How does the National Trust tackle dust?
Dusting To reduce the wear and abrasion on surfaces, loose surface dust is cleaned off only when it is really necessary. Cleaning becomes necessary when dust spoils the presentation of a room, but this depends on the nature of the house. Some houses such as Polesden Lacey are kept looking glittery and sparkling, to remind us of the glamorous parties once held there, and so any visible dust is removed. Other houses look more worn and dusty to remind us of their age and condition when acquired by the Trust, such as Chastleton House and Calke Abbey where historic dust remains visible. This is how we tackle the dust: • From April to October on days when houses are open to the public, and before visitors arrive, we remove dust daily from every floor on which visitors walk (the ‘visitor route’), using a vacuum cleaner. • On open days, we also clean sturdy surfaces that show dust, such as dark shiny wooden tables near the visitor route. For these smooth flat surfaces, we use soft cotton duste
