Black Dust

I am not sure what it is, but our floors get dirty quickly here.  I'm guessing it is a combination of factors:

• Walking across the asphalt parking lot to get home
• Dry air and therefore more airborne dirt particles (we have the patio door open about 60-70% of the time)
• Smaller place therefore all the skin cells/hair that comprise most of the household dust have less room to be dispersed (although isn't that dust light gray?)
• No central heat/air conditioning so the air isn't being pulled through a filter
• Vehicle emissions and petrochemical plant emissions

I'm going to get a door mat for inside and outside the front door (and maybe one for outside the balcony door too) and see if that helps.

My dad gave me a book The Good Old Days - They Were Terrible, by Otto Bettmann, which really helps put it all in perspective. Whatever we may think of our cities today, they are a lot better than they used to be. A combination of regulations, common sense, and technological improvements have brought us out of the days of black soot coating every surface, trash piled to rot in empty lots, and open sewers. It is a great read if you are ever feeling excessively down on modern city life.