The frustrating thing about dusting is that every time you do it, more shows up in no time. Dusting is a job that never seems done, and there are always more and more areas to dust when you finally think you’ve got them all. It can be hard to know just how much dust is floating around your home until some pointed rays of bright sunlight shine through your window and light up all those pieces floating through the air. Unfortunately, dust is a part of life which is why good dusting habits can do wonders for the way it looks and feels in a space.
Why Is Dusting Important
Dusting is crucial to maintaining the air quality in your home and is especially important if anyone in your household has asthma or breathing difficulties. Dust comes from all kinds of things and lots of items in your home contribute to it. Stuff like shed skin, pet dander, soil particles, fungi, fabric fibers, pollen, ashes, bacteria, dust mites, and even little pieces of insects get into your house through vents and windows, particularly if heating and cooling filters aren’t changed frequently. Part of what makes dust gross is that dust mites and other microbial beings actually feed off the organic particle components, like dead skin and pieces of hair. So the more dust you have lying around, the more your home becomes a buffet for tiny bugs, especially in upholstered areas like cushions, curtains, and bedding.
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The Best Way To Dust
Now that you know what dust is, it’s probably obvious why you wouldn’t want to stir it up and have it recirculating through the air and resettling. First thing’s first – a dust mask that covers the nose and mouth is recommended for heavy dusting, especially if you have allergies. When dusting hard surfaces, always dust from the top down so any flying dust from higher surfaces falls where you haven’t dusted yet. Microfiber fabrics are perfect for attracting and gathering up dust, where some feather dusters will just whip the dust around. When one cloth is too full of dust, toss it aside for laundering and use a fresh one. To get the dust off household fabrics like upholsteries, curtains, and carpets, use a vacuum cleaner with a clear filter and strong suction to minimize the amount of dust that might get flipped back into the air.
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Home Dusting Check List
- baseboards
- wall corners
- ceiling corners
- ceiling fans
- window blinds
- crown molding
- light fixtures
- shelving
- bookcases
- electronics
- mirrors
- picture frames
- curtains
- lampshades
- window panes
