OMG, My hubby was jsut wondering the same thing a few days ago! And my glass jars also get something on them. Is the atmosphere where I live that icky? I've wondered if somehow it's aerosol-ed oil from cooking that gets on the glass and makes dust stick or something.
Dear Manofthunder and petite:
The streaks and the icky stuff you speak of is called "schmutz." It is everywhere. Abraham and his wives were cursed with it by God for using oil lamps. It just happens. As a species we've either learned to live with it (Mexico City) or hire obsessive compulsive Canadian window washers from Vancouver to keep it at bay (you find them in many large glass and steel cities under OCD Canadian Window Washers).
Over time, once enough scmutz has been left unattended it develops into carbon fuel (usually coal) only to escape once again after geographic eons into the ether we seem to breathe.
If your are a city liver, (in contrast to a kidney), be cautious of floor schmutz. It's one of the most pernicious varieties, causing the bottoms of your feet to turn schumtz black. Very hard to scrub off. And for this reason it is advisable to have marble or hardwood floors in your home (ceramic is OK, too) and always run about the house wearing only socks. Eventually, the socks catch up to the schmutz and some even make a sport of skating about their homes in white cotton socks wielding a can of Lemon Pledge. However, Lemon Pledge is an addiction that will attract even more schmutz. Beware the Lemon Pledge!
Best you get some nice, not too elderly, Jewish ladies and make friends. Have coffee klatches. Listen to them. They have a historically long and profound knowledge of controlling schumtz and an artillery of remedies that will make your head spin.
