Regardless if you live in a single-family home, town house or apartment, there is one thing that probably drives you the most nuts – dust!
As soon as you dust off one surface, another one needs it.
It seems like no matter how hard you clean around the home, dust just keeps coming back over and over again.
Unfortunately, dust is a stubborn substance that truly will never go away. The best thing you can do is learn how to cut down on its existence inside your home, so you don’t have to battle with it as often.
In this post, we’ll uncover the mystery behind what dust actually is and why it won’t go away. We’ll also give you some powerful cleaning tips on how you can drastically reduce its presence inside your house.
What Exactly is Dust?
Although dust can be very irritating to look, it is quite fascinating to discover what makes up this microscopic substance.
Many people are surprised when they find out that some dust contains particles from space rocks. You may have seen or heard of a meteor shower before, and these flying comets leave behind a trail of dust and small rocks known as meteoroids here on Earth.
But, space rocks are not all that dust is made up of. Dust also includes things like bits of food, dead skin cells, pollen, dirt, pet hair and dander, mold spores, parasites, etc.
In fact, the location of dust inside your home usually governs the composition.
If you take a look around your house right now, you can probably determine what particles are forming the dust that is collecting on your surfaces. Undoubtedly, it includes dead skin cells, human hair, food bits and dirt.
If you have pets, then pet hair and dander will contribute to your dust. If someone inside your home smokes, you can bet that ash particles are also a contributing factor.
If you live in a rural setting then pollen, mold and fungus particles are probably collecting inside your home. If you live in an urban area, automobile exhaust smoke particles are most likely collecting on the interior surfaces of your home or apartment, which causes dust to build up more quickly.
As you can see, dust is made up of a multitude of things and it is always being formed on a consistent basis. So, removing it completely from your home is practically impossible.
But, there are things you can do to cut down on its existence and reduce your need to clean as often. We’ll explain what these are next.
Simple Ways to Reduce Household Dust
Always Clean from Top Down
Have you ever cleaned off a surface inside a room, like a side table, and found dust almost instantly in that very spot again? Mostly likely, it is because you were cleaning in the wrong direction.
Whenever you dust a room, always start at the highest surface and work your way down. Any dust that falls from high up locations will land on lower spots and then get handled when you clean those lower surfaces next.
The best places to start is at the top of window and door jams. Then, tackle mirrors and windows. Next, dust any surface at eye level and work your way down to the floor, which is where the dust should now be collected.
Ditch the Feather Duster
Feather dusters are the worst thing you can use for cleaning your home. These seemingly convenient tools spread more dust around than they pick up.
Instead, use a damp paper towel to wipe down surfaces. Dust will collect on this much better. Once it gets dirty throw it away. We advise this method of cleaning, as opposed to using a damp rag or cloth, because paper towels are exposable. Using the same rag over again can reintroduce dust back into the room.
Wash Your Bedding Each Week
Remember earlier when we mentioned that your home has dust that is made up of human hair and dead skin cells? Well, one of the biggest collective habitats for these things is your bed.
Therefore, it is highly recommended that you wash your bedding once per week. Otherwise, dust particles will continue to build up on this surface and easily be tracked to other locations inside your home, which increases your need to clean more rooms, more often.
Additionally, a dusty bed attracts dust mites, which cause a whole host of allergy related issues and problems.
Don’t Neglect Cleaning Your Rugs
Although rugs are great for décor and as functional items inside the home, these items are major collection spots for dust particles. Even worse if you have pets.
You would be surprised at how much, and quickly, the amount of dust that can build up inside the fibers of your rugs when they are not cleaned routinely.
To cut down on the amount of dust inside your house, give your rugs a good shake or beating outside every 2-3 months. Then, vacuum them vigorously before placing them back inside.
Clean the Air Around You
The most irritating issue with dust is that it not only collects on household surfaces, but it also floats around in the air. This means that these microscopic particles can end up inside your lungs as you breathe.
If you have ever experienced allergy symptoms while indoors (sniffing, coughing, itchy or red eyes), and were not sick, then it is probably attributed to breathing in dust particles.
To stay healthy and safe at home, the best thing you can do is clean the air around you. To do that, all you need is an air purifier.
In its most basic sense, an air purifier is nothing more than a combination of a fan and filter. It operates by pulling air from around the room into the unit, traps the dust particles inside a filter, and then blows clean air back into the room for you to breathe.
What makes air purifiers even more attractive is the fact that they work on a continuous basis to strip dust from the room. By using one, your home can stay cleaner for a longer period of time and cut down on the need for dusting and vacuuming.
In fact, some air purifiers are so efficient that you may not even have to dust again for an entire month or more. If you have pets, they are also great at removing pet hair and dander from the home as well.
Routinely Change the HVAC Air Filter
If your home uses a central HVAC system for heating and cooling, ensure that you change the air filter every three months.
These house air filters get clogged with dust and debris quite fast and once it becomes too dirty it will stop being effective and your indoor air quality will suffer.
A dirty air filter can be a main source of recirculating dust particles around the home. So, no matter how well you clean, you’ll always find dust collecting throughout every room.
Even worse, not changing your home air filter can add stress to the HVAC system and potentially cause it to fail, which then becomes a costly fix.
Author Bio:
Patrick is a home support specialist at Home Air Quality Guides. His passion is to help educate people on how to create a cleaner, healthier environment inside their homes by offering cleaning tips and advice on air purifier products. You can connect with online through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
