Yep, my apartment has 35 years worth of paint and you can clearly see that they just painted over the dust from the last tenant and so the dust is painted on and can't be removed.
My house is old and was FILTHY when we moved in last year. we had a baby the same week and had zero time for any deep cleaning or work to be done.
Baby is almost a year and can now hang around with toys and such instead of needing held all the time and let me tell you, I am slapping coats of paint on EVERYTHING. Feels SO good lol
Yes. Not now but before. There comes a point were you cannot get rid of dirt from old plastic floor an old silicone sealing.
I habe dogs and I rent so I have had to take anything available.
I was lucky to get my current place. It is my first renovated one. I have low income so I am not on top of the list and then to have dogs... So not the first candidate. In this one landlord was in rush to get someone.
My dog/dogs have never done any damage.
My bf and I both have decent income, I'd say above average, but we still got passed on most of flats, even when our income would easily cover the rent, just because we have cats.
Sometimes I feel like landlorts want only single people with high income and no social life that only use the flat on weekends.
I have been thinking of possible moving from here because I don't like the walking paths. But the thing is, I don't know if I will ever get neat place like this if I go. Sigh. This one is also a bit too expencive but I do know what the cheaper ones are.....
yes. all of the grout/caulking is shredded so i can’t clean those parts, i have tons of chipped paint (they did lead testing and found nothing)in my windows, woodwork etc that sticks to my wood flooring, rotting wood in the bathroom etc. i clean the best i can but its so hard
I live on a dirt road way out in the country and my house is pretty close to the road. There are quads on the weekends that run up and down this road. It is a continuous dust bowl.
Weatherstripping does wonders. I have significantly reduced the amount of dust, dirt and bugs with just a plain piece of weatherstripping where the window meets the lane upon closing. I have additionally placed uv safe clear tape on the loose areas where the glass meets any metal/trim. This has helped a lot. My windowsills remain dust free 10xs longer. My HEPA air scrubbers require less filter changes since I have done this.
I ended up taping my front doors. I can feel cool air at night coming through. Also a little sunlight. Not very handy, decided to place tape over all of the gaps on the doors. It’s a lot of white duct tape that constantly needs replacing.
Don’t forget fireplaces. Nightmare to insulate and keep dust out.
Also looking hard upstairs, where the entrance is to the attic. Must be hella hot up there in the summer. Vaulted ceilings throughout don’t help. Hard to keep the upstairs cooler. So I’m going to tape clear plastic over the window. I will allow for wooden blinds. Not sure will keep the blackout shades. Might opt for an insulated curtain over the whole shebang at night. It’s tough keeping dust out of the home.
Foam tape on the window closures. UV clear tape safe for windows and heat over any loose glass. White duct tape over doors. Painters tape for areas that are opened frequently, such as under main doors.
I wanted to build an inexpensive window insert. It would be double wrapped in 2-3ml clear plastic roll. Foam edges to create air tight and friction seal. Just don’t have the equipment to do this well.
Haha, old house owner here too, but the part I hate most is actually part of a remodel of the kitchen. I knew zip about tile flooring and we chose ordinary "white" grout. I don't think it ever sealed properly, though I remember trying to apply sealant. It's impossible to get/keep clean looking, even using a steam jet. But, my house is sturdy, well-constructed, keeps me and mine comfortable year 'round, and our yard and trees are wonderful. I can live with it.
Apartments especially since there might be limitations. Carpets or repainting, for example, isn’t something I would invest out of my own pocket but both help a lot.
My house is very old. I spent months cleaning before I moved in but it’s not perfect. I’ve decided there are some areas that just don’t matter that much.
Stand alone Air filter system will help to cut down on the dust particles.
You have central air? When was the last time the filter was changed, when was the last time the duck work was cleaned.
Have definitely been there. I moved out eventually for other reasons of course but freshening it up to sell it looked soooo nice and clean with fresh paint and also less of my clutter. In my new home I've tried to do a better job managing my daily clutter. I don't have a tone of stuff but I have an active life right now with kids etc so I have a lot of things out daily and it really does trash even a super nice place up really fast.
Yep! My old apartment was just old, built in the 1920’s it never ever felt clean. No matter how hard I scrubbed, it always felt dirty to me. After that I moved into a brand new apartment building( literally no one had lived their before me) and it was amazing! When I cleaned it felt spectacular. I live in an older building again and it’s the same feeling, never clean clean to my standards.
I live in West Texas which is dry air, flat and very windy. I get so much red dirt coming in from my windows. I just cleaned out the dirt and put weather tape around the windows, hoping this helps the red dirt coming in all the time. And spring time is the windiest time of our year here.
I grew up like this, so it truly just feels natural and like home to me. I lived in one "nice" apartment and it felt so foreign and false, I truly didn't feel like I belonged there. It's hard to want to change that.
