Dust mitigation

Equipment
1

I have 3 indoor dogs and 3 indoor cats.

Dust is a huge problem.

HALP! What do you do to mitigate dust problems?

3 Likes
2

Don’t let the furry little darlings anywhere near the music room. That was my solution before I was banished to a shed in the garden! But, this is not always practical or wanted either - it’s nice having critters around.
What I do now is cover stuff as far as possible. And have one of those small battery powered vacuum cleaners to pick up dirt when I spot it. If I had to go to the house, get the “big” vacuum cleaner and come back down to the shed it would never happen.

1 Like
3

I’m curious what folks are using for dust covers. I suppose some elasticy/spandexy type things could work with the eurorack without requiring unpatching.

4

Heh, not a good idea I guess, but where @Angela and I lived before, we had lots of carpet. So that just acted as a dust magnet getting it out of the air.

Current place is wooden floors, and I notice myself sweeping and picking up hairballs constantly.

Having no personal experience with it, I would imagine something spandex like would only act as a filter really, still letting smaller (and more problematic?) dust through. Like a dust sieve.

5

I find this tool to be useful for picking up dust on my gear:

https://www.oxo.com/electronics-cleaning-brush

Oxo makes things that are thoughtful and well designed.

2 Likes
6

I keep all my stuff in boxes, and rarely use it these days… but I guess that’s not really a solution :smiley:
jokes apart… my secret weapon against dust is this: http://swiffer.com/en-us

2 Likes
7

Marwah, who cleans our house daily would be a very good solution for you… but she’s taken already

1 Like
8

Dust is always present - animals certainly make it worse. I am an animal lover - I have three dogs. Despite my affinity for animals, I have to draw the line somewhere - NO dogs on the bed and studio.

9

Heh, the bed is in the studio, and two dogs sleep in it.

1 Like
10

I use a GermGuardian air cleaning tower and I perform spot dust cleaning with a Swiffer. When not in use, I just toss an old bed sheet over everything at my desk. For monitors, I use old pillow cases. The rest of my apartment, on the other hand…

5 Likes
11

Maybe keeping a cuboid dust filter in the music room can help:

1 Like
12

It may of been mentioned already but i keep a good quality 2” paint brush reserved for robust dusting duties

4 Likes
13

Get a Dyson. It’ll change your life. It also has a great brush attachment that I use directly on my gear.

One of these:

https://www.dyson.com/vacuum-cleaners/cordless-stick-vacuums

14

Been keeping a largeish microfibre glasses cloth draped over some of my gear, which works well enough that I’m going to need to buy a bigger one to make sure everything is indeed covered. Also handy to have a glasses cloth within reach.

15

I have one cat, what works for me is:

  1. vacuum/sweep the room every day
  2. use a large air purifier for several hours a day
  3. use deshedding gloves on the cat once a week

If I slack on any of these I’ll start seeing dust on things, but if I do them all then pretty much no dust/dander or cat hair on anything

1 Like
16

I use old T-shirts which aren’t perfect but at least give two layers of cloth coverage and nice designs :sunglasses:

I also have a makeup brush that’s good for clearing off visible particles.

My current dog has relatively short hair compared to the former German Shepherds :+1:. Plus he’s still a puppy and not very chilled out so I don’t invite him into the music room very often…

1 Like
18

I read that draping fabrics, e.g., bedding sheets, on electronics encourages static accumulation. Does anyone have an alternative approach when covers/lids are not commercially available?

19

I can’t find the exact brand I have but something like this was helpful for me. Bunch of small attachments and more powerful than canned air.

20

Decksaver for Launchpad, Elektron equivalent for Digitakt, drawer storage or occasional swiffer wipes for everything else.

21

I have angled racks and a mastering desk with all the gear facing up towards the ceiling, so dust is the enemy. For me…

  • I cover everything when not in use. I get so many black t-shirts from clients and companies that I cut them up and make covers out of them.
  • I use compressed air when necessary.
  • Daily I use a makeup brush to dust things off without moving any knobs.
  • The rest of the house gets constant “maintenance-cleaning” passes with a Roomba to keep dust and pet hair in general to a lower level.
  • I vacuum my studio regularly.
  • I dust with a damp cloth carefully as often as I can stand…which isn’t often enough. :slight_smile: (Otherwise I’m just moving the dust around, y’know?)
3 Likes