7 Easy Ways to Reduce Dust Inside Your Home

Introduction

Home dust is much more than an aesthetic annoyance; it is an ever-present, constantly accumulating microscopic substance which affects your house’s air quality, mechanical systems, and health atmosphere. Made up of dead human skin cells, animal dander, pollen from outdoors, tracked soil, fibers from fabrics, and even microscopic waste from dust mites, dust continuously collects on all exposed surfaces. Over time, when ignored, dust enters the HVAC ventilation system, resulting in blocked air filters, stress to mechanical blowers, and increased electrical bills each month. Additionally, floating dust particles serve as one of the major triggers of indoor allergy and asthma attacks and irritations. Identifying the main sources of dust entering the house and implementing a proactive reduction strategy will help you reduce dust particle levels dramatically.

Dust is one of the major issues that occur in almost every house and gets collected on various objects in no time. Though it is not possible to get rid of dust altogether, there are certain steps which can be taken in order to avoid dust to a significant extent in your home. It is possible for dust to enter through windows and doors, settle in fabrics and carpets, and travel through the air while moving within the house. Maintaining cleanliness in your home, ensuring proper ventilation in your home, and adopting proper cleaning techniques will go a long way in keeping a fresh and cozy environment. Some of the techniques used to manage dust include floor cleaning, laundry for bedding, air filter maintenance, and decluttering.

Common Sources of Dust

There are numerous ways to generate dust both in your home and out of it. The identification of dust sources will provide an opportunity to control and limit their presence in your home. For example, outdoor dirt which comes in through doors, windows, shoes, and clothes can serve as a great dust source. The use of doormats and the removal of shoes when entering a house might help you to minimize the amount of dust brought into the premises by people.

Another important source of indoor dust can be fabrics. Rugs, carpets, curtains, blankets, cushions, and other upholstered furniture can accumulate dust which is released into the atmosphere when they are moved.

Books, other decorative items, paper documents and anything kept on open shelves can contribute to the accumulation of dust in the house.

In case when the heating and cooling system of the house is not properly maintained, dust may be transported from room to room along with the warm or cold air. It is necessary to clean the ventilation vents and to change air filters regularly, following the manufacturer’s recommendations.

The last but not the least source of dust particles is pets. Dirt brought by your pet, dander and hair can settle on floor and furniture. Therefore, regular grooming of your pet and cleaning of the house will help to reduce the amount of dust in it.

Clean Air Filters

The first and foremost mechanical barrier against dust propagation is air filters, which capture particulate matter in the air before it lands on your furniture or enters your body. In the case of a forced-air HVAC system operating, it sucks air from the house via return air vents and passes it through a fibrous material meant to catch lint, dander, and soil. However, when a filter reaches its full capacity and becomes a barrier for air flow in the system, it lowers the static pressure and requires additional power from the blower motor to pass air through it. Ultimately, a filled filter will undergo “bypass” – under the effect of strong vacuum, it lets in the dusty air through its frame into the supply ducts. Installing high-efficiency air filters, such as MERV 8-11 rated filters, and changing them once in 30-90 days is how people break this perpetual cycle of dust dispersal and save on energy costs.

Another essential thing is that clean air filters should be a regular part of the process of minimizing dust at home. Air conditioners, heaters, air purifiers, and ventilation systems usually employ filters to capture dust, dirt, hair, and other types of particles. When filters become dirty, they may become less effective and can let through additional particles of dust.

Check your filters regularly and clean or replace them depending on the recommendations of the manufacturers. The filters can be either washable (they have to be washed with water) and disposable filters (they need to be changed when they get dirty). Make sure that washable filters are completely dry before you put them in the machine again.

Dirty filters can additionally cause additional work for your heating or cooling system and thus may reduce their efficiency. By keeping your filters clean, you will ensure that everything works fine and at the same time minimize the amount of dust floating around.

Do not forget about small air-cleaning machines. If you use any type of air purifier, check its filter regularly and change it according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. Moreover, you can also vacuum or clean vents and air returns.

