Rock, sediment, sawdust, pollen, hair, skin cells, and tiny insects. Dust. Is. Gross. Did you know 40lbs of it wafts into the average home every year? 40lbs?! Whoa. Like death and taxes you won’t ever be able to avoid it, as soon as you get rid of it more is on its way. Fortunately, there are ways you can reduce it and stay on top of it.
- Use high efficiency furnace filters and room air filters
- Use weather stripping around doors and windows, those gaps let in more than just drafts
- Place doormats inside and outside and vacuum them frequently
Of course some climates generate more dust and how much you keep your windows open is going to affect the amount of dust build up in your home. Generally speaking a thorough dusting every 2 weeks is frequent enough to stay on top it.
Golden Rules of Dusting
- Always dust from top to bottom, finish with vacuuming the dust that has settled on the floor
- Basically every single surface in your home is going to need a dusting at some point. Some of the less commonly thought of places include sides of furniture, door and window frames, curtain rods, baseboards and mouldings, ceiling fans, lightbulbs and artwork/picture frames mounted on walls, light switch and outlet covers
- When dusting with a cloth mist it with water so that it catches and holds the dust instead of stirring it up into the area
- Don’t use dusting sprays, they have oily finishes that actually attract and lock in dust and leave a build up on your furniture
- Don’t flick your cloth or duster, move it slowly from one end to the other, in the direction of the grain, fold the cloth over frequently so you are using a clean surface
Tools of the Trade
- Vacuum cleaners are not just for floors. Since they collect and contain the dust they’re ideal to use as long as your equipment has a good filter. Use the brush attachment for blinds, walls, baseboards and upholstery tool for sofas, curtain and mattresses
- Feather dusters are a classic image in the cleaning industry but thats about all they’re good for, they mostly just move dust around when what you really want to do is trap it. If you’re looking for something that can get into crevices or sweep across large areas a lamb’s wool duster is a better option as they’ll attract and hold dust and usually have extenders to get ceiling fans and corners
- Disposable swiffer dusters are less economical but are a convenient efficient method to trap and dispose of dust
- Microfiber cloths lightly misted with water are a great option for surfaces prone to scratches like tv screens or stainless steel
- Dust mops- good option for picking up fine dust on hardwood floors
- Paintbrushes (clean, soft and dry) and cotton swabs are great for fragile and intricate objects and surfaces like artwork or carved wood
- Compressed air cans (available in the office supply section/store) are perfect for keyboards, piano keys and other hard to reach spots.