If you’re like us, you are probably constantly battling dust in your home. You might be wondering if there is any way to keep dust under control for the sake of allergies or just overall cleanliness. While it never seems to be enough, there are a few things you can try to keep the dust in your home to a minimum. Here are a few of our suggestions to minimize dust accumulation in your home.
Regular Cleaning
We know this may be the most obvious solution, but you’d be surprised how effective a proper cleaning can be. By thoroughly dusting on a regular cleaning schedule you can keep track of any specific areas that may accumulate dust more often, that way you will know how often you will need to dust. For the best results when dusting your home, we suggest working from the top floor to the bottom and from the ceiling to the floor. By working from top to bottom in every room, you ensure that any dust that may fall and settle on surfaces when dusting ceilings and walls is swept away when you reach the bottom.
Find The Dust Collectors
The most common dust collectors around the house are carpets, rugs, pillows, blinds, upholstery, and even pets. In order to keep dust from settling into these items, here are our recommendations:
- For carpets, weekly vacuuming of all carpeted areas and even daily vacuuming of high-traffic areas can keep dust from settling too deeply.
- For rugs, vacuuming is highly beneficial. We also recommend removing your rugs at least once a month and beating them outside to remove any dust buildup.
- For pillows, if they can be machine washed, we suggest following the washing and drying instructions on the tags every time you wash your bedding or at least once a month to remove any buildup or dust mites.
- For blinds, we suggest weekly or even every-other-day dusting as they can accumulate dust build up very quickly.
- For upholstered furniture, you can vacuum or steam clean. Curtains, lampshades, couches, and chairs are often forgotten during regular cleaning.
- For pets, regular baths with special attention to de-shedding and brushing out loose fur is the best practice. You can also consider purchasing a covered litterbox to keep litter dust under control.
Clean Air, Clean Home
Dust accumulates on surfaces around the home almost every day, but it is also commonly airborne and can circulate through your home through air vents and open windows. In order to keep any floating dust at bay, there are a few different solutions you can try around your house.
- Keep your windows closed. Letting in fresh air on a warm day can be nice, but it also lets in an assortment of dust particles and other allergens. Breezes can also stir up any loose dust around your home and make surfaces more difficult to keep clean.
- Replace filters around your home seasonally. This includes air conditioner and furnace filters, both of which should be changed almost monthly during peak seasons.
- Consider investing in an air purifier. There are a variety of sizes for whole homes or just rooms that are meant to collect and remove dust particles from the air around your home. These can be highly effective, especially in areas particularly prone to dust collection.
- Keep a humidifier for drier months. The suggested humidity within the home is around 40% to 50% in order to keep any static in the air to a minimum. Some more modern homes have air conditioning systems with humidity controls built in, so make sure to keep an eye on the levels within your home if you have this available.
Done & Dusted
Once you’ve double-checked your filters and dusted the whole house top to bottom, you’re well on your way to getting dust in your home under control. If you want a few extra tips and tricks to keep things neat between dustings, here are a few suggestions:
- Wipe surfaces with a dryer sheet after dusting thoroughly to keep them dust-free for longer periods of time.
- Remove your shoes within the home and be sure to clean off your doormats so you don’t track dirt or dust particles further into your home.
- Sweep your non-carpet flooring often, and if you have a Swiffer you can lightly dampen the pad to trap and collect any dust particles more effectively.
- Minimize the clutter around your home, especially any fabrics or clothing as these provide more surfaces for dust to collect on.
- When dusting your home, don’t forget to lightly wipe the leaves of any plants as these can collect dust particles as well.
Did any of these tips help manage the dust buildup around your home? We’d love to know! If you’d like some help getting any extra dusty areas in your home under control or just need help with your seasonal cleaning, we’re here to help. For more info you can feel free to contact us, we’re happy to answer any questions and find the right service for your home.
