Why is My Home So Dusty?

Picture This:

It’s a Saturday morning. You slept in. Feeling well-rested, you head into the living room to relax and drink your morning cup of coffee. As you open the blinds to allow some rays of sunshine into your home, you notice it…

Dust. The air in your home is filled with copious amounts of dust. Why is your home this dusty?

Your Home is Dusty Because You Don’t Clean Enough

Dust is the combination of cloth fibers, pet dander, dead skin cells, dirt, hair, and many other small pieces of debris. The reason there’s so much of this in your home is because you’re not spending enough time cleaning each week.

Yes. We said each week — not once per month.

Place an Emphasis on Filtering Your Air

Clean/Replace Air Filters

For those with central heating and cooling, your HVAC system comes equipped with air filters to reduce the amount of dust in your home.

However, those who don’t clean and/or replace these filters at least every other month will experience clogged filters, increased wear and tear on their HVAC system, and a house filled with dust.

Invest in an Air Purifier

The beauty of air purifiers is that they ill trap the dust that makes it through the air filters (or is introduced from outside).

High-traffic rooms such as living/family rooms and kitchens should each have one. Many central HVAC systems can have air purifiers added to them, instead of buying the floor units.

Create a Checklist of These Chores to Significantly Cut Down on Dust

Start With the Floors

Vacuuming should always be at the top of your chores list. Use a vacuum preferably with a HEPA filter, so it can suck up as much dust and debris as possible. Spend extra time vacuuming high traffic-areas with multiple ‘pass throughs.’ Ideally, you should be vacuuming twice per week, especially if you have pets.

For your hardwood floors and tiles, make sure you’re sweeping them just as frequently as you’d vacuum the carpets. Spend extra time in the kitchen, making sure you get underneath the table, chairs, and appliances. You should also be mopping your floors. Maybe not as often as you sweep, but at least once per month.

Microfiber is Your Best Friend

Dusting should also be done throughout the week, but don’t just use any duster. This will just move the dust around and kick it up into the air. So put that old rag down!

Make sure you’re using a microfiber cloth. This material will attract and trap dust instead of just moving it around. If the surface you’re cleaning can become wet (not wood or electronics), wet the cloth — wet cloths will collect more dust than dry ones.

Pay Attention to Your Bedding and Furniture

Do you find yourself waking up each morning with a stuffy nose or a lot of “crusties” in your nose? You might need to wash your sheets more. A buildup of dust (mostly dead skin cells and hair) exist here, as they lay trapped within the bedding.

Get into a rhythm of washing your sheets and pillow cases on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. For all other blankets and comforters, wash them at least once per month.

Once the bed has been addressed, don’t forget to remove the dust from your couch cushions and pillows. Take these cushion and pillows outside, beat them with a broom handle, and don’t stop until you stop seeing dust fly out of them. This should be done at least once per season.

After your furniture cushions and pillows have been cleared of dust, repeat this process with any rugs or welcome mats you have inside of your home.

Remember to Keep Clutter to a Minimum

The more “things” you have in you home, the harder it will be (and more time it will take) to clear the dust away. Keeping your home as minimalistic as possible will help you drastically cut down on cleaning time and improve your home’s overall air quality as a result of having less dust.

• Limit the amount of knick-knacks you have on display

• Use fewer blankets, pillows, tablecloths, etc.

• Place stacks of books, magazines, etc. neatly on bookshelves — not stacked on tables

• Anything that isn’t used frequently, store in a plastic container and place it in your preferred storage room

Living in a dusty home can drastically decrease the air quality in your home, as well as increasing the chances of allergy and asthma attacks. For those looking to assess their indoor air quality and decrease the amount of dust in their home, give us a call and we can provide the best options for your home!