It can often seem like your home is always dusty, even when you’ve just finished cleaning. This can be extremely frustrating, and you may wonder if there’s even a point in trying to keep on top of it.
Dust, however, can have some serious negative health implications if not dealt with regularly. Additionally, a clean home has been shown to increase productivity and can be really therapeutic to do.
Still, routine cleaning is not a chore that everyone loves to do, so we’ve put together some helpful tips to make dusting a bit more manageable.
Where Dust Comes From
It’s important to know where dust comes from in order to understand how to decrease its production. The reason why it seems like dust is constantly building up is because it is produced by skin cells, hair, pet dander, and dirt. This means that just living in your home will inevitably create dust. This is also why high-traffic areas of your home, like the bathroom or kitchen, tend to get dustier faster.
Knowing what dust is comprised of, you may be keener on ensuring it stays under control in your home. Additionally, as dust builds, it can trigger people with allergies and asthma and make it harder for them to breathe.
Even if you don’t have allergies or asthma, dust can cause coughing, sneezing, or eye irritation. This is why regular dusting is really important. Luckily, you can read the best air quality monitor reviews online and find a monitor that can detect even the finest dust particles.
Having an air purifier can also help trap any excess dust to help limit the amount that accumulates on the surfaces of your home. This will, in turn, have you dusting much less.
Dusting Methods
While it is true that even the best duster can’t remove all dust particles from your home, there are ways to keep it under control. By following these dusting methods, you’ll be able to get a better handle on your dust so you don’t feel like you constantly have to pull out your cleaning supplies.
Work Top Down
Because some pieces of dust will fall as you are dusting, always start as high up as possible so you won’t have to go over anything twice. For example, start by dusting your ceiling fan, followed by any tall bookshelves, before getting to any tables, counters, or floors.
Getting those high and harder to reach places may seem like a nuisance; however, if you don’t clean them regularly, the accumulated dust will continue to fall and make eye-level items and surfaces dustier.
Move Furniture and Decor
Dust can accumulate anywhere; this includes under and behind furniture. In order to make sure you get all the dust, move your furniture out of the way so you can get those hard-to-reach places.
Dust mites are notorious for accumulating under the bed and couch, so make sure you get under there to avoid any illnesses that could arise from missed pieces.
You should also keep in mind places like baseboards and the tops of mirrors and picture frames. While you may not look at these places up close too often, you may be surprised how much dust they can collect.
The Seven Day Rule
Even apartment dust and dirt can feel tough to manage, and that’s why dusting your home once a week is a good general rule of thumb to follow.
Some high-traffic areas of your home, like the bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen, may require some spot cleaning throughout the week; however, one deep clean dusting per week should be enough to help you manage your dust.
Completing the Process
When cleaning your house, you always want to dust before you vacuum. Even the best microfiber duster will not be able to pick up every single piece of dust, and as you are cleaning, some particles will inevitably fall to the ground. If you’ve already vacuumed the floor, you will have to go over it again after dusting to get those fallen specs of dust.
Vacuuming is the best way of completing the dusting process because it will get any bigger pieces that your duster could not cling to. Do some research by reading the best Shark Vacuum Cleaners Reviews 2024 to find the right vacuum for you.
How to Manage Dust from Various Surfaces
Different methods of dusting will work better than others depending on the surface you are dusting. For example, using your best feather duster might be great for more delicate surfaces, but they won’t clean your blinds very well.
Here are a few tricks to help you dust some common surfaces.
Removing Dust from Upholstered Furniture and Carpets
Getting dust out of furniture and carpets is a bit tricker than just wiping them down. Dust particles will bury themselves in the fabric and thus will require more vigorous cleaning methods.
Use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum for furniture that doesn’t have removable slipcovers to suck out any dirt and dust. Vacuums are also a great way to get rid of any dust mites in your carpets.
Before going over your furniture with a vacuum, use a brush to loosen up any dust that is stuck in the fabric.
Dusting Bookshelves
When dusting a bookshelf or any other piece of furniture that holds various knickknacks, it’s important to remove everything off the furniture first before dusting. This way, you won’t miss any dust hidden under or behind other objects.
Before placing the items back onto your freshly cleaned surface, dust them off as well for good measure so you’re not putting back any dust.
Dusting House Plants
You may not think about it, but plant leaves can collect a lot of dust and should be cleaned as regularly as you dust the rest of your home. Use a duster or microfibre cloth and gently wipe all the leaves on your plants, mindful not to break any of the leaves.
Dusting Metal vs. Wood Furniture
There may be various pros and cons of metal bed frames, but one of the biggest pros is how easy it will be to clean. Metal furniture simply needs a quick wipe down every once in a while to keep it looking fresh.
Wood furniture, on the other hand, may require a bit more care. Once you’ve dusted off the surface, wipe the furniture down with a damp cloth. In order to maintain the wood, it’s important to dry off any remaining moisture so your wood doesn’t crack or warp. You will also want to occasionally polish and buff your wood furniture to keep it looking shiny and new.
Dust From Pets
Pet hair and dust are two of the hardest things to keep on top of in your house because they are constantly being produced. One way to reduce the amount of pet hair floating around your house is by keeping your pets groomed, as this will cause them to shed less.
Still, depending on the breed of dog you have, you may find yourself having to remove dog hair daily. Vacuuming is probably the easiest way to ensure you get all the little hairs off your floor and from in your carpet.
