Making your home a complete dust-free zone is virtually impossible to achieve, but with the help of the following 5 steps (carried out regularly), you can certainly get closer to a home that has minimal dust:
- Vacuum often
Your vacuum cleaner really is your best friend when it comes to the war against dust, and by vacuuming your home regularly – especially high traffic areas – you can keep dust and debris to a minimum.
- Replace your HVAC filters
Replacing your HVAC filters every 3 months can help prevent your heating and cooling system from dispersing dust all over your home, and when your HVAC is working more efficiently, your energy bills will decrease, too. If you have pets or live in a dusty environment, you may need to change the filters more often.
- Put mats and rugs at all entrances
This small but affordable step can significantly reduce the amount of dirt and dust that enters your home, and coupled with a ‘no outdoor shoes inside’ rule, can help keep your floors cleaner and free from contaminates.
- Regularly bathe and groom your pets
Aside from dander produced by your pets, every time they go outside, they pick up pollen, dust and dirt, and carry it into your home. Depending on how much access they are give to the rooms of your home, they could soon be spreading that all over the place. By regularly bathing your dog (check with a veterinarian as to how often this should be done for your particular pet) and grooming your dogs and cats, you can limit the spread of dander, dust and hair.
- Dust bookshelves
Bookshelves are notorious dust gatherers, but there are a few ways to display your books and keep dust to a minimum:
- Organize them – keep your books in good order and avoid letting other items clutter the shelves and gather dust
- Dust them often – unless your bookshelves are protected by glass, you’re going to need to dust them often to keep them clean. Use a soft brush, like a paint or pastry brush to get rid of all visible dust before wiping the surfaces down.
- Avoid opening windows – open windows, whether you can see it right away or not, will always attract dust and debris from outside, and the more your window are open, the more dust your bookshelves are likely to accumulate.
The bonus 6th step – hire a cleaning company! Even if you ask a cleaning service to come in just once a week and dust, you’ll soon start to notice the difference, and the air quality inside your home will likely improve; good news for any allergy sufferers or those with breathing issues. Make dust a thing of the past by following the steps above, or hiring a cleaning company, or both!
