Unless you are completely, 100% OCD – there is like a forgotten corner of your home – up near the crown molding that is inhabited by a lovable dust bunny. Thinking of these little piles of microscopic dirt and grime as dust bunnies, is definitely much more comforting than worrying that they are actually spider webs. And hopefully, at this very moment – there is a small film of dust that occupies your television and/or media center. Dusting the house is one of those better-forgotten household chores that seem to be never ending. Just as soon as you have ‘swiffered’ or polished, or wiped down the dust vacuuming it away to its swirly doom, the dust comes back.
During some seasons of the year, dusting the house is a chore that needs to be tended to daily. If you live in certain parts of the world where yellow pine pollen seeps into the home through every nook and cranny of the walls and windows, you can dust in the morning and be left with a thin yellow film of ‘dust’ or pollen by days in.
One of the good things about dusting the house, is that when done properly – it isn’t terribly time consuming. Most of the dust lying around your home, according to experts, is a combination of dead skin cells (gross), dead insects (and their remains), mites, pollen from outdoors, microscopic fibers from the walls and ceiling and carpets, dirt brought in on clothing and lint. Allergists believe that an excess amount of dust around the home can actually make you or your family members sick and over time weakens the immune system when it is inhaled into the lungs. So if you or a family member is often sick with colds and sinus irritations, it may be that your home is dusty.
Older homes tend to be dustier than newer homes. If you live near trains, or airports – which cause a lot of ground vibration, you will likely have to dust more often as these things tend to knock more dust around. And if you love to leave your windows open – even with screens, then chances are more pollen and outdoor dust will inhabit your home.
Luckily, there are some practical methods of dusting that can make the daunting task go more quickly and perhaps last a little longer than 5.6 hours.
Tips for Dusting your Home
First of all, the equipment you use is critical. While a wet or damp was cloth may be good enough to remove the immediate dust, it does nothing to keep it from coming back on daily basis. Plus, the water can smear the dust and leave some pretty unattractive lines and marks on things like mirrors, media, and furniture.
The best types of rags to use for dusting are micro fiber or terry clothes. And they should be slightly damp. Feather dusters are pretty good too, especially if you have a lot of tedious areas to dust. Most people use dusting sprays, furniture polishes, and disinfectants to dust with. One of the best things about the dusting sprays is that many of them actually repel dust. Whatever you do, go for a name brand dusting spray so you won’t streak all of the surfaces in your home.
Just as important as the tools you use to dust with – is the manner in which you dust. Cleaning experts recommend that you tidy up a room before dusting. And then, start from the top of a room and work towards the bottom. This means doing ceiling fans, crown moldings and ceilings – as well as higher shelves, and work your way down. Light fixtures are always the toughest to do and should probably be tackled first. If you cannot reach an area, use the feather duster. When you are dusting, be sure to turn all ceiling fans off so that there aren’t a lot of dust particles flying around the home
The worst thing you can do is try to dust around things in your home. This leaves quite a bit of dust behind and will make it look like you have dusted at all. Lift items up and dust underneath them for the best results. While the knickknacks are removed, you could then use your sprays or polish to get the areas ultra clean. Once everything is dusted, you should use your vacuum-to-vacuum throw rugs, carpeting, and furniture. Make sure that you keep your vacuum clean or else you could potentially just throw more dust around the home. Once the vacuuming is done – then you can simply mop the floors with a disinfectant that is safe for your floor type and move on. One word to the wise, empty vacuum cleaner bags or cylinders outdoors because they are full of microscopic dust particles that will scatter around your home.
Dusting should be done at least once a week. Additionally, to keep dust in your home at minimum, you should vacuum or shake out your draperies and wash them every few weeks as well. Blinds and shades should also be wiped down, because they tend to harbor a lot of dust particles that will eventually fly around your home and breed new dust bunny colonies.
Another important tip for keeping dust down in the home is to make sure that you replace air filters on your heating and cooling devices AND use filters on any vents in the home. Keeping these air filters clean can go a long way in making sure that you have less dust to worry about since the majority of household dust is circulated through home ventilation.
