House dust is the result of the accumulation of microparticles which include fabric fibers, paper, hair, dead skin cells, dirt and more. Letting the dust settle for too long causes allergies, so it's a great idea to keep it under control. There is no way to get rid of dust completely but with cleaning, eliminating the clutter and using proper filtration techniques, you can reduce the amount you and your family breathe each day. Read on to rid your home of dust.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Filter the Air
Step 1. Clean or improve your home air filters
If you have an air conditioning and heating system installed, you need to clean the filters and change them regularly to check house dust levels. Dust will continue to accumulate, but a good filter system will reduce its speed.
A standard filter is able to trap only the largest particles to avoid damage to the heating / air conditioning system. To reduce dust instead, you have to buy high quality paper filters or metal fabric filters that are disposable and that you have to replace every 1-3 months
Step 2. Buy an air purifier
These are devices that clean the air by trapping dust particles. They are great for homes with a lot of dust or for families where there are allergic individuals. Purifiers are only effective in the room they are in, so consider purchasing one for the living room and another for each bedroom.
Method 2 of 4: Clean
Step 1. Vacuum twice a week
Use a model that is equipped with a HEPA filter to ensure that it sucks up the maximum amount of dust possible. Use the appliance to clean all carpets, especially those subject to frequent foot traffic. Don't forget the floor below. Frequently vacuuming floors is one of the most effective ways to reduce dust build-up, especially in corners and under furniture. You will probably notice the difference right away.
- Remember to change your vacuum cleaner filter often.
- Make sure your appliance is in perfect working order. Broken vacuum cleaners blow the vacuumed dust back into the room, making the problem worse.
Step 2. Clean the floors on the other days
Use a broom or swiffer cloth to wipe dust off floors when you're not vacuuming them. Frequently clean areas that tend to get dirty such as the hallway, hallways, and kitchen. Throw the dust in the garbage can to make sure it doesn't come back into the house.
Step 3. Wash your floors often
After "dry" cleaning, scrubbing the floors with a mop or damp cloth is the best way to collect residual dust. If you wash the floor often, you can keep house dust under control. If you let too much time pass between washes, the operations will be more complicated and you will have to scrub a lot more to remove stains and dirt.
Step 4. Dust with microfiber cloths
Not all cloths are the same. If dust is a big deal, you may want to use microfiber ones. It is a fabric specially designed to trap grains and microparticles. An old cotton t-shirt or a simple rag just move the dust from one surface to another, the same thing goes for duvets: the furniture looks clean but only because the dust is suspended in the air.
- Use the microfiber cloths to clean all those surfaces where dust tends to accumulate, such as above the mantel, the desk, the coffee table in the living room and so on. Wet cloths collect dust better than dry cloths; so if your furniture is not wooden, proceed with a wet rag first.
- Wash the microfiber cloth immediately after using it to get rid of all the dust collected. Do not add fabric softener sheets when you put it in the dryer as they interfere with the cloth's ability to collect dust.
Step 5. Wash your bedding often
Sheets, blankets, pillow cases and duvets tend to accumulate dust and it is not uncommon for people to wake up in the morning with a stuffy nose after breathing it through the night. Whenever you go to bed or get up, without knowing it, you raise clouds of dust in the air. The solution is to wash the laundry often, especially that of family members who have dry skin or if you allow your pets to sleep on the bed.
- Wash your sheets and pillowcases at least once a week if your home has a lot of dust.
- Wash your blankets and other bedding at least every three to four weeks.
Step 6. Beat the sofa cushions and rugs at least once a month
Just like bedding, sofa cushions and rugs also have a tendency to collect dust. Whenever you sit on the sofa or walk on the carpet, you kick up the dust in the air. Every three months, take your cushions and rugs outside and beat them to get rid of most of the dust.
- An old broomstick is the ideal tool for this job.
- Hit them all over the surface and not always in the same spot.
- Keep beating them until you no longer see clouds of dust rising from their surfaces.
Step 7. Clean the walls from the floor to the ceiling
Every two months or so, when thorough cleaning is needed, take care of the walls, dust the edges of the skirting boards and door jambs with a microfiber cloth. Start at the top and work your way down to the floor. This way you collect the dust that falls downwards.
Method 3 of 4: Reorder
Step 1. Get rid of all knickknacks
If every room in your home is littered with decorative items, then it will be very difficult to reduce the dust. Take a tour of the house and select all those dust receptacles you don't really need. This will give you easier-to-clean surfaces.
Consider moving any items you don't want to part with into a rarely used room. By doing this, the most used rooms in your home will remain clean
Step 2. Eliminate the piles of magazines and books
These are objects that degrade over time and produce a lot of dust. Having a house full of piles of magazines makes the environment dusty. Put the books on the bookshelf and regularly get rid of the magazines and newspapers. Store the ones you absolutely want to keep in plastic bags so they won't “contaminate” the house with dust.
Step 3. Insert a few pieces of fabric furniture into the house
Get rid of all the blankets, pillows, tablecloths and all the fabric furniture in the rooms. These objects produce dust and at the same time absorb it. If you can reduce all the textile elements of the furniture, you will notice a great improvement in terms of dust.
- Instead of buying fabric furniture, go for leather or wood. Sometimes an old piece of furniture that is breaking produces a lot of dust, get rid of it.
- Wash your blankets and pillows very often.
Step 4. Keep closets closed
Each time you open them you generate small changes in air pressure which in turn cause the fibers of the clothes and other fabrics to fly. These particles accumulate on the ground in the form of dust. If your closet is messy, it means it's also not very clean. If you keep it tidy, it will also be easier to clean.
- Hang clothes neatly instead of stacking them in piles at the bottom.
- Divide the space dedicated to shoes from that for clothes and do not throw everything in the same "container".
- Vacuum the inside of the cabinet regularly to reduce the amount of dust that builds up.
Step 5. Store unused clothes in special boxes or bags
Out of season clothes should be stored in another container until the following year. When fabrics are left undisturbed in closed containers they do not generate fibers and dust.
- Use clear containers so you can see what they contain and where your clothes are arranged.
- When dust accumulates on the containers themselves, you can easily clean them.
Step 6. Ask people to take off their dirty shoes at the entrance
When they dry, the mud and dirt that remains on the floor contribute to increased house dust. On rainy days and in the winter months, you should ask people to take off their shoes at the entrance. In this way, the dust produced by the shoes will remain contained only in this area of the house and you can clean it frequently.
Step 7. Brush pets regularly
Dogs and cats contribute to the formation of dust with hair and dandruff. If you brush them often, you can reduce the problem. Do this in the bathroom or laundry room instead of in the living room, near the sofa, or in the bedroom, as these are difficult to clean areas. You should also remember to wash the blankets you put in the kennels often.
Method 4 of 4: Close each crevice
Step 1. Most house dust comes from outside
Use silicone or putty to close any gaps around window and door frames. In addition, this allows you to reduce the costs on your heating and air conditioning bills.
Step 2. Check the chimneys for vents and for ash and soot
You may need to hire a chimney sweep.
Step 3. Check the dryer for a lot of lint buildup
- If there is fluff in the dryer drum, be aware that there is a risk of fire and it could be a sign of a problem with the appliance's air intake.
- Check the ventilation ducts and vents leading outside to make sure there are no blocks or holes. If so, call a repair technician.
