To think you shouldn't have to dust every day

[soyvanillalatte]

I know this is a boring housework type post but geez, I'm so bloody sick of having to dust every single day.

I will dust a surface, (not high traffic- obviously I'd do them every day anyway) , and there will be a dusty deposit there again the next day if not within a few hours.

I'm not a super obsessive cleaning type person. These definitely do need a dust.

Is it normal to have to do this? Do I have an extraordinarily dusty house?
Why are some houses so much dustier than others?

(p.s I have to vacuum every day too)

AIBU to think people don't usually have to do this everyday?

*apologies for boring housework post

Don't most mumsnetters use baby wipes for dusting? I tried to get my toddler to do the skirting boards but he just grabbed a whole wodge of them and then threw them away after doing about a foot of it.

Is it a new build OP? I was told by a builder that it takes years for the extra dust to stop appearing! It seems to be accumulating quickly. Mine probably appears after a week but I just avoid looking at it...

I hate dusting and see it as a waste of time. Within minutes, there's a thin film back again. So I only do it once a month fortnight. YABU to dust every day. Life is far too short for that.

Try a dehumidifier, we used one after building work and really helped, also, wet dust with Huggies

I can dust twice a day here! I hate it.
I don't know why but this entire block of flats seems really dusty.

It's an old block, built in the 50's. Has 40 flats, 10 floors, I live on the 9th.
There's an air vent in the bathroom that sucks air out. And all the windows have little air vents above them. Building is made of poured concrete.
I notice it the most in my bathroom.
I wipe the top of the cistern down and then the sink.
A few hours later there will be a fine but noticeable layer of dust on them both.

It really drives me mad. I don't feel it is healthy. I damp dust too so it's unlikely that I'm just fluffing all the dust up and it's re settling.
I can only conclude its the vent drawing the air giving the air, and by default its contents, a steady flow.

"Dust If You Must"
by Rose Milligan

Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better
To paint a picture, or write a letter,
Bake a cake, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends to cherish, and life to lead.

Dust if you must, but the world’s out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it’s not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.

You shouldn't have to, but we have to as ds2 is anaphylactic to dust mite, as well as hoover everyday also but Hoover the Capet 4 X over [cries]

AliceInHinterland

Don't most mumsnetters use baby wipes for dusting? I tried to get my toddler to do the skirting boards but he just grabbed a whole wodge of them and then threw them away after doing about a foot of it.

I use baby wipes for everything Alice

Also can someone please explain to me why living on a main rd, which I do, makes your house so dusty, which it does. Iv heard this being said a few times. The dust in my house is unbelievable. I hoovered the upstairs off the house yesterday it filled up my dyson. It was only six days since it was last done and we've hardly been here

I dust once a never.

Maybe I exfoliate so well that I don't have much dust .

I love that poem!
Unfortunately I think it's the particles in exhaust fumes that create the dust on busy roads, possibly also the cars stirring up lots of dust. I think a hedge can make a huge difference at making the air cleaner.

Oh great. That may be why some off my neighbours have really tall hedges. Well I try to wet dust every few days downstairs. Dd has ashma so the busy rd has always concerned me.

I'm not sure, that's just my theory living on a busy road, but I think most places in a town are as bad as each other.

Well everyone seems to say that living on a busy rd means more dust ! Wish I could pick my house up and move it to somewhere like Cornwall ! Bet Cornish dust is healthier

I don't dust, but hoover a few times a week.
It drops off eventually if you leave it, life's too short.

A wise man said to me A woman that doesn't have any dust has nothing better to do

I give my 9 yr old babywipes and he does the dusting. He's quite good at it.

When people say life is too short and the like I often wonder if they live in a hovel where you have to wear shoes to the bathroom at night lest things get stuck to your feet.

A busy road does bring in muck and dust.

So I just need to wait 7 years until his helping is more... helpful.
I don't think not dusting often constitutes a hovel though, that's a bit harsh.

Dust and housework?

I'm with Quentin Crisp...

“There is no need to do any housework at all. After the first four years the dirt doesn't get any worse.”

― Quentin Crisp

And you are all welcome to visit anytime.

I vacuum every other day. Hard floors downstairs. I vacuum upstairs once a week, carpets.
I dust everywhere twice a week.
Clean the downstairs loo every other day
Clean the bathrooms once a week, but wipe round the loo every 2 days

I use wipes for wverything. Leather wipes for the sofa, dusting wipes for dusting, dettol wipes for the loo

I have two dogs so feel they make a lot of the dust.

I bought a fly lady purple ostrich feather Ken Dodd job about ten years ago and it's a bloody miracle.

Quick whirl round and you're done. as I say to the cleaner

@Mooingcow, if you have a spare moment could you come to mine with your purple ostrich feather duster please. Or you could send your cleaner. I don't mind.

Thank you.

I should do this because we have a very dusty old house but like you find it soul destroying. I do it once a week now unless its really bad and it comes to my attention. Otherwise i just let it go because lifes too short. My son wants to go to the park. What am i going to say when hes older? 'sorry we hardly ever went out its just that i had to dust every surface in our three storey house every day then start again immediately as i finished because the dust had re settled on the bottom floor by the time id finished the top...' Just leave it. Just make a specific day for it or if you really need to a specific couple of days and then just dont look at it at any other time. xxxxx

Xexxsy no problem.

I also find that drinking gin makes me see less dust and also stops me following the cleaner round in white gloves running my fingers along the tops of door jambs.

I dust daily too. I see dust on my blinds every morning in the daylight ... Drives me nuts. I am a bit of a clean freak though.

I only really notice dust on a black chest of drawers. Every time I walk past I swipe across it with my hand.

Dusting done

The rest of the house I only really dust once every 10 days or when I notice it.

No pets or young DC to make much mess though.