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It's no secret that cleaning is one of the most important aspects of home ownership. But sometimes it seems like no matter what we do, the dust just keeps piling up. Plus, it can feel like a neverending, tedious battle. In this article, we'll share some tips and tricks for combating dust at home. Whether you're just getting started or you've been fighting the good fight against dust for years, there's something here for everyone.
The best way to reduce dust in your home is to identify its common sources and address them one by one. Dust can come from a variety of places, both inside and outside the home.
Outdoors, dust can be kicked up by the wind, vehicles or other outdoor activities. Indoors, it can be stirred up by people or pets moving around, or when furniture and other objects are moved. Dust can also come from construction work or renovation projects, and even from the food we eat.
A first step can be to identify the major source of dust in your home. Does it come from indoors or outdoors? If it comes from outdoors, for example, if you live near a busy road or near a construction site, consider keeping your windows closed when you are not at home. If it comes from indoors, such as from your furniture, or a high traffic in certain areas of the home, we have some tips below!
For more details, read our blog post What is Dust and Why Does it Accumulate?
You can reduce dust levels by cleansing the air with plants. NASA did a study years ago and found that plants can help reduce the levels of particulate matter in the air.
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There are a few ways to go about this. One is to have a lot of plants in your home. However, do note that plants with large leaves are also a surface for dust to settle on, so plants with small leaves are preferred. You can also wipe the leaves of your plants with a damp cloth from time to time to keep them clean.
But the best way to use plants to combat dust is by having plants that trap and absorb the dust. For example, Alocasia, English ivy, Boston ferns, and rubber trees are all good examples of this. Plus, many of them are easy to look after. So if you're looking for a way to reduce the amount of dust in your home, consider adding some plants!
Unfortunately, there is no two ways about it. Heavy and thick fabrics will tend to trap dust. Not only do fabrics catch on dust particles easily, dust is also composed of particles of fabric shedding over time.
Although the look of lush velvet sofas, cushions, bedsheets and thick curtains and carpets may be aesthetically pleasing, you have to be mentally prepared for increased dust accumulation, and physically prepared to vacuum and dust more often to combat it.
If you do have such items in the house, a good steam or upholstery cleaning may be required yearly for a deep clean.
If you would like to have less maintenance, you can decrease the rate of dust accumulation by choosing thinner and smoother materials which are more dust resistant, such as satin, cotton, microfibre or leather. As a bonus, these materials are easy to vacuum as well.
It almost goes without saying, but the more stuff you have in your home, the more dust and dirt it's going to collect. So, if you want to keep dust levels low at home, one of the best things you can do is to reduce or even eliminate clutter.
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That means getting rid of any items that are collecting dust like collectibles and dispalys, and getting rid of any papers, books and magazines that are piling up. And if you must keep items around, don't forget to cover them with a cloth—the less exposed surface there is for dust to settle on, the better.
Reducing clutter will make your house look tidier as well as help keep it free from airborne particles.
Don’t forget that your furry friends can add to the dust in your home. Although their fur isn’t actually dust, pet allergens are the most common trigger for the sneezing and wheezing caused by dust allergies. So don’t forget to keep your pets clean if you want to keep the dust at bay. Pets can really kick up dust and debris as well, so taking care of them will also help keep your home free from dust.
Make sure you bathe and brush pets often. That includes cats—even though they are usually very good at grooming themselves—as their fur can harbor a lot of dander, which is essentially dead skin cells released by animals as they shed their fur. Preserving a weekly pet-care routine is also a great way to remove pet hair that accumulates around your home on furniture, carpets and drapes.
Once you’ve gone through the house, it’s time to look at ways you can keep the dust from coming back again. You don’t need a lot of fancy cleaning items, but you can use protections covers and HEPA filters.
Protective covers act like a barrier between your furniture and the dust, keeping them safe and sound until you get your next deep clean. Look for covers that are easy to put on and take off so that you can switch them out when needed. HEPA filters are also a great way to keep the air in your home clean, as they are able to trap many of the airborne particles that circulate around it. Plus, most HEPA filters are made with washable filters for even more convenience.
So, now that you know how to combat dust at home, get started on your clean sweep and enjoy a dust-free haven. And if you find that you still need some help keeping your home dust free, don’t forget to call our home cleaning services or part-time cleaning services for a little extra support in housekeeping.
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