But to really rid your home of dust you need to do more than just wipe down countertops, bookshelves, and electronics (notorious dust magnets). You'll also want to avoid clutter, wash linens and curtains frequently, and vacuum your floors, carpets, furniture, and even your mattress on a regular basis.
Our verdict: Dust in your bedroom results from many different things, such as dead skin cells, dust mites, pet hair and dander.
Air purifiers assist in eliminating household dust by helping clean the air at home. These machines are engineered with technology that traps dust before it settles on your furniture and floors. Opt for a HEPA air purifier that captures 99.97% of dust and particles as small as 0.3 microns.
Air purifiers are devices designed to clean and sanitize the air in your home. They remove impurities in the air, including dust, smoke, odors, and other air pollutants.
These particles that become trapped are the particles that would have turned into dust on home surfaces, or caused allergy or asthma symptoms when they are inhaled. Although an air purifier cannot remove particles completely, with regular use it can provide a significant reduction in household dust.
When you breathe in the air full of dust and bacteria, you are risking your health, especially if you already suffer from allergies, asthma, or upper respiratory concerns. Even if you don't experience these problems, clean air is still important and linked with improved sleep and overall better health.
Exactly where these particles come from depends on the home. Unfortunately, keeping your windows open will not reduce the amount of dust in your home; in fact, doing this could increase it.
All you need is vinegar, olive oil, and a touch of soap to recreate my grandmother's dust-repellant spray recipe. The coating the spray leaves helps more dust propel off surfaces and onto the floor, which means you'll have to clean those hard to dust places a little less.
When dusting a room or an object, always start at the top and work your way down so you won't have dust resettle on a freshly cleaned area. Dust first, then vacuum a room to capture all that has fallen to the floor. Close windows and turn off fans while dusting to prevent the particles from scattering.
A buildup of dust in your home is often the result of poor airflow. A combination of poor airflow and infrequent cleaning can lead dust and dust mites to settle comfortably into several areas in your home. “Dust mites live in mattresses, pillows, and upholstery,” Dr. Cajigal says.
Pollen, soil, and particulate matter
As mentioned above, 60% of household dust comes from outside. Pollen, a well-known allergen, can come inside on your shoes, your clothes, and even your hair. As you move around in your home, you're spreading the pollen, which then floats in the air and settles onto surfaces.
Even in closed-up homes, it will still settle from the indoor atmosphere, leak from the ceiling cornices and attic spaces, and seep into your living areas through cracks around windows and doors. Any particles of dirt, smoke, fibres or crushed materials that go into the air eventually come down as dust.
Not only can keeping openings closed cause condensation issues inside your house (i.e. weeping windows), which we know can lead to mould, it also allows toxins already inside the home to build up. That includes volatile organic compounds, mold spores, dust, smoke, radon, viruses and bacteria.
Although ceiling fans are often in motion they do pick up a lot of dust along the way so keeping them clean will help keep the air in your house free of particles.
Dust reactions for non-high-risk individuals can include eye irritation, sneezing, coughing, hay fever, and asthma attacks. Individuals with adverse effects from dust may experience allergic reactions, asthma attacks, or severe breathing problems. Adverse long-term effects can result in heart or lung diseases.
To remove dust build up and bacteria growth, clean your room every now and then to remove bugs, mites, and allergens causing havoc to your sleep. If you leave your room unclean and unorganized, it can turn out as a real haven for bacteria growth that can make you sick.
There are many solutions that you can boil to help sanitize the air. As previously mentioned, bowling vinegar can help to eliminate odors in the air. Further, you can use herbs and essential oils in boiling water to help naturally purify the air in your home, and replace it with a fresh smell of your choosing.
The best place to put an air purifier is somewhere in your breathing zone. The closer the unit is to your head, the shorter distance clean air has to travel before it reaches you. In the bedroom, this usually translates to putting the air purifier on a nightstand or small table close to the bed.
It can take your air purifier 30 minutes to clean air in a small room. For larger rooms, it can take up to 2 to 3 hours.
The main difference between an air purifier and a humidifier is its function. An air purifier is designed to remove pollutants and allergens from the air, while a humidifier is designed to add moisture to the atmosphere. Both devices can be beneficial to use in your office, depending on your needs.