Do you feel like your constantly dusting? And no matter how often you do it, you find a fresh layer of dust settled on your things within a day or two? If so, there are a few simple changes you can make to your cleaning routine and daily habits that will help control dust in your home and improve your indoor air quality. Read on to find out what they are.
Keep Your Windows Shut
While it may seem counterintuitive, keeping your windows closed will help cut down on the amount of dust and particulate matter that enters your home from outdoors. You don’t have to keep the windows closed all the time, but if you currently leave them open for hours on end, it’s a good idea to cut that timeframe down.
Yes, ventilation is important for your indoor air quality, but as with most things, too much of a good thing can backfire. When it’s calm outside, open your windows for a while. But when it’s windy, keep them shut.
Ditch the Carpet
Carpet holds a tremendous amount of dust and other nasties you don’t really want hanging out inside your home. According to experts, one square yard of the plush stuff can house up to 100,000 dust mites! How gross.
For the sake of your indoor air quality — and to control allergy-like symptoms that can result from exposure to mite carcasses and droppings — consider getting rid of carpet if you have it. You can always use rugs if you need some cushiness under your tootsies!
Dust From Top to Bottom (In That Order)
When you dust, start at the tippy top of each room. If you have curtain rods, bookcases, or anything else that’s above your head, start there. Once you tackle all the high stuff, start moving downward.
Dusting from top to bottom ensures that any dust you miss will fall to a lower level where you can pick up with your dusting cloths later. When you finish dusting everything, make sure you vacuum to ensure you clean up any dust that fell to the floor.
Use Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
If you’re dusting with a feather duster or aerosol dusting products, now is the time to stop. Feather dusters don’t trap dust; they just push it around from one place to another. Dusting sprays, on the other hand, introduce a whole lot of particulate matter into your living spaces, which inevitably diminishes your indoor air quality.
To ensure you pick up the most dust possible without introducing unnecessary chemicals into the air you breathe, opt for microfiber dusting cloths or wands. These tools are specifically designed to trap dust particles within their fibers, so they can’t be reintroduced into your living areas.
Wash Your Bedding Weekly
If you’re not washing all of your bedding on a weekly basis, start now. Dust mites love to feed on the dead skin cells that accumulate in your sheets, and if you don’t wash those linens frequently, you’re basically giving those microscopic arachnids a never-ending buffet.
It’s also a good idea to clean your pillows regularly too. Mites can live inside any of the pillows in your house, but since your dead skin cells live on your bed pillows, they like those best. In fact, experts estimate that up to 10% of the weight of a two-year-old pillow is comprised of dust mites, their carcasses, and their droppings. Gross.
Give Your Rugs a Regular Beating
If you have rugs, don’t forget to clean them regularly. Take them outdoors and give them a good beating to get all the dust and other tiny particles out of the fibers. You might be surprised to see what comes out and getting rid of all that debris is an excellent way to help improve your indoor air quality.
Don’t Forget to Dust Upholstery
Dusting your curtains, lampshades, and fabric-upholstered furniture might not cross your mind often. But it’s definitely something you should be doing if you want to control dust accumulation in your home. You can run a vacuum wand over these textiles or even use a damp cloth to wipe them down. Whatever dusting method you choose, make sure you’re tending to this task at least every couple of weeks.
Invest in Professional Duct Cleaning
Last but certainly not least, scheduling routine, professional duct cleaning appointments can work wonders for mitigating dust accumulation in your home. Duct cleaning is designed to improve your indoor air quality by eliminating dust and other debris that builds up inside your HVAC system. When you have the service performed regularly, you might be surprised at just how clean your home stays even when you don’t dust every other day.
Improve Your Indoor Air Quality With Dust Doctors
Ready to find out what professional duct cleaning can do for your Twin Cities home? Contact our team at Dust Doctors to schedule a service appointment. You can give us a call at 651-319-9777 or send us a message, and we’ll help you determine the best way to start improving your indoor air quality. Don’t forget to check out our reviews to see what people are saying!
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