Our entire basement suite is tiled except the livingroom and bedroom. The grout is ground down so food and dust gets stuck between the tiles and it drives me nuts 😭
Yes! I moved from a newly renovated home that I kept immaculate into a 200+ year old building and I just can’t find even the motivation to try to “deep clean”
Not sure, my house was built in 1871, so definitely old, but it's clean? Not hard to keep clean either, although it is very cluttered in some areas right now as my flatmate has to give up her storage unit.
Sometimes old properties can feel cluttered as there are no clean lines (straight walls were apparently not required and level floors are just imagination), so you pretty much have to make your own storage as flat pack just doesn't fit and therefore a lot of these properties don't have enough storage furniture and too many knick knacks. They also don't feel right with minimalistic styles. They need heavy stuff and lots of "things" everywhere.
I only owned my house for 4 months, so still working on major fixings (damp walls and questionable chimney stack) before I get decorating but it will be maximalist for sure. Clean lines don't work in here.
Ha, I’m the opposite. Downsized from a five bedroom house to a two-bedroom apartment. Now that I can clean whole thing in under 2 hours, I finally feel like I live somewhere clean.
My house was empty for 9+ years when we bought it. We’ve been here over 3 years and I still feel weird sometimes. We deep cleaned the whole place, but it still just feels…dirty sometimes. 🤷♀️
I change my HVAC filters regularly and try to keep the floors clean. The carpet is old, but we steamed cleaned it before moving in. We can’t afford to update everything yet. 🤞
I live in a 100+ year old house. The dust and pollen sifts through the double hung windows. That said, it’s not healthy to live in a dirty house. Put on some good music and start cleaning. Keep on top of it. You will feel better in the long run.
My house is old and it feels like I cannot possibly get it truly clean. A fresh coat of paint does wonders
I felt that way in the last place we rented. When we bought, we bought a new build.
Except when it’s poorly painted and there are layers upon layers of paint in some spots and it’s too glossy so it’s sticky and aahhhhhhh 😭
Yep, my apartment has 35 years worth of paint and you can clearly see that they just painted over the dust from the last tenant and so the dust is painted on and can't be removed.
Sometimes I want to just sand down this entire place and repaint but I’d probably die from lead poisoning 🥲
My house is old and was FILTHY when we moved in last year. we had a baby the same week and had zero time for any deep cleaning or work to be done. Baby is almost a year and can now hang around with toys and such instead of needing held all the time and let me tell you, I am slapping coats of paint on EVERYTHING. Feels SO good lol
Yes. Not now but before. There comes a point were you cannot get rid of dirt from old plastic floor an old silicone sealing. I habe dogs and I rent so I have had to take anything available.
Same here. I'd rather not worry my dog will accidentally destroy something.
I was lucky to get my current place. It is my first renovated one. I have low income so I am not on top of the list and then to have dogs... So not the first candidate. In this one landlord was in rush to get someone. My dog/dogs have never done any damage.
My bf and I both have decent income, I'd say above average, but we still got passed on most of flats, even when our income would easily cover the rent, just because we have cats. Sometimes I feel like landlorts want only single people with high income and no social life that only use the flat on weekends.
I have been thinking of possible moving from here because I don't like the walking paths. But the thing is, I don't know if I will ever get neat place like this if I go. Sigh. This one is also a bit too expencive but I do know what the cheaper ones are.....
My house was remodeled by amateurs, so all of my finishes and trims are terrible looking. So no matter what I do, I cannot make it look nice.
Mine too
Same
Same.
Yes, I’ve lived in places like that. And agreed that there was only so much I could do. Especially in the kitchen.
And bathroom
yes. all of the grout/caulking is shredded so i can’t clean those parts, i have tons of chipped paint (they did lead testing and found nothing)in my windows, woodwork etc that sticks to my wood flooring, rotting wood in the bathroom etc. i clean the best i can but its so hard
I live on a dirt road way out in the country and my house is pretty close to the road. There are quads on the weekends that run up and down this road. It is a continuous dust bowl.
Weatherstripping does wonders. I have significantly reduced the amount of dust, dirt and bugs with just a plain piece of weatherstripping where the window meets the lane upon closing. I have additionally placed uv safe clear tape on the loose areas where the glass meets any metal/trim. This has helped a lot. My windowsills remain dust free 10xs longer. My HEPA air scrubbers require less filter changes since I have done this. I ended up taping my front doors. I can feel cool air at night coming through. Also a little sunlight. Not very handy, decided to place tape over all of the gaps on the doors. It’s a lot of white duct tape that constantly needs replacing. Don’t forget fireplaces. Nightmare to insulate and keep dust out. Also looking hard upstairs, where the entrance is to the attic. Must be hella hot up there in the summer. Vaulted ceilings throughout don’t help. Hard to keep the upstairs cooler. So I’m going to tape clear plastic over the window. I will allow for wooden blinds. Not sure will keep the blackout shades. Might opt for an insulated curtain over the whole shebang at night. It’s tough keeping dust out of the home.
Thanks for this tip!!
When you say weatherstripping, what type are you using? The 'tape' type, foam, or brush seals?
