Help! Please talk to me about dust / big dust problem

[lololizzy]

I have my work cut out for me, fighting the dust in my home.
I live in Greater London and pollution is pretty bad / am on a main road which is busy 24 /7.
Am also next to a construction site, my car is covered in thick white dust so everyday I can see how bad it is just by getting into my car (and not being able to see out of windscreen).
It's too hot and humid to have windows closed in flat.
Am in very small and very cluttered flat.
I accept myself and DP have not helped matters by living in clutter. Right now I've started making a big dent in the de-cluttering but of course it merely stirs up the dust! I'm coughing and spluttering right now. Also the lounge is used as a bedroom (DP snores so bad that I get the bedroom) and a work space, as he works from home. We can only cut down so much, on the amount of stuff as so much of it is needed. (we used to live in a huge flat, so obviously it looks like we have too much stuff because of the space..didn't seem/look so bad before)
I mop AND hoover all floors every day without fail (often twice). Wipe down computer screen,tv screen etc daily. In the lounge I now have an Enviracaire HEPA 250 air filter thingy (Honeywell). I have no idea yet, if it actually works (it has sodding dust sitting on top of it!) so there I am, also wiping the top of the hepa! I've had it for a few weeks. I can't feel any difference as the air still seems stifling and dusty to me.
If anyone has similar situation...how do you deal with it?
I'm getting really down. I've just decluttered computer desk / shelves in lounge as less stuff should mean less dust (???) but now there's dust storm from doing so and I can feel it in my eyes, up nose etc so I almost wish I hadn't bothered though I guess in long run it will improve situation.
Also....is dust actually harmful to people/ pets (assuming you don't have allergies/ lung problems?)
Sorry so long , please be kind, my first time in GK section!
thanks

I know it sounds anal/ fussy, but am actually getting quite depressed. The building work has been for a year and a half and could be another 6 months or so . Also I work in a dusty dirty environment so I never get a break from dust. Moving right now is not an option and actually we are lucky to live in an amazing area.

Dh was telling me there's been a huge sandstorm over the sahara causing lots of dust here - car obviously covered. (We're Greater London too.) So maybe that's not helping.
Would just keep plugging away with what you're doing. Common sense says it'll have an effect in the long-term and clear surfaces are easier to give a quick swipe to.
My PIL house used to be v neglected. (They've never cleaned / have always had cleaners in who only do surface stuff and have lived there 30 odd years) They then spent at least 5 years having repeated goes at it (or getting cleaners in to do specific rooms top to bottom I should say) maybe in part as it'd make me ill when we visited. So it is a lot better now.
That said they still don't do anything more than get the cleaners in once a week / every other week though and they still keep lots of stuff that I wouldn't so it's not "my standard". Guess you'll reach your own "equilibrium" if you keep at it though.

have spent the entire afternoon doing one area of the lounge (our 'working' area as DP works from home and I do eBay so really, is our office corner) and i was ranting about stirring all the dust up earlier (going to need a big bath and hair wash!) but I guess sometimes you have to make a lot of mess, to end up with less mess. It's going to be easier to dust this area now.
But where does all that stirred up dust go? (apart from in my hair!) I hope the filter got some. I've hoovered and then mopped about 3 times (i guess mopping last is best as hoover also stirs up dust?)
I feel so much better for doing it but there's still the rest of the flat to do and I'm almost tempted to get someone in, then again the thought of them going through our personal stuff?!.... the trouble is we have zillions of books, dvds, vinyl (DP won't part with his record collection!) all of which are massive dust harbourers. It looks bad in bright light to see all the dust, but i know if i start moving stuff around it's going to cause dust clouds.
I didnt know abut the Sahara as it does seem worse than normal. but the building site next door is covering everything in white dust and it's unbearable. I long for rain as it keeps the dust down!

does anyone know..if you are literally swallowing dust and breathing it every day, more than normal amount, does it pass through you? is it harmful? I'm not freaked about that (though unpleasant) but does it all pass out through blowing nose and going to toilet? I can literally taste it so I know it's going into me. I don't get sick much so maybe it's strengthened my immunity!

I would assume it could go into your lungs like smoke does and could cause some damage, but I am not certain.

just watching the programme on Animal Hoarding and the lady with 25 parrots and her whole house covered with thick dust (bird 'dander') and she has health problems as a result...compared to that I really don't have it so bad but then, that's her choice! shudder

I wonder if you should keep the windows shut during the day and open them in the evenings when construction work has stopped for the day?

i would but...DP is working right next to the window and feels the heat a lot anyway...

i think what we have is an actual ioniser, but it doesnt seem to make a difference.
Hmmm no curtains at all so good point! Obvious too so i feel very dim now!
Might try freecycle for a billy. We have a LOT of shelves (making the most of narrow rooms but very high - victorian) they are all open and all totally disgusting with caked dust. We have only been here one and a half yrs, it's gross...can't believe how that much has formed then again we are cluttered and if you saw my car (parked by the construction site) hmmmm... a lot of it is us though, not getting on top of it choosing to ignore it for fear of the dust storms !!

damp dusting, yes.
Decent hoover ? any recommendations? can't really stretch to Dyson prices at moment. At the mo using a small Mojo vax which isn't great

what bugs me is that our ioniser has dust sitting on top of it!! It's pretty ironic i have to dust it!!

ionisers make dust fall out of the air, so there is always dust settling around them. Put it on a surface that you can damp-sponge frequently.

A Miele cylinder will capture more dust than most others, especially dysons. You can get synthetic bags for a lot of vacs now, which are said to capture more dust than paper bags. Also clean and change the filters frequently.

Could you afford to put dp's vinyl collection some of your things into storage, at least until the building work has finished. That way, dp's vinyl collection precious items that might be damaged by dust and also things you maybe only use once a year like Christmas decs or camping stuff will be stored safely and away from the dust and you will have clearer surfaces to clean.

I'd try and do a bit of a "book cull" also. I hate parting with books too but are there any paperbacks you didn't like the first time you read them, or could easily get from Amazon for a couple of quid or from the library, should you want to read them again? If so I'd charity shop those. If you can't bear to part with them, box them up and label accurately ( eg paper back detective stories or whatever) and put into storage. After 6 months, you may feel better about getting rid of them as you will realise how you haven't needed them in that time.

Also impose a "something out, something in" rule, so if you buy some new clothes/books/vinyl records or whatever, try and get an equal number of items out if the flat - either into storage or get rid.

Do you need to get DP on board a bit more with this? Can you speak to him directly about how you feel the dust is affecting your health and how you absolutely need to make some changes. Would he be happier about working more often with the window closed if he had a desk fan?