To improve dust efficiency, compare the time spent cleaning, packing or unloading, and travelling or transporting material. Upgrade the slow stage first. A wider brush helps collection, while capacity reduces interruptions and a working delivery route reduces carrying; these changes solve different delays. S10S12
Time one complete loop
Choose a nearby patch with remaining dust and use the same tool, upgrades and delivery destination for the comparison. Record:
| Observation | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Time actively cleaning | Shows whether collection dominates the run |
| Time packing or unloading | Shows transfer interruptions |
| Time travelling and delivering | Shows the cost of returning to the station |
| Material actually sold and elapsed time | Links collection to a completed delivery |
| Remaining local progress | Helps distinguish ordinary collection from final edge cleanup |
Repeat over comparable ground after one change. Keep other crew deliveries paused when comparing balances. Different dust coverage, upgrades or route lengths make the results harder to attribute.
Which change fits the delay?
| Longest or most disruptive stage | Change to compare |
|---|---|
| Brushing a broad patch | A wider handheld tool |
| Tool filling repeatedly | More tool capacity, provided transfer is already manageable |
| Walking back with each load | A shorter delivery loop or a placed Packager with working belts |
| Waiting at a receiver or machine | Output connections and the downstream queue |
| Reaching the last fraction of completion | Dirty edges and current local progress |
The upgrade guide reports a Household Broom at $25, 43 cm width and 3 kg base capacity, versus the starting Toothbrush at 12 cm and 0.5 kg. Those values help compare equipment; the width ratio is not a proven cleaning-speed multiplier. S12
Measure sold dust, not only collected dust
For a completed-loop comparison, divide the mass actually delivered by elapsed minutes: sold kg ÷ minutes. For example, 6 kg sold in 3 minutes is 2 kg/min. This is an arithmetic example, not a measured game rate or recommended target.
If a receiver fills while the sale rate falls, inspect transport before purchasing more collectors. If the intake is clear but most time remains in brushing, a cleaning upgrade is a more relevant comparison.
Do not let final edge cleanup distort the test
The cleaning guide describes thin unfinished strips and using completion displays rather than appearance alone. Patch 1.0.5 also fixes distant 99.9% progress and dust-free 0% display cases. Record your build and distinguish routine collection from finishing one stubborn section. S10S04
Use best first upgrades for reported purchase values, the beginner guide for the first full loop and automatic selling for a route. No income or throughput benchmark has been measured by this site.
Source references
Sources checked . Source types describe the evidence; they do not imply gameplay testing by this site.
- S04 · OfficialPatch 1.0.5 — 28 October 2026 ↗
- S10 · Reported guideGAMES.GG — Cleaning and Progress ↗
- S12 · Reported guideGAMES.GG — Upgrades ↗
- S17 · OfficialSteam official developer announcement feed — checked 8 November 2026 ↗