Remember that when you are cleaning or changing the filter of your machine, you need to turn it off first. You can find information about how to do it in the instructions of the product. In case you are not sure what kind of filters should be used for your machine and how they need to be maintained, read the manual.

Thus, cleaning and changing filters of your appliances should be a regular part of cleaning routine in order to eliminate the airborne dust.

Clean Floors Properly

Flooring surfaces are considered the main reservoirs for heavy dust indoors, which is why most of the time, incorrect cleaning methods only increase the problem by kicking these particles up from the floor surface. When using a conventional straw broom or regular dry upright vacuum cleaner without any filtering capabilities, the bristles and air flow will force fine particulates into the air, where they will stay airborne for several hours until finally landing right back on your furniture. In order to completely get rid of the dust that is located on the floor surface, one should switch to a capture-and-removal approach using microfiber flat mops or a HEPA filter-equipped vacuum cleaner. HEPA filters ensure that 99.97% of all dust, animal dander, and pollen particles that are as small as 0.3 microns will be safely captured inside the machine container and not released back into the air. With the help of weekly HEPA vacuuming of carpets with high traffic and damp-mopping of hard floors, homeowners will achieve permanent removal of dust from their home and prevent floor scratching.

Proper cleaning of floors can be one of the most efficient actions to help you minimize the accumulation of dust inside your home. Floor is covered with all kinds of dust and dirt during the day. These particles accumulate, and it is important to remove them on a regular basis, since walking or moving furniture can send them into the air.

First, vacuum carpets and rugs with a suitable vacuum cleaner. Pay special attention to corners, areas under the furniture, and foot traffic. Move the light furniture, so you could clean these areas as well.

When you are dealing with hard flooring like tile, laminate or wood, use a microfiber mop or a proper device to clean it. Materials of microfiber can absorb fine dust instead of spreading it around. Be careful with wooden and moisture-sensitive flooring and avoid wet mops to prevent damage to the floor.

If necessary, sweep your floors, but remember that sweeping fast and using a dry broom may just spread dust around again. Try to use vacuum cleaner or damp microfiber mop to get rid of dust easier.

You can also place mats at the entrance to prevent dust from getting into the apartment. Removing the shoes before entering will help you even more.

Think about the frequency of cleaning and develop a proper schedule depending on the intensity of use of your home. Some areas require more frequent cleaning than bedrooms and other rooms where there is no intensive use of floor.

Wash Bedding

Bedding is among the most densely populated areas where indoor dust accumulates constantly providing a source of fabric particles, flakes of human skin, and allergens of dust mites. Since about one-third of our lives are spent sleeping in the bed, sheets, pillowcases, and blankets get rapidly covered with a substantial amount of biological material that can be released into the air anytime the mattress is moved around. Washing your bedding once a week using hot water—above 55°C (130°F)—is crucial, as only this temperature will allow to kill dust mites and destroy their sticky droppings. In order to reduce your household dust level even more, use allergen-proof micro-weave covers for pillows, mattresses, and box-springs which will keep all the particles locked inside not allowing them to move out of the encasing into the environment. Thus, by introducing a weekly bedding washing habit and drying things to avoid mold, people prevent the process of dust generation and keep themselves healthy.

Bedding is a magnet for the accumulation of various types of dust like loose skin cells, hair, sweat, and other particles and materials. If left alone on a regular basis, sheets, pillowcases, blankets, and other bedding accessories can contribute to the overall amount of dust that can be found in one’s bedroom. This is why it is essential to wash them on a regular basis.

It is vital to wash sheets, pillowcases, and other bedding accessories on a regular basis following the instructions found on their labels. The use of hot water and an appropriate laundry detergent should help in removing dirt and particles from them. Pillow covers and blankets should also be cleaned on a regular basis depending on the frequency of their usage.

In addition to sheets and blankets, other bedding accessories like pillows and mattresses should also be cleaned when necessary. Pillows can either be washed or cleaned using a vacuum cleaner depending on their production characteristics. In the case of mattresses, a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery attachment can help with removing the dust from their edges and inner folds.

