Last summer, I helped my friend clean out her garage after a remodeling project. We spent hours vacuuming up drywall dust and sawdust. Two days later, a fine layer of grey powder had settled on everything again. It was like the dust was alive and just waiting to come back. We realized some bits were so light they floated in the air for days. That kind of job needs more than just vacuuming, it needs time for the air to clear too.
Man, I feel that. Once tried to clean up after a small DIY shelf project. Used a cheap vacuum and basically just painted the walls with dust. It looked worse than before I started. Had to wait like three days for the air to clear before I could even see the floor again. Felt pretty dumb staring at my fuzzy furniture. Now I know to just let things settle first.
Yeah, that part about waiting for the air to clear is so true, @lily_torres31. It's like the dust you kick up just finds a new place to land. I mean, even after you think you've got it all, the lightest stuff is still floating around for ages. Maybe it's just me but I've started using a damp cloth on surfaces first to trap it, before I even think about the vacuum. Otherwise you're just moving the problem around the room.