20 Tips To Prevent And Reduce Dust In Your Home

2. Don’t just vacuum. Vacuum correctly.

Vacuuming regularly (translation: once or twice a week) is one of the most important things you can do to keep the amount of dust in your home from spiraling out of control, especially if you have pets, are in the habit of keeping your windows open and/or wear shoes indoors.

Another great option? The The Swiffer Sweeper, which combines the power of a vacuum and a Swiffer. That dust will never know what hit it.

While we’re at it, there is a correct way to vacuum. Vacuuming with quick motions tends to stir up more dust than it traps, so use slow, long passes to go over each area several times. It’s also a good idea to use certified true (make sure the label says “true”) HEPA filters with a vacuum that has an airtight, sealed filtration system; this will help ensure that all that dust you vacuum up doesn’t just end up leaking back into your home through gaps in the body of your vacuum.

3. Break out the bucket and mop while you’re at it.

Vacuuming weekly is a GREAT place to start. Start? Yes, start. Because even the most powerful vacuum is going to miss some of that dust. Enter the trusty ol’ mop, which is a pretty unbeatable second line of defense. Opt for a wet mop; a dry one will do an excellent job at pushing dust around, but a much poorer one at actually trapping it.

4. Give your rugs a little extra attention.

Your rugs, like your floors, see a lot of dust. The difference with rugs, though, is that all those fibers are exceptionally good at trapping that dust. This means that you’re going to want to go over your rugs (especially those that see a lot of foot traffic) a few more times with the vacuum than you do with your hard floors. It also means you might want to vacuum high-traffic areas more than just once per week. Taking your rugs outside to shake and beat them once every month or 2 is another good idea, as is getting them professionally cleaned annually. Trust us, it’s worth it.

5. Deep clean your carpet.

If you have carpet, you really want to have a professional properly deep clean it once a year (maybe twice a year if you have pets). Carpet is a dust magnet, and no matter how much you vacuum, it is truly difficult to remove all the dust that gets caught in its fibers. If it’s been a year (or several) since you had your carpet steam cleaned and/or shampooed, it’s definitely time to call in the experts.

6. Consider, too, whether it might be time to say goodbye to your carpet altogether.

This tip’s not as easy (or cheap) to implement, but if you have the energy and funds, consider switching out that carpet for hardwood or some other type of floor you can more easily clean and maintain—especially if you have allergies. And if the thing that’s stopping you is that lovely plushy feel beneath your toes, an area rug is a great alternative to wall-to-wall carpeting (just make sure to clean it regularly—see Tip #4).

7. Don’t forget all the other surfaces in your home where dust likes to accumulate.

You vacuum and mop your floors weekly (hooray!), but somehow you still have dust everywhere. What gives?

Well, are you dusting all the other surfaces in your home as often as you’re tackling your floors? No? Well, yeah, that could be the problem.

The solution? Add surface dusting to your weekly cleaning checklist, too. A Swiffer Dusters Heavy Duty Super Extender is a great tool for this job; its specially coated fibers are uniquely designed to trap and lock dust instead of just spreading it around, and its handle extends up to 6 feet so you can get all those hard-to-reach places (hello, ceiling fan!). A microfiber cloth or slightly damp rag are also great options.

8. Clean your pillows and upholstery.

2 other places that dust likes to hide out? Pillows and upholstery. Your cleaning approach here will depend on the kind of material you’re dealing with. If you have leather furniture, try wiping it down with a slightly (and we do mean very slightly) damp cloth and/or specially formulated leather cleaner. For fabric pillows and furniture, check any instructions available from the manufacturer. Oftentimes, a vacuum will work wonders, and in the case of cushions and pillows, you might also be able to remove their fabric covers and either throw them in the laundry or dry-clean them.

And, as with rugs, taking your cushions and pillows (and, if you can manage, your furniture) outside and shaking and beating them once every month or 2, will go a long way toward keeping household dust at bay.

9. Check on your plants, too.

Dust doesn’t even spare your houseplants (how rude!). Try to give your plants’ leaves a light once-over with a damp paper towel or cloth once every week or 2; doing so will help your plants (and you) breathe more easily.

10. Wash your bedding every week.

You (hopefully) spend a lot of hours in your bed every night, which means that your bedding is covered in sweat, skin cells, hair and whatever run-of-the-mill dirt or grime you bring into the bed with you when you crawl in for the night. All that stuff is basically dust in the making. (Not to mention your bedding’s fabric fibers can also contribute to your household dust.) So yeah, wash your bedding weekly.