I’ve just swept and mopped. Once the floor dries, I could easily go sweep again and turn up more dust and dirt. If I were to mop again, I’m almost certain the water in my bucket would be filthy. It feels like it’s never actually clean.
Beyond that, there’s dusting, cleaning windows, sinks, countertops, bathrooms, and probably things I don’t even consider. How do you all stay on top of these things?
Also, carpets wear, and generate dust themselves. Think of all the lint you find in a dryer, and compare the area of your clothing to the area of carpet.
I didn’t include it in my original comment because it’s kind of tangential, but carpets also trap rusty staples and – very strangely – rusty finish nails. Over six years, my feet have found dozens of these staples and nails twisted within my house’s carpet, each of a shape which I have never owned.
I honestly don’t know what the previous owners of this place did, but I recently had every shred of carpet ripped out and replaced with wood-look tile. I bought myself some indoor slippers for winter and haven’t looked back since.