Dealing with City Grime and Noise

Welcome to the 21^st Century in Metropolitan America! We’re tech-savvy, intellectually advanced, globally attuned and humanistic multi-taskers.

The industrial revolution in the 1700’s and 1800’s, which some might say started us on the path to the afore-mentioned attributes, also provided us with some reminders that progress isn’t necessarily squeaky clean; nor is it silent—ergo, grime and noise pollution.

The good news: we can do something about each of those two issues. Let’s tackle grime, first.

Clearing Soot From Your Apartment

Ah, dirt, soot, exhaust. Here’s how to manage:

Air filters. Change them regularly. If your HVAC doesn’t have clean filters, it won’t be as energy-efficient, and it will not clean as well as you’re expecting it to. Worse, the unit might become so clogged that it ceases to function.

The solution? Change your AC/Heating System air filter every 30 days. Note: some filters advertise that you can use them for a full 60 days to three months. Not a good idea. A tough job like yours needs monthly replacements.

Have fine black dust? Invest in caulk – the removable (clear) kind. Apply around windows–wherever you see slight openings or spaces between the frame and the pane. The seal and peel variety should come off as a strip, if you wish to remove it. Leave no gap uncaulked, with one exception: A single window should remain uncaulked, in case you need to open it right away.

To cut down on the dirt that gets in through air ducts and under doors, spritz with vinegar and water, or lemon and water and wipe away. Aim to clean every square inch where air flows. Do this daily, if needed.

Want to open windows and still repel dirt? Buy those small window screens which can be purchased at your friendly neighborhood Home Depot. Get the type with a built-in air filter. Then just vacuum or clean the filter every week or so.

Let’s reduce the noise level next.

A Calmer, Quieter Apartment

Truly, lowering the volume on city noise is an art form. The idea is to modulate, if you can’t eradicate. Aim to bring relaxation and soothing “quiet time” to your city apartment.

Here are a few ideas:

Get fabric on the walls and on the ceiling. Place several layers up, if you can. Fabric hung from dowels will make for a floating canopy effect, almost like a ship’s mast (only placed horizontally). Too, tea towels will do the trick.

Corkboard and pieces of cork will insulate your walls. There’s a corkboard which comes with perforated metal that works especially well.

Moving on to your furniture, why not try affixing either fabric or cork or both to the underside of tables, chairs, display cases, etc.? It’ll knock down the acoustic level a few appreciable notches.

Floor coverings are a superb way to buffer noise. You don’t need to opt for wall-to-wall carpeting to garner the noise-absorbing benefits of rugs. Jute or any natural fabric will do. While you’re at it, slip a pad underneath. The more layers, the quieter.

Ever heard of white noise machines? One that I’ve used for years is the Marsona Sound Conditioner by Marpac. It’s probably the most popular. Honestly, I’d be bereft without its heavy-duty noise buffering and, there’s no other phrase for it, its sound conditioning. Select from waterfall, rain, and surf I and surf II. It’s amazing.

If you can afford to have someone design and place rubber flooring, glass doors and double-paned windows in your apartment, the result will be maximum noise proofing.

Bring Nature Inside – Perhaps because man made “noise pollution” tends to create a thirst for the diverse sounds of the outdoors, most long-time city apartment dweller develop an affinity for the sounds of nature.

The chirping of birds and the gurgles of babbling brooks can override many unwanted sounds.

Play an audio of relaxing nature sounds, and drown out the clamor of city traffic and the honking of horns. Google: relaxing sleep/study music.