Unless you live in a bubble, dust is inevitable. However, dust bunnies in corners and filmy layers of grit on your furniture surfaces is probably not the interior decorating look you’re going for. Additionally, if you or someone you live with suffers from allergies, dust and dust mites can be downright bad for your health.
Learn how to reduce dust in your home with the following cleaning suggestions.
1. Stick to a Daily Cleaning Routine
Prevention is the best cure when it comes to dust. Sit down and create a daily cleaning routine and then do your best to keep with it. Sure, there will be times when you skip a day because you’re tired from work or afterschool activities. That’s OK, but make sure you pick up where you left off the following day. Otherwise, those dust bunnies will quickly take over your home.
2. Embrace Orderly Cleaning
Are you cleaning your home in the right order? Think about this: If you vacuum your living room and then clean your light fixtures, some dust is going to make its way to the floor. That means the time and effort you spent vacuuming was wasted. When working your way through the house, clean from the top to the bottom. The last task you complete in each room should be vacuuming or dust mopping, especially when you’re looking for ways to prevent dust in the home.
3. Dust and Wipe Down Surfaces
Naturally, one of the best ways to reduce dust in the home is to actually clean the dust away. When dusting, you should use microfiber cloths or microfiber cleaning tools, as the unique makeup of microfiber makes it the perfect material for removing tiny dust particles. In addition, take care to clean commonly overlooked areas that can attract dust or cobwebs, including blinds, baseboards, room corners, closet floors, the spaces between headboards and walls, lampshades and so forth.
4. Wash Bedding Weekly
Some people might think that washing sheets and pillowcases once a week is overkill. But when you sleep, you’re sloughing off skin, hair and bodily fluids. This means the bed you dive into each night isn’t as clean as you may think. Additionally, if you’re trying to figure out how to prevent dust mites in your home, you need to be certain you’re laundering your bed linens at least every seven days.
5. Vacuum Regularly
First off, chuck that broom because it’s doing more harm than good. Many people don’t realize that sweeping actually kicks up more dust than it removes. When you’re trying to figure out how to reduce dust in your home, you need to pick up the vacuum cleaner. Heavy-traffic areas should be vacuumed two or three times a week. Less-frequented areas should still be cleaned on a weekly basis.
6. Tidy Clutter
Piles of junk and clutter are just sitting there waiting for dust to gather. When determining how to reduce dust in your home, you want to ensure you keep this chaos in check. Identify your home’s most cluttered areas, like your entryway, mudroom, closets or kitchen counter, and have the family pitch in to keep these rooms and surfaces nice and tidy.
7. Consider Purchasing Filters
One non-cleaning method of reducing dust mites in your home is to use a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters trap tiny particles — including pollen, pet dander and dust mites — so that you’re less likely to breath them in. Take your home’s air quality to the next level by investing in a vacuum cleaner that has a HEPA filter, too.
It’s virtually impossible to maintain a home that’s completely free of dust. However, with a little mindfulness and effort, you can figure out how to reduce the amount of dust and dust mites that circulate throughout your house.
Want to bust as much dust as possible? Start with a fresh canvas by learning how to properly deep clean your home, or let Merry Maids handle those dust bunnies for you.
Vacuuming is a great tool if yours has a HEPA filter and is powerful enough to suck up dust. "If your vacuum comes with a dusting attachment, it can work well on blinds, bookshelves, staircases, and hard-to-reach areas," says Parnell.
Vacuuming is a great tool if yours has a HEPA filter and is powerful enough to suck up dust. "If your vacuum comes with a dusting attachment, it can work well on blinds, bookshelves, staircases, and hard-to-reach areas," says Parnell.
Use a vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, which traps more of the tiny stuff, and run it once a week on hard surfaces. Carpet and rugs should be vacuumed twice a week, especially if they're high-traffic areas and you have pets that lay on them.
To make the spray, she combines 2 cups of water, 1 cup of vinegar to disinfect and cut through grime, 2 tablespoons of olive oil to polish and keep dust away for longer, and a drop or two of dish soap for extra cleaning power. Mix it all together and use it in place of your regular surface cleaner for best results.
Kick up dust without lifting a finger. The fan gets the air in your house moving, until eventually it makes its way to the intake where your air filter can trap and store dust. (You don't actually get to call this “dusting”—it's more of an assist.)
Air purifiers assist in eliminating household dust by helping clean the air at home. These machines are engineered with technology that traps dust before it settles on your furniture and floors. Opt for a HEPA air purifier that captures 99.97% of dust and particles as small as 0.3 microns.
That said, microfiber is often your best bet when it comes to effectiveness. “Microfiber cloths trap dust without spreading it, feather dusters are great for delicate surfaces, and vacuum attachments can be your best friend when cleaning hard to reach places,” Cohoon says.
Consider using washable slipcovers on sofas and chairs for easier cleaning. Dust electronics regularly, as they tend to attract particles due to static electricity. Don't forget to clean ceiling fans and light fixtures, which can accumulate dust and distribute it around the room when in use.
The most effective way to clean the dust in your home is to clear up the rooms, shelves, and tables from clutter before dusting, and shake out the cloths whenever they get filled with dust.
The short answer is yes, most air purifiers on the market are designed to remove large dust particles from the air. Many feature mechanical filtration, which is a method of capturing pollutants on filters. Either the particles are meant to stick to the filter or be trapped within the filter fibers.
Though all of our experts agree that you'll pick up a good amount of dust with a dry microfiber cloth, several of them suggest dampening your microfiber cloths with water or spraying them with an all-purpose cleaner before use, to help them grip and remove dust better.
The biggest cause of a dusty home is probably your HVAC system. It acts as the lungs of your home—it brings air in and lets air out of your home to heat or cool it accordingly. An HVAC system has many working parts which, if not maintained properly, can lead to a very dusty house.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Carey Rath, I am a faithful, funny, vast, joyous, lively, brave, glamorous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
