Prevent Dirt and Dust from Entering at the Entrance
While difficult to verify conclusively, it’s widely believed that around half of the dirt and dust within your house enters via your footwear. To prevent this effectively, place doormats both outdoors and indoors at every entrance. Make sure to shake these mats far from open windows to avoid recirculating debris, and clean or rinse them frequently.
Add Humidity
If the air inside your house becomes excessively dry, you’re inviting increased dust accumulation. When skin, textiles, and plants become dried out, they contribute more dust to the environment. To address this issue, you can introduce humidity using a
plug-in humidifier
Or opt for a whole-house unit installed on your forced-air furnace. Additionally, letting water run in the bathtub or shower, heating water in a tea kettle, and allowing clothes to air dry all contribute to adding moisture to the air. It’s recommended by experts to maintain an indoor humidity level between 30% and 50%.
Remove Dense Carpets and Thicker Rugs
You really don’t want to know about all the dust hiding here.
carpeting and rugs
. Even if you
vacuum
And make sure to regularly shake out rugs because they trap dust which stays put until someone steps or rolls on them, causing the settled dust to become airborne again. Part of this dust may settle back into the carpet whereas another part might land on flat surfaces nearby. Should you decide to purchase an area rug regardless, take heed that wool rugs tend to shed extensively.
Clean Dusty Vent Grilles
The exhaust vents, particularly those found in bathrooms, tend to accumulate significant amounts of dust. A convenient method for cleaning them—assuming they can be removed effortlessly—is to put them on the top shelf of your dishwasher and let it do the work. Alternatively, you could make a DIY cleaner.
dusting spray
. If you can’t easily remove that dusty grille, use a damp cloth and cotton-tipped swaps to
clean off the dust
Vacuuming also does the job, but make certain that your vacuum doesn’t end up redistributing the dust into the room’s atmosphere.
Launder Bed linens More Frequently Than You Believe Necessary
Have you ever thought about how much you enjoy your comfortable bed? Well, dust mites feel the same way. To put it simply, our bedrooms become quite dusty since this is where we lose a significant amount of dead skin cells (which turn into dust), making them an ideal habitat for these tiny creatures (even more dust).
Bed linens,
Pillows and blankets should be washed regularly to prevent dust accumulation.
Monitor Your Vacuum
No matter how much you vacuum, if your machine is just recirculating the dust back into the air or failing to pick up the dirt effectively, you’ll never make progress. This underscores the importance of knowing whether you should
dust or vacuum first
If your vacuum cleaner uses a bag, remember to swap it out once it becomes full. For those with a bagless design, ensure you clear the dust container following each usage. Regularly clean or substitute the filters as needed. Additionally, inspect the belt—if it appears worn, install a new one promptly.
Replace Your Furnace Filter Monthly
Include replacing the filter as part of your monthly chores if you own a forced-air heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
It’s simple and quick, yet it will significantly aid in reducing dust.
Tidy Your Blinds, Shades, and Drapes
All
window blinds
Shades and curtains accumulate a lot of dust due to their extensive surface areas. To clean these, you can individually wipe each blind or take them off their mounting brackets for washing or professional cleaning. Typically, dusty shades respond well to being gently rubbed with a moistened cloth. As for curtains, they can either be laundered yourself or sent out for professional cleaning based on the material they’re constructed from.
Groom Pets Outdoors
We adore our pets, yet they increase the dust indoors. When your
pet’s fur needs brushing
It’s advisable to remove them outdoors and ensure that the windows on the leeward side are shut.
Contain Workshop Dust
If your home includes a woodworking shop, you likely already have a dust collection system in place. Nevertheless, if you only undertake occasional projects involving cutting and
sanding wood
Even with a shop vacuum, you can still achieve quite good results.
collecting the dust.
Cut the Clutter
If you’ve stepped over the line into pre-hoarding territory, it’s essential to get rid of a significant amount of possessions. Those trinkets, baubles, and little gadgets just gather dust. Unless you’re committed to maintaining their cleanliness regularly, these items contribute to your dust issue. If certain keepsakes hold too much sentimental value for you to let go of completely, consider storing them away and rotating what gets displayed periodically. This way, you’ll reduce both the number of objects needing dusting and overall household dust accumulation. Ensure you understand the distinction
clutter versus hoarding
.