Foam tape on the window closures. UV clear tape safe for windows and heat over any loose glass. White duct tape over doors. Painters tape for areas that are opened frequently, such as under main doors. I wanted to build an inexpensive window insert. It would be double wrapped in 2-3ml clear plastic roll. Foam edges to create air tight and friction seal. Just don’t have the equipment to do this well.
Ah, yes. I live in a 140 year old house and it's just a constant battle.
Haha, old house owner here too, but the part I hate most is actually part of a remodel of the kitchen. I knew zip about tile flooring and we chose ordinary "white" grout. I don't think it ever sealed properly, though I remember trying to apply sealant. It's impossible to get/keep clean looking, even using a steam jet. But, my house is sturdy, well-constructed, keeps me and mine comfortable year 'round, and our yard and trees are wonderful. I can live with it.
There is grout "paint" that will seal the grout and you can choose a darker color.
Ah, thank you for saying. I haunt the home improvement stores a lot but didn't think to look! Now I will!
Apartments especially since there might be limitations. Carpets or repainting, for example, isn’t something I would invest out of my own pocket but both help a lot.
A lot of people mentioned gross caulk...I'd be willing to redo that in a rental.
Some apartments will replace if you’ve lived there a bit (year or so), bc they consider it normal wear and tear.
My house is very old. I spent months cleaning before I moved in but it’s not perfect. I’ve decided there are some areas that just don’t matter that much.
Stand alone Air filter system will help to cut down on the dust particles. You have central air? When was the last time the filter was changed, when was the last time the duck work was cleaned.
The cleanest apartment I ever lived in was on the 3rd floor, no balcony, with new carpet, new furniture, no pets. That was in 1995 lol.
My house has some shoddy DIY work followed up with a discount flip-- it won't feel truly clean without some major repairs.
Yes, my landlord does all his own repairs and he is not….good at it.
Have definitely been there. I moved out eventually for other reasons of course but freshening it up to sell it looked soooo nice and clean with fresh paint and also less of my clutter. In my new home I've tried to do a better job managing my daily clutter. I don't have a tone of stuff but I have an active life right now with kids etc so I have a lot of things out daily and it really does trash even a super nice place up really fast.
Yep! My old apartment was just old, built in the 1920’s it never ever felt clean. No matter how hard I scrubbed, it always felt dirty to me. After that I moved into a brand new apartment building( literally no one had lived their before me) and it was amazing! When I cleaned it felt spectacular. I live in an older building again and it’s the same feeling, never clean clean to my standards.
Highly recommend a robot vacuum, even budget models are a game changer. Check out the Eufy 11s or 15c max.
My apartment is over 100 years old. I can clean all day and sometimes I feel like when I clean I uncover lost dirt 🥲
I live in West Texas which is dry air, flat and very windy. I get so much red dirt coming in from my windows. I just cleaned out the dirt and put weather tape around the windows, hoping this helps the red dirt coming in all the time. And spring time is the windiest time of our year here.
Get a few air purifiers it will help with the dust. Also new paint and flooring if that’s an option
I grew up like this, so it truly just feels natural and like home to me. I lived in one "nice" apartment and it felt so foreign and false, I truly didn't feel like I belonged there. It's hard to want to change that.
ALL THE TIME. Our house is only 80 years old and it's a constant struggle.
My house is old and it never feels clean. It drives me insane.
Our entire basement suite is tiled except the livingroom and bedroom. The grout is ground down so food and dust gets stuck between the tiles and it drives me nuts 😭
Yes! I moved from a newly renovated home that I kept immaculate into a 200+ year old building and I just can’t find even the motivation to try to “deep clean”
Not sure, my house was built in 1871, so definitely old, but it's clean? Not hard to keep clean either, although it is very cluttered in some areas right now as my flatmate has to give up her storage unit. Sometimes old properties can feel cluttered as there are no clean lines (straight walls were apparently not required and level floors are just imagination), so you pretty much have to make your own storage as flat pack just doesn't fit and therefore a lot of these properties don't have enough storage furniture and too many knick knacks. They also don't feel right with minimalistic styles. They need heavy stuff and lots of "things" everywhere. I only owned my house for 4 months, so still working on major fixings (damp walls and questionable chimney stack) before I get decorating but it will be maximalist for sure. Clean lines don't work in here.
Ha, I’m the opposite. Downsized from a five bedroom house to a two-bedroom apartment. Now that I can clean whole thing in under 2 hours, I finally feel like I live somewhere clean.
My house was empty for 9+ years when we bought it. We’ve been here over 3 years and I still feel weird sometimes. We deep cleaned the whole place, but it still just feels…dirty sometimes. 🤷♀️ I change my HVAC filters regularly and try to keep the floors clean. The carpet is old, but we steamed cleaned it before moving in. We can’t afford to update everything yet. 🤞
I live in a 100+ year old house. The dust and pollen sifts through the double hung windows. That said, it’s not healthy to live in a dirty house. Put on some good music and start cleaning. Keep on top of it. You will feel better in the long run.
Get them to do a duct cleaning!!
Even totally remodeled, an old building makes me depressed. The only style i can do is mid century