If you ever do have something stuck inside a device that doesn't decide to leave on its own, your options for removal are pretty much the following:

• Shake the device and risk causing impact damage if you accidentally strike it against something or drop it. I've never had shaking remove particles that were already stuck in place, yet it's still the first thing I try.

• Use a vacuum cleaner to create negative pressure which might (re)move the object. This also risks damage to the device if the suction is too powerful and the device poorly built. I have done this to successfully reduce dust in zoom lenses, but there's no guarantee that particular specks will be cooperative.

• You can also try slipping strips of paper through gaps between components. This risks making things much worse when the paper tears.

• Disassemble the device. This is what you want to avoid, but it's the only reliable way to get inside the device to clean it. Disassembly also risks damage beyond repair.

  • Have someone else disassemble and clean the device, preferably someone at a service center. Costs more, but less risk of damaging the device.

  • Now is the time to do an IR conversion if you were considering it.

• Remove the speck during post processing, as Emil suggests. Create a layer mask and use content-aware infill. Reuse the layer mask for all affected images. Most annoying solution, but least risk of damage to the device.

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Normally I don't worry about dust that isn't visible unless the lens is stopped down past F11, but then I noticed a huge speck in my compact camera with the aperture wide open. Took some test pictures to see if I could live with it. No way.

Checked the front element, nothing there. Shook the camera, even though I "knew" it wouldn't help, and as expected, no improvement. Tried to suck the dust out with a vacuum cleaner. Some improvement, possibly imaginary, but that huge speck didn't budge. Briefly thought about slipping paper through the gaps in the lens barrel. Then thought better of it.

Decided to disassemble the camera. Removed the outer casing. Removed a few ribbons. Removed and loosened some screws until the lens was just loose enough to use a blower and slip a dry swab through to the sensor. Made a few quick swipes. Partially reassembled to test. Major specks gone. Finished reassembly. Swore never to do again. (But probably will if I have to.)