Dust can be a real pain, and aside from making your home look dirty and unkempt, it can be bad for your health, too. However, there are ways to combat dust in the home, and here a few of them:
1. Prevent dust from entering your home
Did you know that 80% of household dust enters your home on the bottom of people’s shoes? While you may not want to have a ‘no shoes inside’ policy, it will significantly reduce the dust levels. You could even leave a basket of washable slipper socks or slip-on shoes right inside your front door for guests to don when they enter.
2. Mats, mats and more mats!
Placing sturdy mats outside and inside every entrance point to your home, will also reduce dust and dirt levels inside your home. Be sure to shake them out often to prevent them from adding grime to the bottoms of shoes, instead of reducing it.
3. Regularly replace your filters
If you have any air filtering equipment in your home, or air conditioning units, try to regularly replace the filters to prevent them from getting clogged up and working inefficiently. If you have an open fire, then vacuum the hearth often to prevent ashes and dust from spreading into your home and try to replace the filter on your vacuum cleaner regularly, too.
4. Clean your bedding and mattress monthly
Dead skin, dander and dust mites all build up in your mattress over time, so each time you clean your bedding – which should ideally be done at least every 6 weeks – vacuum your bed, too. You should also aim to run your comforter and pillows through the dryer on a ‘fluff’ setting regularly and wash your pillows every 4 to 6 weeks.
5. Don’t let your vacuum cleaner gather dust!
If you live alone or with a small number of people, then it won’t be necessary to vacuum as often, but the general rule of thumb would be to thoroughly vacuum each room in your home once a week; you can reserve daily vacuuming for high traffic areas of your home as and when necessary.
6. Ditch the feather duster
These are a real foe of dust haters, and usually make the issue even worse, since they serve only to spread the dust around. Instead, use the soft-bristled attachments on your vacuum cleaner to clean drapes, curtains, mini-blinds and baseboards. You can use a damp microfiber cloth for other surfaces. But whatever method you use, be sure that you’re not simply spreading the dust around your home instead of eliminating it.
7. Clean your ducts
Any air vents in your home are guaranteed to be harbouring dust and dirt, especially if there are kids or pets in the household. But clean them out at least once a month and you should minimize the dusty grime that blows around inside your home.
Dust is the friend of no one, particularly homeowners, and if you feel as if dust is taking over your home, try hiring a professional cleaning company to help you eliminate it once and for all.
