My house used to get that same way too. Not a day would go by before I saw that grime reaper. But after I bought two air purifiers and lots of plants... wow, what a difference that made. Just thinking about all that dust/pollution that would accumulate in my house makes me cringe.

Those air purifiers put off the ozone equivalent of a constantly running photo copier. I think I'd rather deal with the dust.

AHH! I have the exact same problem. Although there has been crazy construction on my street lately....

I also live a really old apartment with plaster walls, so immediately after I dust any surface, dust reappears. I love the feeling and charm of an older apartment, but hate feeling like I'm a dusty bastard all the time.

Makes me wonder when it comes time for me to buy if I'll go for a newer, drywall style apartment, or subject myself to a lifetime of dusting. Blarg.

Taller people live in a much dustier world, but my frustration with dusting is only compounded by the fact I am short. There is lots of reaching and climbing involved; I give little wipes here and there everyday and thoroughly clean about once a week.

I'd recommend getting a Golden Retriever, a dog that sheds more than you can imagine. Then, when company comes over, they'll notice all the dog hair and completely ignore the dust and grime that builds up. That'll give you some extra time to clean but, not something you'll have to frantically do when guests come over.

Air filters may help that grime issue a bit. It's probably made up of car and truck exhaust, cigarette and food-burning smoke, and other fun pollutants.

The reason you're sick all the time is probably just proximity to a lot of germy people. Try not to touch your face or eat unless you've washed your hands well with soap and water - does not need to be anti-bac soap and warm water either - the agitation is what gets rid of the germy things.

A few cats will work too. :)

Colbot, I don't understand how your dust could come from plaster. Aren't all the plaster surfaces painted? Paint (at least latex paint) is essentially a polymer that forms a seal and locks stuff in. Plaster dust would be locked in behind the paint. If you have unpainted plaster, I guess that could crumble. But if all your plaster surfaces are painted, I don't understand how they could be causing your dust issues. More likely it's pollution, skin flakes, etc.

I have the same problem on my balcony (im right at a busy intersection AND there is an airport right in front of my place!!). its disgusting- everything is covered in brown dust. I never sit out there

Well I completely agree! I live in N.Y.C on the busiest street. I have cars, buses, and a shopping center right behind my building where my windows are. I get constant dust! My bathroom is also the worst. I clean it, and a day later it is dusty. Plus I don't have a window so I figured that made it worst. I have no tips, I will actually be taking other readers tips to try plants and an air purifier.

Don't know if a good fix exists, but you certainly made me feel better to know that it's not just me!
And in a related design question - my baseboards have a shape that collects dust like crazy and I was thinking of painting them light gray, and making the walls a medium gray, but I have never ever seen anybody do anything but white - no matter what the wall color is. Would love to hear if folks think it would a real design crime to do them in gray!

thank you for this post! I just moved to my first city apartment and I thought it was just my bathroom/my lack of cleanliness despite constant cleaning!

For those folks that have central A/C and or hot air heat (furnace) - have your landlord change your air filters regularly...this will not only reduce particulates (dust!) from entering your home, but also will reduce energy use. Clogged filters = more dust, and more energy use to heat/cool your home!

I have the same problem. You might want to think about hiring a professional cleaning agency to do a once-a-year, serious deep clean. They'll get behind the fridge, light fixtures, vents, etc. -- places where you wouldn't normally clean but that can collect dust and dirt that gets circulated into the air. It'll set you back $300-$400, but it'll seriously improve the cleanliness of your home for many, many months after it's done.

i used a clear removable caulk on most of my windows (left one per room undone so that i could open it). cut down on the fine black dust immediately. might be worth a try!

what an interesting and empirical result. Windows have sealant around them. I would start there. Of Course, it means redoing the all the windows in the apt. Also, where else does air flow? ducts, under doors, other places? Cleaning down those places with spray product and wiping out with rags might help.

I thought plants helped with oxygen, didn't know about the dust, I have a huge palm I have to dust every week, and use banana peal which helps.

There must be inventive ways to reduce the inflow, since that doesn't didn't' come from your skin. I think you can reduce the problem but not eliminate it.

If you have central heat/air have the landlord clean the ducts, there may be dust built up within them.

I've had dust apartments and gotten energy efficient air purifiers. These help reduce the amount of dirt and dust in the air. Once you start running one, check the filter in a week and you'll see how much you're pulling out of the air and be amazed. It also helps reduce any allergens that may be causing sinus problems.

