Books, carpet, rugs, upholstered furniture, fireplaces, and pets all contribute to the dust load. Dirt, pollen, smoke, exhaust, sand, and many other things may bring in dust from outside. In addition, mold, bacteria, and dust mites are all likely to inhabit and often proliferate in dust.
Vacuum Your Home Twice a Week
To reduce the dust in your home, we would recommend vacuuming at least twice a week – with special attention to high-traffic areas. Vacuuming is one of the most effective ways of cutting down the dust in your home and it is likely you will notice a difference straight away.
Do air purifiers remove dust or not? The short answer is yes, most air purifiers on the market are designed to remove large dust particles from the air. Many feature mechanical filtration, which is a method of capturing pollutants on filters.
Personal protective equipment can prevent particles from getting into your eyes, nose, and mouth, but better indoor airflow can help push dust outside the home. Open windows also come in handy when you're dealing with chores like deep cleaning your carpets.
Vacuum often to reduce dust mites, ensure to do rugs and get under beds and couches. The Australian Asthma Handbook by the National Asthma Council Australia suggests using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Regularly clean carpets and couches. Wash curtains and dust window coverings.
Dust accumulation in your home is a product of airflow, either because too much dirty, dust-filled air is floating around your home or because not enough air is spreading through the home, allowing dust to settle.
We recommend dusting before vacuuming, this is because dust particles usually get moved around the room when you dust, meaning all your hard work will go to waste. A top tip is to wait at least 2 hours after dusting to get the vacuum out.
Invest in an Air Purifier
By using an air purifier, you can trap those dust particles before they have a chance to settle. Be sure to get one with a true HEPA filter; which according to the EPA, can remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns.
Vacuum often with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter
You really need to make sure it has a HEPA filter. HEPA stands for "high-efficiency particulate air [filter]." These powerful filters can eliminate at least 99.97% of dust and other things in the air, including mold, pollen, and bacteria.
For basic dusting
Instead, you can more successfully capture dust with a soft cloth lightly dampened with water or a furniture dusting spray, a microfiber duster or an electrostatic duster, which use static electricity to pick up more dust particles.
Professional cleaners know that microfiber is the way to go, and there's even science to back up this thinking. Unlike a traditional woven cloth, the microscopic bristle-like fibers in these cloths grab hold of dust and don't let go.
For example, bedrooms and home offices should be vacuumed weekly. Areas with high traffic, such as the kitchen, living room, and children's playrooms, should be cleaned at least twice a week. To create your ideal vacuuming schedule, experts share how often you should vacuum various surfaces in the home.
How many air purifiers do you need to protect your indoor air quality? It is generally recommended to place an air purifier in each room. But you can put at least one air purifier in the most used rooms in your home, mainly the bedroom, living room, and kitchen/dining area.
Increased moisture in your indoor air soaks the airborne dust particles, making them heavier and unable to stay suspended. While humidifiers don't get rid of dust, they do reduce the amount that remains airborne in your home.
So how often should you open your windows? It's recommended that you do so once a day, for at least five minutes. Fifteen to 20 minutes is preferable. However, when you open them is also important.
Just like hot temperatures, freezing cold temperatures also kill dust mites. For more delicate fabrics or items that cannot be washed (such as silk or lace) freeze them. Place the items in a clear plastic bag and put them in the freezer for 24 hours. This will kill the dust mites completely.
Use fans to improve air flow
Even without an open window, fans can improve air flow. Point fans away from people. Pointing fans toward people can blow contaminated air directly at them. Use ceiling fans to help improve air flow in the home whether or not windows are open.
The science behind why damp dusting is more efficient than a dry cloth comes from the fact that a damp cloth introduces capillary force to the dust particles. In short, the damp cloth draws the particles in and lifts dust from the area instead of moving them around.
Use a Damp, Clean Cloth
Because dust is light, these products are more likely to further spread dust in your house than actually collect everything. Be more effective in your cleaning routine. Using a soft microfiber cloth, a large bucket of water, and a disinfectant solution you can collect much more of the dust.
All you need is vinegar, olive oil, and a touch of soap to recreate my grandmother's dust-repellant spray recipe. The coating the spray leaves helps more dust propel off surfaces and onto the floor, which means you'll have to clean those hard to dust places a little less.
Why Do Bedrooms Get So Dusty? If you find yourself dusting your bedrooms more than other areas of your house, you're not alone. That's because bedrooms tend to generate dust from skin cells, dust mites, and upholstery fibers from cozy fabrics in your bed, carpet, rugs, and furniture.