Is there more dust on lower floors? (New York, York: apartments, how much)

[Cida]

NYC's post about seeing dust reminded me that I've been meaning to ask this for a long time.

For the first time with my NYC apartments, I'm on a lower floor. Major dust, which is a big problem, because I'm a terrible housekeeper. I was just wondering, is that the curse of a lower floor, or is it just a fluke of how my windows are positioned?

[Kefir King]

It's hopeless.
I'm 15 stories up and the dirt coming in the windows is just incredible.

I bought the apartment and they spiffed everything up for me spotless, but I didn't move in for a month. They made the mistake of leaving a window open.
When I moved in it was like walking on a beach and I spent two days cleaning.

If I open a window, I have to wash the window sill almost every day, so for me it's air conditioning and keeping radiators turned off most of the winter...and windows tightly sealed.


I am just surprised that most New Yorkers don't come down with "miner's lung."


Maybe 40 stories up is different?

[a l'ouest]

I'm on the third floor and I clean like it's my religion. That being said, it's DISGUSTING how nasty my Swiffer gets every time I dust the wooden floors (twice a week). Even moreso when I realize that I've had a window open once or twice during the week. We go the air conditioned route as well in my house. It's just getting through this period when it's not hot enough to turn them on but still warm enough in the house to want the breeze from an open window.

[nightcrawler]

I'm on the 4th floor, and it gets dusty here also. If my kitchen window is open in the back part of the apartment and the wind is kicking, which most times it does, there is a film of dust everywhere.

I like the air movement, so my windows are always open all the way. I just keep dusting and vacuuming.

This spring though the window sills have to be dusted a lot and a lime green film comes off, which is pollen. Funny thing in the back courtyard there are no trees, only concrete yet the window ledge is filled with pollen. Goes to show you just how much is in the air.

[mc33433]

When I lived on 9th Avenue, and my windows faced the avenue, I used to get a black dust all over my windows if they were open. It was constant. Ugh.

[jen5276]

when I lived on a main street, the dust was worse...

[BSL1534]

Yes, there is more dust at lower levels. There is dust everywhere, but in cities construction, high traffic, industry, and lots of neighbors mean a lot more dust.

Some of this will be carried up by air currents with more going up in humid, hot weather. At night, when the temperature drops, particles will settle down. Same concept as rain. The air is not able to old moisture or dust particles as well at colder temperatures.

Since a lot of dust is created lower to the ground, and not all will be carried up, but most will eventually settle, the dust at lower levels is greater in volume. Studies have indicated that people on lower floors have a significantly increased risk of lung disease. The caution on these studies though is that those on higher floors generally have more money, and money has a direct inverse relationship to health problems.

Even in well sealed spaces the air inside is exchanged completely with outside air within a few hours at the very most. In most spaces, especially older ones, the air will likely be exchanged in under an hour. Shutting the windows is probably not going to have much of an effect on dust. In fact, it may make the problem worse as now dust will settle from both inside and outside sources with much less dust escaping out the open window. The best solution is, if possible, to create airflow through the space.

I can do this by opening my bathroom window and bedroom windows. They are in near alignment north-south. There is considerably less dust settling in either room than in my living room where there are only windows on the south side. I have identical tables in the living room and the bedroom. The living room table is noticeably dusty a day after cleaning. The bedroom table does not look like the living room table for a week or more.

[Cida]

I tried getting those little sliding thingies that sit just inside the window and have a layer of foam to catch dust, but it didn't allow air flow.

[livingsinglenyc]

Originally Posted by Cida

I tried getting those little sliding thingies that sit just inside the window and have a layer of foam to catch dust, but it didn't allow air flow.

What are these? I'd be interested in looking them up and maybe trying them.

[allnaturalkiki]

I get a lot of dust. I live on the first floor across the street from a construction site. So im constantly cleaning.