The air filters do help. I have one in my bedroom to help with allergies, and I vacuum the filter weekly. It's amazing how much dust/cat hair/grossness gets trapped in there. Not all filters can be cleaned by vacuuming - check you rmanual.

Let's not rhapsodize over clean country air. I remember red dust over every surface, every day. The wind never stopped blowing over the land and the house was in the way. No matter how tight you closed everything up, red clay dust and manure was on everything.

Different grime deposited over different time.

Like most everyone here, dust happens. If you were gone for nine days, hope they were enjoyable. Here in the southwest, we get powdered sugar fine dust even without a dust storm. I'll put up with it just to have the door and windows open now and then.

Next time you're gone that long, make sure the bathroom window is shut tight, maybe duct tape plastic around it, shut the bathroom door and put a rug or towel up against the bottom of the door. I can see your frustration with 'all white' and dust.

1. Not all air filters are created equal. There are several different types of air purifiers, and a little homework will reveal which one is right for you. Others have suggested to check your central air system if you have one. Having the coil cleaned and using top of the line filters will help (and lower energy consumption). If you do get a localized air filter, keep it where you sleep (unless you work at home, then keep it in your office). This is where you do most of your breathing in your home.

2. I used to live in Chicago (right across from the Chicago Theater) and leaving the window open for an afternoon would leave a thin layer of sooty grime all over my apartment. It's definitely pollution. And it is definitely gross! If your noticing it in your bathroom mostly, it might be because there's a sticky surface it can adhere to. Hairspray and other personal care products can leave a residue that isn't always noticeable. Try cleaning with a different product to see if that helps. Even some cleaning products can leave a residue. A fresh coat of kitchen/bathroom paint can help too, and it'll make cleaning easier.

3. Plants like carbon dioxide, which is not what's covering your bathroom with grime. Even plants need their leaves wiped down occasionally! They are great and give off oxygen, but they won't clean your air.

I laughed at "taller people live in a dustier world". I know what the tops of refrigerators look like.

When I lived in the city I would occasionally don a raincoat and hat and wash down the entire front of my with a pressure hose, to remove the diesel dust. But grit isn't confined to cities. Out here in the country I am constantly fighting a fine layer of mixed dirt, pollen, soot (fireplace) and dander. There is just a constant supply -- I keep windows and doors open most of the year, and the dogs bring in half the yard in their coats.

But it's clean dirt, right?

I recently moved into my own apartment and have been dealing with this SAME problem! I thought living in a residential neighborhood by the beach would be relatively clean. I was wrong, airplanes from SNA fly directly above my street -_- If I keep my windows open for a few days it looks as if soot from a chimney coats every surface nearby!

Must.not.forget. ~Trade offs~

It's not at all helpful, but here's a fun fact: that black grimy city dust is mostly composed of ground-up tire rubber from all the cars! Even here in SF where the wind off the ocean is constant, it still gets everywhere. Not much to do but filter the air and encourage 'traffic calming'.

Years ago I lived in an apt. where exhaust from diesel buses was so bad it appeared to be rotting the mandatory curtain liners. My neighbour told me it was useless to talk to management. She said get disposable filters to put under the grates of heating vents, peel and stick insulation strips around the windows. She also suggested a washable screen for any window I wanted to open. I did the filters (which got really filthy each month) and the insulation and my asthma problems subsided. However instead of buying screens I saved up to move. I don't know if any of these things actually helped or if they are still available but perhaps someone else knows more about them.
A parent once got permission to put an air purifier in my classroom because of her child's allergies. I know that I got fewer colds that year and the storage areas stayed dust free much longer.

In our last NYC apartment, the window wells were quite deep. We cut black rubber (like for floors) to custom fit into the wells. It covered the white wood, hid the dust-dirt, and you could pick them up and give them a scrub in the bathtub. Helped a lot, because trying to clean the actual window wells creates a wet black smear mess.

I have no fix, but I am also glad to know this isn't just me! I grew up in a home in the suburbs on a green belt, and there was dust, yes, but NOTHING like my downtown Vancouver apartment. The amount of dust I saw in my childhood bedroom after a few months of not dusting is the same I get in a week in the condo. You can SEE piles of dust in the hallway after a few days-it's just awful.

The worst is our front door though-because they blow the air quite strong in the hallways to prevent smells from wafting into each others condos (works great in the summer since the hallways have a/c and the units don't) we get this thick layer of DIRT in the corner of the wall right next to the door.

