4 Dusting Tips Every Home Should Be Adopting
4 simple dusting tips to get rid of dust and improve air quality in your home.
Everyone’s version of dust is unique since all households are made up of different types of people and pets.
Dust is generally comprised of itty bitty particles that come into your home from outside (dirt, soot, pollen, etc.), human skin cells, pet dander and hair, dust mites, decomposed bugs, lint, tiny pieces of food and flecks of matter produced by smoking or cooking. And those tiny particles end up in your eyes, nose, and lungs.
The case for why you need to dust
Dust is everywhere. Try running your finger along almost any surface and you’ll be left with some sort of residue. We dare you to try the top of your ceiling fan or the ledge of your bed’s headboard. Dust accumulates on most surfaces, especially those that don’t get used or moved around too often. Now peek under the couch and wave hello to your friendly local dust bunnies, those clumps of dust and hair that tend to gather beneath furniture.
You are nonconsensually breathing in dust both day and night. Besides being just plain gross, lots of dust bits contain common allergens that can make you sick. We’re all so concerned about the air quality outside, but we forget to be worried about our indoor air quality that we’re breathing constantly.
Tips on how to dust
Follow our simple dusting tips below to rid your home of dust and improve the air quality inside your house:
- Regular dusting (shoot for once a week) is a great start to dust mitigation. Try using a Swiffer Heavy Duty Duster, which traps and locks up to 3x more dust and common inanimate allergens from cat and dog dander and dust mite matter than a feather duster. Bonus: Once you’re done dusting, just toss the dirtied duster in the trash. If you prefer to use a reusable cloth to dust, try lightly spraying down the dusty surface with some water first so that the dust doesn’t get sent flying into the air when you try to wipe it. Dusting is relatively simple. Just keep on top of it!
- Work top-down. Start dusting at your highest surfaces and work your way down, so you’re not knocking the dust from your bookshelves onto your freshly cleaned floors (because, gravity).
- Exterminate the dust bunnies. It’s not as cruel as it sounds. Regularly vacuuming your floors will drastically cut down on dust. Carpet and rugs cling onto dust particles, so the more vacuuming you do, the better (especially if you’ve got pets). For floors other than carpets or rugs, consider using Swiffer Sweeper with the dry cloths to get into those hard to reach spots and trap dust. If you really can’t stand vacuuming, consider splurging on a robot vacuum (it never complains!).
- Dust collects… everywhere. Ceiling fans, baseboards, books, picture frames, electronics, light fixtures. They all need some dusting love every once and awhile. And don’t forget about dusting your plants! Dust can collect on the leaves and block sunlight. Use a damp cloth to gently wipe them down so they can soak up all the sun and keep growing.
Dusting is one of those things that you never really think to do until it’s too late. Once the dust is super noticeable (picture your television screen or bookshelves), the task itself seems overwhelming. But if you remember to dust routinely, even just once a week (even if you can’t see the dust, trust us: it’s there and it’ll accumulate quickly), you’ll be breathing easier in no time.