The bedding accessories that have been washed must be dried to get rid of any unpleasant smell that may arise from moisture. It is also better to dry them outside if possible in order to achieve a fresh appearance and scent. As for other objects found on one’s bed, they should also be removed on a regular basis to prevent additional accumulation of dust.

As seen, it is essential to include bedding in one’s cleaning schedule on a regular basis for better dust control in the bedroom. Such an endeavor will ensure the freshness and comfort of one’s sleep due to the removal of the unnecessary particles and materials.

Reduce Clutter

Interior clutter serves as a medium for dust particles to adhere to, as flat surfaces tend to attract lint and pet dander, forming a difficult-to-remove substance that requires a lot of effort to get rid of. Additionally, every unnecessary object left in the open space allows particles to settle on them and accumulate over time, creating the perfect breeding ground for dust. Hence, the fewer objects you have to clean in your home, the better. Storing your magazines, clothes, and other items in closed drawers and cabinets or using plastic boxes for seasonal storage will reduce the number of surfaces to wipe and vacuum. The minimalism applied to your home furniture arrangement would enable your cleaning tools to reach every particle of dust and remove it from the premises effectively and efficiently.

The most obvious solution to reduce dust at home is to minimize clutter. The reason for that is very simple – each additional item that takes up shelf, table, floor and other space in your house provides one more place for dust to accumulate. Cluttered room is also hard to clean and allows dust accumulation over time.

Remove all unnecessary things from your home – old paperwork, unused decorations, empty boxes and other stuff that is not useful anymore. Having only necessary and useful items helps to keep your house clean and eliminates dusty surfaces.

Use closed cabinets, drawers and containers for storing things that do not have to be visible. Unlike open shelves, closed storage helps to protect items from being covered in dust. It is also important to clean your storage places from time to time.

Take care of all the hard-to-clean spots like the space behind your furniture and under beds. Do not store too many things there since they will become a trap for dust. Keeping some open space near furniture will facilitate vacuuming and mopping process.

Do not try to clutter your house with decorations. You don’t have to take off all the decorative items but it will speed up the process of dusting if you will decrease their quantity. Pick some favorites among them and clean them regularly.

It is very important to develop a habit of putting things in place after using them. It will take you just a few minutes a day but it will save you from clutter in the long run.

Improve Ventilation

Good ventilation will contribute to keeping your home fresher and will help prevent the accumulation of dust and other particles. Proper ventilation will ensure that old air can be vented out from the room and fresh air will be provided in cases where outside conditions are favorable. Moreover, ventilation will help you control the humidity level.

First of all, open your windows and doors for a few minutes only in case if outside air is clean and if the conditions are comfortable. Opening windows and doors in this case will help improve the natural ventilation. However, if outside air is dusty, full of smoke and pollution, it is better to close the windows and use proper filtration instead.

Fans in the kitchen and bathroom will help you because these rooms are usually filled with moisture and some particles. Start these fans when you cook food and take a shower. Do not forget to clean these fans regularly so that they could perform their functions.

The ceiling fans will also help in circulating air in the room; however, these fans should be cleaned because a dusty fan will spread the particles in the room.

Do not forget to clean filters in the case if your house uses the heating or cooling system. Filters in this case will help the system collect the airborne dust.

It is recommended not to block air vents with any objects because this will obstruct the movement of air in the room.

Proper ventilation, clean filters and maintenance of exhaust fans will help you increase the ventilation and reduce the airborne dust in the room.

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Conclusion

Cleaning dust in the house does not have to be a difficult process. It can be as simple as cleaning air filters, cleaning floors, washing bed sheets, avoiding clutter, and ventilation. Cleaning regularly will help in preventing dust from accumulating in your house and will also make your living spaces look organized and neat.

Another thing that one needs to do when trying to get rid of dust in their home is recognizing the things that can cause dust. Some of these things include carpets, fabrics, outside dirt, pets, and poorly maintained air filters. Taking some preventive measures like putting a mat at the entrance of your house will also help in lowering the amount of dust coming in the house.

The trick behind getting rid of dust lies in consistency. You should not wait until the dust becomes visible but rather incorporate these practices into your daily routine.