ventilation system to be filtered. When we're leaving the house for a couple of hours, sometimes I turn the fan on so that the air is filtered through the ventilation system. I notice less dust after I've done that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I have the same problem. I only noticed it after we moved to TN and TN is not known for being a dry dusty state. I have never been a prolific duster but I never had these problems before, even when I lived in OK, NV, UT, TX where there is a lot more dust. Come to think of it, I don't think my dd has these probems in GA. I use 2100 HEPA Ait Filters, keep the windows and doors tightly closed, use room size HEPA air filters and a HEPA vac and still have horrible problems with dust. I always leave my laptop open and yet I have to dust the the top (which is always vertical) every day. I have a plastic cover on the keys and then cover them with a cloth at night. To top things off, my worst allergies symptoms seem to come when the weather is humid or wet. Spring is the worst, they get worse as night falls and it becomes more humid out, humidifiers make it worse. So I can't fight the dust or the humidity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in OH Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 We have the same problem here. I can dust and 2 days later I need to dust again. Dusting is my least favorite house hold chore. If I have company coming, I have to dust the night before they come before I go to bed! We were even running air filter most of the time. It drives me crazy. I don't recall having this much dust in any other place I have lived. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 I'm all ears for tips. Last year a tree outside one window was cut down, and I feel like everything has become much dustier, but probably not. There are dust bunnies everywhere, no matter how often I sweep! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secular_mom Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 IME humidity=dusty home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Hmmm, that might be true (what secular_mom said). We currently live in a very dry area, and I almost never dust. Back when I lived in the Midwest I dusted much more frequently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted April 21, 2011 Author Share Posted April 21, 2011 Well, our windows and doors are almost never open; it's still too cold. We have rainy weather most of the year so everything outside is moist, not dusty. The wood stove explanation makes the most sense. I didn't consider that it would leave behind dust that would get stirred up even when we aren't using it. Like I said, we haven't burned anything for a few weeks, and I've vacuumed, mopped, and dusted since then so that didn't seem likely. Dusting is also my most despised chore. Besides being a pita, it makes me sneeze and makes my nose run and my eyes water. So, I have to be made sick so not to feel sick. :banghead: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 IME humidity=dusty home. Hmm, that seems counter intuitive to me. Seems like humidity would keep dust grounded. As far as pollen and dust allergies, humid places are supposed to have less problems because the moisture in the air basically washes the pollen to the ground and causes it to stick there instead of flying around. This has been my experience prior to living here as well. No allergies in FL for example but I think I must be allergic to something that lives in dampness here in TN. Anyhow, GA is humid and my dd doesn't have the dusting problem. Also, I didn't have it in FL or TX and they are both very humid. I think it must be some other variable. My guess is that pollen probably has something to do with it. We get layers of pollen here that form on cars in a matter of hours. Or it could simply be that while your eyesight gets worse in old age you are somehow able to see dust better. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secular_mom Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Hmm, that seems counter intuitive to me. Seems like humidity would keep dust grounded. As far as pollen and dust allergies, humid places are supposed to have less problems because the moisture in the air basically washes the pollen to the ground and causes it to stick there instead of flying around. This has been my experience prior to living here as well. No allergies in FL for example but I think I must be allergic to something that lives in dampness here in TN. Anyhow, GA is humid and my dd doesn't have the dusting problem. Also, I didn't have it in FL or TX and they are both very humid. I think it must be some other variable. My guess is that pollen probably has something to do with it. We get layers of pollen here that form on cars in a matter of hours. Or it could simply be that while your eyesight gets worse in old age you are somehow able to see dust better. :tongue_smilie: Interesting. I lived in a very dry place before and never had to dust. Now I live in the South and need to dust constantly, seems like the humidity causes the dust to cling to things more and there's way more pollen in the air here because of all the greenery. I think what wet dust can stick to furniture easier than dry dust. :) After a nice rain the pollen is out of the air for a while, but the humidity doesn't seem to keep it out of the air on the non-rainy days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satori Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Out of curiosity because I just realized I never have to dust in dry Colorado, I googled "household dust prevalent in humid or dry climates". Found this page on Dust Allergy Information. Here is their #1 tip for reducing house dust allergens. 1. Measure the indoor humidity and keep it below 55 percent. Do not use vaporizers or humidifiers. You may need a dehumidifier. Use vent fans in bathrooms and when cooking to remove moisture. Repair all water leaks. There comes a time in spring where we DO have to dust. Yellow pollen gets everywhere! That's about the only time I worry to keep doors/windows shut and wipe off our deck furniture a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Out of curiosity because I just realized I never have to dust in dry Colorado, I googled "household dust prevalent in humid or dry climates". Found this page on Dust Allergy Information. Here is their #1 tip for reducing house dust allergens. 1. Measure the indoor humidity and keep it below 55 percent. Do not use vaporizers or humidifiers. You may need a dehumidifier. Use vent fans in bathrooms and when cooking to remove moisture. Repair all water leaks. There comes a time in spring where we DO have to dust. Yellow pollen gets everywhere! That's about the only time I worry to keep doors/windows shut and wipe off our deck furniture a lot. We have a whole-house humidifier. This explains a lot....:sneaky2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted April 23, 2011 Author Share Posted April 23, 2011 That's it. Mold grows on our windows so fast that I have to bleach them every 3 weeks. If I forget, my body reminds me by developing vertigo. Moisture is definitely a problem. We do use the bathroom fans, but our kitchen exhaust vents right back into the kitchen, literally right above the stove again. The only thing it is good for is helping to prevent the smoke alarm from going off by pushing any steam and smoke to the kitchen side of the peninsula rather than the dining room side of the peninsula. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted April 23, 2011 Share Posted April 23, 2011 Out of curiosity because I just realized I never have to dust in dry Colorado, I googled "household dust prevalent in humid or dry climates". Found this page on Dust Allergy Information. Here is their #1 tip for reducing house dust allergens. 1. Measure the indoor humidity and keep it below 55 percent. Do not use vaporizers or humidifiers. You may need a dehumidifier. Use vent fans in bathrooms and when cooking to remove moisture. Repair all water leaks. There comes a time in spring where we DO have to dust. Yellow pollen gets everywhere! That's about the only time I worry to keep doors/windows shut and wipe off our deck furniture a lot. Thanks. That is extremely helpful. I will implement some changes and seeif it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Aren't the pine trees having teA right now? I have to run my windshield wiper to get it all off so I can drive home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
secular_mom Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 I thought all the plants are shagging right now, LOL. Oak tags are driving me nuts, as are the birds (they are pooping all over my vehicle), the squirrels (they sure can throw those acorns and twigs) and the leaves falling from the oak trees. Here when it's spring the leaves are still falling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Aren't the pine trees having teA right now? I have to run my windshield wiper to get it all off so I can drive home. :lol::lol::lol::lol: I always thought it was called shedding pollen. but I have a feeling I will never look at a pine tree the same again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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