Okay my most helpful tip with dust. Take warm water and a few drops of fabric softener. Now dont go crazy with it or you will make things slimy and sticky. Then give everything a good wipe down. I know it sounds kinda crazy but try it. It wont make a whole lot of difference but it will help a little. And it will make the whole house smell nice too.
I have alot of old wooden antique furniture from my husbands family. I hate the stuff personally. Sure it looks nice but it attracts dust like nothing else. So the fabric softener helps me not have to dust every single day of my life.

I used to live on busy thoroughfare and the dust that accumulated from the street traffic was crazy. I learned to keep my windows shut if I wasnt at home or didnt need the cool air.

Removing our shoes before coming in the house made a big difference too. Less sweeping/vacuuming just kept the dust out of the air, I guess.

I dont know if this picture is your bathroom or a stock photo, but in one of the homes that I remodeled, the heating/venting ducts needs to be professionally cleaned afterwards because they were just blowing remodeling dust throughout the house- even with clean filters.

I've heard of using fab softener, badevilbunny - I'm going to try that next time. Thanks for the tip!

And all this time I've been blaming the cats, the dog and myself for not constantly cleaning. Glad to know it's not just me!

I live in the city and dust accumulates all the time. You were away for a few days and a simple explanation could be that the dust that was floating in the air before you went settled while you were away. I find that moving around to clean my appartment just lifts the dust so I go easy on that. When I was a kid, people used coal furnaces to heat their homes plus they rarely opened their windows in the winter. Also, all year round, a majority of people smoked and spoiled everybody else's air. Things have definitely improved.

Y'all might be interested in reading "The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl", a gripping account of the horrible dust storms that plagued Oklahoma (?) and other areas in the 30's. Ken Burns did a documentary about that time that is coming out in November---should be pretty good. People died from just routine inhaling of everyday dust all over everything, not just from getting lost in dust storms. It was awful.

Yep. Thick black dust and grime. It's disgusting, especially during the summer when the windows are open all day. We have those slat windows too, that get covered in grime. I'd have to dust every day to keep on top of it. I dust twice a week, and try to vacum/ shark the floors twice a week too. And each time its disgusting. But I'm not doing any more cleaning than that :).

I had this same problem in one of my past apartments. I pulled out a screwdriver and took the cover off of all the vents in the apartment. I had to scrape off so many layers of paint, it was obvious that no one had taken the vents off in years - perhaps ever. I was so shocked by what I found behind the vents that I took photos and sent them to my boyfriend who was horrified. I pulled out actual chunks of dirt out of the vents! I cleaned them out as much as I could. After that we had far less dust.

too true, homebody. too true. this black nyc stuff has ruined curtains and really just makes me cranky. i'd like to put my plants in the wells, outside of the window gates, but the fear of them being killed by piles of this building up on the soil keeps me from doing it.

In its pre-reno condition, my house was basically open to the elements: windows wouldn't close all the way (loads of fun when it rained and in the winter), doors weren't sealed, no insulation, etc. etc. etc. Yes, let's just say it was in TERRIBLE condition and could honestly have been called a tenement slum. There was constantly a layer of black gritty dust over everything. I could vacuum thoroughly and a few hours later all the grit would be back. To say it was horrible would be an understatement. Now, in it's post-reno condition with new modern windows, sealed doors, insulation, etc., the house gets a bit dusty, but it nothing compared to before. I'm now dealing with the opposite problem: it's too closed up and now I have to leave a window open a crack on purpose because otherwise the house feels hermetically sealed which causes a whole different set of issues.

TL;DR If you have all that dust all the time, the apartment/house should probably have an energy audit type thing because windows, doors, walls etc. are not providing as much of a barrier to the outside as they should be. Even if you can't do anything about changing the windows/walls/doors, you will at least know where the weak points are so you can think about how to counteract them.

Also, I don't just live in the middle of a city, I also live within a few blocks of an actual-honest-to-God-located-in-an-otherwise-residential-neighborhood-coal-powered-power-plant. Thank you Congress for being such awesome thoughtful neighbors!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Power_Plant

So I get to have all the joys of 21st century pollution with all the benefits of 19th century pollution too! Don't you wish you were so lucky?

@AND_SCENE: You are so right about the hairspray. My elderly mother lives with me and uses hairspray daily. When I clean her bathroom I am shocked at how much dirtier it is than mine. I live in the desert southwest and we don't have black grime (I've lived in the urban East, too, so I know what the OP is talking about) but we have sand grime. There is a fine layer of it on every surface of my mother's bathroom. I long ago came to the conclusion that her hairspray acts like glue and once the sand hits that hairspray, it doesn't move. Electronic items in the house are also sand magnets, of course. The televisions especially! I dust them EVERY day.

