Stop the sneezing! With these smart tips and tricks you can maintain a dust-free house.
How To Get Rid of Dust
No matter how clean your home may be, it’s probably still a little dusty. It’s a pervasive problem that everyone has to deal with every day. It’s more than an annoyance, however. All those particles that makeup dust add up: dirt, pollen, mold spores, dead skin cells, hair, and fabric fibers, as well as airborne pollutants such as wood ash, chemicals, and vehicle exhaust. For individuals who suffer from asthma, allergies, or other breathing problems, learning how to get rid of dust is of vital importance because it can otherwise compromise their health and quality of life.
Minimizing the amount of dust in your home makes a huge difference in air quality, and it can help prolong the life of furniture, appliances, and household electronics. Keeping your home as dust-free as possible requires vigilance and consistency. It all starts with a regular weekly cleaning: washing and dry-cleaning pillows to rid them of dust mites, vacuuming furniture and drape regularly, and changing in fresh filters in your HVAC system monthly can go a long way to helping you combat dust. Click through for some simple suggestions on how to maintain your home so the air is as clean, comfortable, and as dust-free as it can be.
Give It an Old-Fashioned Beating
Sometimes, the old ways are the best ways. Case in point: One of the best ways to get rid of dust and dirt on area rugs is to take them outside and beat them, just like in the old days. Rug beaters, which come in rattan, wire, or plastic versions, typically remove more dust than vacuuming—and can double as a good cardio workout at the same time!
Forgo Carpeting
Getting rid of carpet might seem like a drastic measure, but carpeting holds an awful lot of dust—and releases it into the air every time you take a step. If you are thinking of redecorating, consider installing some type of hard-surface flooring: wood, tile, stone, or vinyl are all good alternatives to carpeting and much easier to keep dust-free!
Clean Your Pillows
Even if you wash your sheets and pillowcases every week, dust mites can still live inside the pillows. Using a mild detergent, wash them by hand or in the washing machine, then dry and fluff. Alternatively, take them to the dry cleaners. Whichever route you choose, you’ll breathe easier at bedtime.
Damp It Down
Never underestimate the power of water. A good damp mopping and dusting will go a long way towards eliminating 90 percent of the dust in your home, and plain water is just about as environmentally friendly a cleanser as you can find. A damp rag or mop captures and holds dust, which can then simply be rinsed down the drain.
Get Rid of Static
Static electricity, which builds up inside your home when the rooms are dry, actually attracts dust and makes it cling stubbornly to surfaces. The solution? Install a humidifier, either a whole-house model or a room-size version. Ideally, you should aim for relative humidity levels of 40 to 50 percent throughout your home to help eliminate static and keep dust levels down.
Dust Upholstery
Vacuuming isn’t just for floors. How often do you clean your curtains? Or vacuum your couch? Your lampshade? The soft fibers in these places draw a lot of dust. Whether you opt for steam cleaning or a dry vacuum, regular cleaning of your textiles is a must for a dust-free home.
Blinds Need Cleaning Too
Don’t think that you’ve solved your dust dilemma just because you’ve exchanged fabric window treatments for blinds. Dust is drawn to blinds like moths to a flame, so you should clean them on a regular basis.
Install an Air Purifier
Air purifiers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, from whole-house units to small, portable single-room models. The most common types consist of a fan that circulates the air and a filter that captures dust and other pollutants.
Keep Closets Tidy
There are lots of fabrics in a closet, and textiles shed fibers, contributing to dust in the home. Declutter closets and keep only what you need for the season in that space. Make sure there’s enough room between items and shelves to dust the closet regularly, along with the rest of your home.
Take Your Shoes Off
All sorts of debris hitches a ride on the soles of your shoes. You will avoid bringing dust and dirt from the outside into your home if you, and your guests, park shoes at the door when entering your house. It’s nice to offer slippers to anyone who might feel awkward going shoeless in your home, so have a few “guest” house shoes at the door for friends and family to use.
Change Bedding Weekly
The fibers from bed linens create dust. But the bigger challenge with bedding is that it captures all the dead skin particles from your body while you sleep. Wash your sheets once a week, and your blankets, comforters and mattress pad, once every month or two to help keep the dust down in your bedroom.
Vacuum Right (and Regularly)
A good vacuum cleaner is the best weapon in a home’s dust-busting arsenal. A thorough vacuuming once a week, or even once a day, will go a long way towards eliminating dust. Many new bagless styles come with built-in HEPA filters, which trap even smaller particles of dirt and help freshen the air.
Clean Your Plants
Houseplants are a major collector of dust. Not only is this bad for your health, but a coating of dust on a plant’s leaves makes it difficult to absorb sunlight. Use a microfiber cloth to brush off the dust, and then polish the leaves with mayo for a glisten.
