Dust, dust everywhere

July 10, 2024 6:10 PM

Contractors came to do some painting and sanding in my apartment, and now everything I own is covered in a layer of fine white dust. It's a small space packed with clutter and papers and books and tchotchkes and I'm a little overwhelmed. Tidy People of Metafilter, how do I deal with this?

I'll be the first to admit my apartment is not exactly dust-free at the best of times, but this is craaazy. I already did a haphazard pass with a wool duster and a vacuum and a wet swiffer thingy which has helped get rid of the worst (like, it doesn't look like it just snowed indoors anymore), but there are just so. many. surfaces, and I guess enough ambient dust kicked up in the air and all around that even the dusted bits are already dusty again. I feel like what I need is a methodical way of cleaning EVERYTHING, but the mere thought makes me want to lie down in my (slightly dusty) bed and have a little cry. Can someone please hold my hand and walk me through how to get my apartment back to its original, only-slightly-slovenly state?

posted by btfreek to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

Some tack cloths would be really helpful, they're sticky mesh-like cloths and they catch fine dust instead of making it fly everywhere. They're usually used for getting sawdust off woodwork so that you can stain or poly, so you can get them at the hardware store if not a big store like Walmart. Get some disposable gloves too if you don't like the idea of basically having sticker residue on your hand when you're done.

If you're able to, take everything cloth and not easily washable outside and beat it before dusting with the tack cloths, so it doesnt kick a bunch of dust back up. YMMV, but I like to put people cleaning on YouTube while I clean so that it feels like I have company without having to take care of anyone. You've already done the hardest part, you can do it!
posted by Eyelash at 6:42 PM on July 10 [4 favorites]

The dust will likely continue to settle for a couple of weeks and you'll have to clean a few times. My advice is, don't strive for perfection for the first week or two. Be patient and save the big clean for a couple of weeks out.
posted by happy_cat at 7:38 PM on July 10

This sounds super frustrating and I’d be very irritated that the workers didn’t warn you in advance and/or section off their work area with tarps to mitigate dust spread.

In your shoes I would focus on
1) the bed - wash the bedding, and vacuum the bed while you’re at it
2) the kitchen surfaces

And then make a list of remaining zones and tackle them zone by zone.

I would also borrow or buy or DIY an air purifier and run it nonstop to help catch floaty dust particles. While not magical, these things actually do work well to trap dust! I own a Coway Mega and it catches a lot of dust. Or you can diy something like this. keep this running for a week or so, or at least a day after you finish cleaning.

Air purifiers are something I would personally feel comfortable loaning to a friend or a Buy Nothing group member, so consider asking around to find one to borrow.
posted by samthemander at 7:43 PM on July 10 [4 favorites]

a small battery-powered dustbuster vacuum shouldn't cost too much & they are quite handy for situations like this. if you do buy an air purifier, i recommend one that can also heat/cool
posted by HearHere at 10:00 PM on July 10

There is nothing like construction dust and debris. The advice I give you is from a person who has survived a few house renovations and worked at a contracting firm.

If all the dust production is completely done then here are two options:

Hire a cleaning service to do a deep clean of your place. Top to bottom cleaning. Consider this the Summer Cleanse of 2024 gift to yourself.

OR if you want to do it yourself then here are the rough steps to go about it:

1) Start from the top to down of each room. You will want to use a swiffer type mop to wipe down the vertical and maybe ceiling depending on level of dust. No need for special chemicals just a good wipe down;

2) If you have a lot of tchotkes like glass items then dishwasher could cut the time for cleaning. You take tchotchkes that CAN BE SAFELY WASHED into the machine to be rinsed;

3) Any soft items such as your bedding can be washed or just rinsed in your washer. If you have any soft toys they can be put in a mesh bag and washed safely;

4) A combination of vacuum, weak cleaning solution (a liter of water, a few drops of Dawn soap and a tablespoon of isopropyl alcohol OR just use Dr Bronners and skip DIY formula) and a pile of cleaning cloths will do for the rest. Everything can now be dusted. Run the vacuum attachment over things to get the dust off before going in with a damp cloth wipe down including upholstery, books, furniture, etc. The last thing you do is the final floor vacuuming.

Things I caution people about with construction debris: wear a mask, empty out the vacuum before and after the whole job and ventilate, if possible.
posted by jadepearl at 12:48 AM on July 11 [5 favorites]

Wear an N95 put a fan blowing out in the window on max. raise dust inside, rinse and repeat until you feel you can take care of what's left.

Silica dust is not to be toyed with.
posted by Max Power at 4:15 AM on July 11

Swiffer dusters, changed regularly, HOLD onto the stuff, unlike other methods.
Also, definitely start at the ceiling and work down.
posted by mmf at 8:19 AM on July 11 [1 favorite]

Tidy person here seconding professional cleaners, and the contractors/painters should really cover the cost because protecting the house from dust and debris is part of their job. That being said, I've had three major projects done in my space in the last two years (windows, floors, painting) and all three times the workers left a huge mess that I threw money/house cleaners at to make it go away because I was so overwhelmed and over having those dudes in my space/life. So don't feel guilty if you don't want to go back to them for the cleaning fee, but if you have the emotional energy you're absolutely within your rights to ask for them to cover it.
posted by justjess at 9:11 AM on July 11 [2 favorites]