You can buy the small adjustable window screens in an air filter version. (I couldn't find them online, but I've seen them at home depot and your smaller hardware stores may have them as well.) If you don't have central air (as in my case) opening your windows is a must and this really helps. You can follow any of the tips here for sealing the edges.

I live in Santa Monica, CA, in a mid-century building with mid-century glass slat windows. This essentially means that my windows are never truly closed and that there is a fine layer of black dust over everything at all times, no matter how often I clean! I love my ocean breezes, but someday I'd love to try living in a sealed up place with central air!

@POODLE MOM: Sure, light grey baseboards would work. I've seen a lot of pictures of rooms with the just the baseboards done in unexpected colors — blues, greens, reds, yellows, you name it.

Last year I read an article where a well-known designer was advocating painting baseboards black. She said (and I'm paraphrasing, because for the life of me I can't remember who it was or locate the article again) that painting baseboards black is similar to underlining a sentence (i.e., it's like emphasizing the entire room, making everything above the baseboards appear important; I think she also compared it to eyeliner). She said not only are black baseboards an easy way to meet the requisite designer's rule of thumb of having at least one black thing in every room, but grounds a space and makes it appear more sophisticated, even giving the impression of interesting architecture in plain rooms that have none. Google "black baseboards" and you'll be able to turn up photos of rooms where it's been done. Looks kind of cool!

One thing that designers swear is guaranteed to work (I've been in places where people have done it and it looks amazing) is that if you want to do trim in a color other than white but you're nervous about whether it will work or not, you can literally make ANY color work (and not look out of place) by painting ALL the trim and baseboards throughout the entire space/house/apartment the same color. It's the continuity, not the color, that gives it a "Yes, I am supposed to be this color" look that people will simply accept without questioning it. If they mention it, it will probably be to say, "I want to do that in my place!" The only way it won't work is if you choose a wall color and trim color that are icky together. Taupe walls with deep orange trim would look striking, especially in a loft, but no amount of continuity would make orange trim look anything but hideous with grass green walls.

Anyways, have a look at this pic of mid-grey trim with light grey walls: http://tinyurl.com/c7ockjr It would look equally nice reversed. Be brave! Life is short. If you don't like it, you can always change it back. :)

@Granola Suicide OMG LOVE that screen name. Laughed so hard!! I moved to San Diego, CA after living in my hometown of Columbus, OH for over 30 years. I think it gets SO DUSTY here. My husband (from Long Beach, CA) doesn't think that's the case; he blames the dust on cat litter. So not true - we use dustless corn-based cat litter! I am constantly Swiffering. I should own stock in that company.

You can try swiping bathroom surfaces with dryer sheets -- anti-static, keeps dust from zooming there. if you can't afford a fancy-pants air filter, you can make your own very effectively and inexpensively with a 20" furnace HEPA air filter (Home Depot, etc.) fastened with duct tape or twist-ties to the back of an inexpensive 20" box fan. Put mats outside and inside entry doors. But remember that into each life some dust must fall and don't make yourself crazy about it! On a scale of 1 to 10, dust falls way to the bottom!

My house is 760 sq feet. I run 3 Honeywell HEPA air purifiers 24 hours a day (except the one in the bedroom). They have cut down my dusting significantly. I have them each on a rubber pad rubber carpet slip mats) so they don't create any vibration noise. When I vacuum the filters about once a month I am always amazed at the collection of dust on there.

I used to live on 14th street in NYC. I know of the black grime you speak of. I think these would have helped a lot.

Roomba! In my imaginary world (I have yet to succeed with this idea because I have an old, unprogrammable Roomba), I'd program Roomba to vacuum every day so at least the floors are clean and I don't end up with a black-bottom foot. And then I would just gather the dust from shelves or other surfaces above the ground and drop it on the floor for Roomba to pick up. It's a flawless plan!

If you have forced air, ensure your landlord changes those filters regularly. If possible, get them to upgrade those filters. (a "standard" $2 filter most people opt for is like trying to filter with a screen door). 3M Filtrete makes very good ones and their top of the line 24x24x1 filter should be about $10 each and should be swapped out between 1-6 months, depending upon the size of the system, the grime in the air and your allergies or whatnot.

