The Dust Problem

By HERBERT COGGINS

FEW of us realize the tremendous waste of man and woman hours in our present handling of the dust problem. All the brush and broom makers, to say nothing of the carpet-sweeper and vacuum manufacturers, and their salesmen devote their entire time to this one problem. And that’s just the beginning. From then on, millions of wives, husbands, and even children spend hours dusting floors and shelves and furniture.

This is practically all waste effort since in no case do they get rid of the dust: they merely push it around from place to place or stir it up into the air, whence it settles back to where it started. As a matter of fact the wisest plan, up to the time of my invention, was the much discredited one of sweeping it under the carpet, where, if left alone, it will disturb no one.

My plan is simple. In the house I am designing there will be no place for the dust to land. Each room will have a movable floor, like a bird cage, which can be pulled out and shaken out the window. Meanwhile new dust will attempt to settle. In this it will be completely foiled and will be forced to descend to the basement floor, which will previously have been covered with a sticky, molasses-like substance. This will take care of the dust forever.

Perfecting my plan, I will design all bureaus, shelves, dressers, and beds to be built down from the ceiling so that there will be no top surfaces to hold the dust.

But the revolutionary advantage of my plan is that for the first time we shall get the use of the best part of the room, the upper halfundoubtedly freer from dust. Flies and mosquitoes and moths have long recognized this, while we have been content to share the lower part with the things that can only crawl — like ants and crickets.

I am enthusiastic about my idea, but I am having a little difficulty with one detail of the blueprint.. That is, to locate a convenient place to stand while shaking the floor out the window.