10 Easy and Quick Tips to Keep Your Home Dust-Free
Do you find that no matter how much you dust, it never seems to actually disappear? Dust is one of the most common household allergens and one of the hardest to get rid of. You can spend countless hours (or even days) cleaning your entire home only to find another pile of dust that magically reappeared behind the sofa. Between this and the crazy allergy season we are having, people with airborne allergies just can’t catch a break. But don’t worry, we have some good news. By following some simple tips and tricks, you can get rid of your dust problems, once and for all.
Keep reading for ten quick and easy tips to keep your home dust-free, so you can finally live in the healthy home you deserve.
Use a High-Efficiency Furnace Filter
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans, on average, spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, where the concentrations of some pollutants (including dust) are often 2 to 5 times higher than typical outdoor concentrations. This finding may seem quite alarming, but there are ways to protect ourselves from elevated levels of particle pollution. One way to protect yourself is to invest in a high-efficiency furnace filter, such as the custom-made AIRTEVA air filter. Utilizing an effective furnace filter will allow you to capture the dust and debris floating around in the air.
For homes that accumulate dust faster than you can clean it up, consider opting for an electrostatically charged filter. This charge will attract the dust particles, allowing your air filter to capture them easily and effectively.
It is also imperative that you replace your air conditioning filters regularly. Keeping an air filter past its designated lifespan can clog up your filter, which will, in turn, create more dust in your home. This is damaging to both your health and your AC unit.
Invest in an Air Purifier
On top of having a high-efficiency air filter, it can also be beneficial to add a high-quality air purifier to your home. While air filters and air purifiers have the same overall mission, air purifiers act as an additional layer of protection. Air purifiers utilize a free-standing motor, allowing them to operate with higher efficiency air filters, such as HEPA filters. Many air cleaners also use UV light and have an ionic charge, which aids in effectively capturing and eliminating dust and other debris.
Use a Microfibre Cloth
Have you ever tried to wipe away dust with a paper towel, but noticed you were pushing the dust around instead of actually picking it up? Microfibre cloths eliminate this issue completely. A microfibre cloth is made of millions of tiny fibres that can easily lift and hold dirt, dust, liquids, and other debris around your home. The fibres in the cloth are a mix of positively charged and negatively charged fibres, which allows the fabric to attract and pick up whatever you are trying to clean. Overall, using a microfibre cloth to dust is a win-win, as it is both eco-friendly and efficient.
Vacuum Properly and Effectively
An effective way to avoid dust build-up is to ensure you are vacuuming properly and effectively. If you are currently vacuuming once a month and not taking your time, this could be why dust continues to haunt you. Instead, try to increase the frequency to at least once every two weeks. Doing a thorough job when going through your home is also essential. Concentrate on one room at a time, and be sure to vacuum those hard-to-reach areas (like under the couch). If there is a surface, dust will make its way there. Increasing your cleaning frequency and being more thorough will help create a clean and dust-free environment.
Wash Your Sheets and Blankets Frequently
You may have initially thought that dust just gathers on bookshelves and cabinets, but the reality is that dust accumulates everywhere. This includes your blankets, sheets, rugs, and more. No one wants to sleep in a dusty bed (at least we don’t), so please be sure to wash your sheets and blankets weekly if possible.
Declutter Your Home
The more furniture and home accessories you have, the more places dust has to hide. The main issue with having too much clutter is that dust can easily find its way between the cracks and crevices of items you would never even suspect. To decrease the dust build-up, try and declutter each room in your home.
This may feel a bit overwhelming at first, but you don’t have to tackle this cleaning spree all in one session; instead, schedule a few “decluttering days” throughout the week and work on one room at a time. If there are items or furniture you rarely use, consider chucking them or donating them to Goodwill.
The net-net: the less clutter you have, the less dust you will have.
Use a Doormat
Outdoor dust and debris can sneak into your home with little to no detection. A common way it can enter is by attaching to your shoes. As you walk inside, you leave a trail of dust and debris that can now make themselves feel right at home. To prevent infiltration, it is essential to invest in a doormat that you can clean your shoes off on before entering your home. If you want to take it a step further, you can opt to leave your shoes outside and avoid any chance of dust entering altogether.
Keep Windows and Doors Closed
As alluded to above, dust, debris, and a slew of other outdoor allergens can easily penetrate your home if you are not careful. To avoid excessive dust build-up, try to keep the doors and windows in your home closed when possible. If you are desperate to get a little fresh air, please check the air quality outside to ensure you are in the clear.
Dust Things Off That Aren’t Top of Mind (Plants, Blinds, Upholstery, Etc.)
Dust gathers wherever it can find a spot, including places you aren’t even thinking about. Plants, blinds, and upholstery are three areas where dust can hide that may completely slip your mind. Be sure to be thorough when dusting and think of places around your home where dust could be hiding. If you follow the previous tip and declutter your home, this will help eliminate the dust hubs and help you cut down the time it takes to dust overall.
Get Rid of Carpeting (If Possible)
It may be time to kiss your carpeting goodbye. It’s almost too easy for common allergens, such as dust and pet dander, to become embedded in your carpet. To make matters worse, having a rug or carpet makes it challenging to determine how often you should clean it, as the particles are not as easy to see.
If you are sensitive to dust, consider removing your carpeting and replacing this with tile, laminate, or wood flooring. If you are not financially able to make this type of change yet, that is perfectly fine. Instead, vacuum your carpeting weekly or bi-weekly to ensure the dust isn’t accumulating under the radar.
Conclusion
Dust is one of the biggest common culprits for making our clean homes feel dirty. By following these easy tips & tricks, we hope you can rid your home of dust, and finally live in the healthy home you deserve. If you’re looking to replace filters then Filterfactory.com is a great place to start.