If you are getting sick a lot, it may definitely be germs as other answers point out, but having an increased "load" of grime and allergens will make you more susceptible to colds and bronchitis (and in particular to them being worse than they might otherwise be).

If you can invest in a good HEPA vac, like a miele - that would be great. It is a canister vac which comes with attachments and a long wand so you can get high areas once a month or so. Those can cost a pretty penny tho.

A good air filter like a Blueair would be very helpful. If you actually do have allergies or asthma (which you've not mentioned having, but maybe check with your Dr), you MAY be able to get any of the above "prescribed" by your doc as medically necessary and it could be covered by insurance or you could pay for it through your Flex Spending. I do not recommend any of the sharper image type filters that are electrostatic. They are ineffective and dangerous. In fact I may be dating myself because I am not 100% certain they are still on the market!

Get a half dozen microfiber cloths or cheap washcloths (of a different color than the ones you use on your person if it helps) and keep those to dampen and give your bathroom a quick wipedown at the end of each day.

I don't like using disposable things as a rule, but having those swiffer fluffy dusters (unscented) on hand can help make dusting go more quickly and sequester those things that invade your air and surfaces.

If you have hardwood floors, consider a few area rugs. The apt will still get as must dust in it, but these will help keep the dust contained until you can vac thoroughly once a week.

Check out your windowsills when you open your windows. An amazing amount of dirt and grit can accumulate on those in just days. Give those a wipedown with one of those damp mcrofiber cloths when you open the windows and keep a lot of grit from blowing in and undoing your hard work of cleaning.

I have pretty bad asthma and allergies. Employing the above techniques helps keep things under control and my urban house (with dog) pretty darn clean and pleasant! The windowsill thing is HUGE and kind of unexpected.

If you have a small place and have the means, a trustworthy cleaner once a week can be surprisingly inexpensive and very much worthwhile. Instead of an expensive vacuum and air filters, get a hand in keeping on top of the cleaning (and save valuable weekend time!). I don't have the means for that at the moment tho, so that could just be a wonderful dream...

For dust coming in from outside you can install allergen proof window screens...They are supposed to be amazing. I am on a wait list.
http://www.pollentec.com/
I vacuum {slowly} everyday. I use a eucalyptus essential oil spray on my rugs too...Does it help? I don't know.

If your building isn't tight, tight, tight, you are going to have dust. But, all that tightness leads to other problems, as the air in your space is probably worse than it is outside. Just something we all have to deal with.

I rent a room so I use one of those swirling water things that claim to clean the air while giving a nice scent. The water becomes cloudy grey so I guess it works somewhat!

We have the same problem - so annoying specially in summertime when all windows are open. Maybe a fan is "cleaner" but they use a lot of energy and then we get even more grime.
Be aware of vacuuming every day if you have small children. My son is allergic to a lot of things and has asthma. The doctors and the asthma and allergy associated in Denmark warns about vacuuming daily because you swirls the dust into the entire room instead of having it "only" on the floor. Its better to ventilate the rooms and wash the floors just with water (ventilating for quick drying - humidity is also bad for asthma).
Dust and grime is the disadvantage when you live in the city...!

I've heard Ionizers will get rid of excess dust though I've not tried one.

Definitely invest in air filters. They make a world of difference and reduce the amount of dust and particulates in the air like crazy. We can tell who has has them in the Hoboken homes we clean!

Ves Kay
http://www.cleanpopo.com

Wax poetic about the clean country air all you want - been there, and done that in several areas and it comes with its own level of ick.

Lots of great advice here, I'll add a few thoughts.

Do you have carpets? If so, invest in a good vacuum with a HEPA filter. If not, guess what normally catches and holds lots of that dust and gunk? Yep, your carpets. You'll have to find other ways to contain the dust.

Air filters - get a good one.

Windows - keep them closed, install good screens, install an outward blowing fan, seal them with silicone. Umpteen suggestions, but the bottom line is, our homes aren't air tight. Putting up thin, sheer curtains can help catch the dust that comes in before it gets spread around. Be sure to wash them regularly.

Check and replace all the filters for your HVAC system. And while you are at it, do you have an in-unit washer/dryer? Check the dryer and clean not just the lint trap, but the entire hose and exhaust system.

There's really no way to completely eliminate dust - it's a fact of life. And if you're in an environment that produces particulates (whether car exhaust or lots of pollen from plant life) you'll have to deal with that as well.

Plants and filtration help, and adding soft surfaces (curtains, carpets, etc) that catch and hold particulates will as well. And all of those things require maintenance of their own.

Good luck!