In order to keep your home's air quality top notch, you should be dusting at least every other week, if not weekly.
How often should you be dusting? Remember that dusting doesn't just refer to wiping down dust on hard surfaces. It also includes vacuuming, and washing bed sheets regularly. “Ideally, this should be done on a weekly basis if possible to keep dust and the many allergens it contains at low numbers,” says Dr.
Dust accumulation in your home is a product of airflow, either because too much dirty, dust-filled air is floating around your home or because not enough air is spreading through the home, allowing dust to settle.
Polluted air vents and untidy filters can contaminate the air. Soiled sheets and bedding can cause skin rashes and irritations. Dust mites can trigger allergies, asthma, and other respiratory issues. Bugs, pests, vermin, and critters are carriers of germs and many diseases.
Our recommendation to keep dust out of your home is to give it a good dusting/cleaning at least once per month for easy-to-reach areas, like your ceiling fan and upholstery. Tackle more difficult spots every three to six months, like high windows and ceilings, small items like picture frames, and shelves.
Keeping your home as dust-free as possible requires vigilance and consistency. It all starts with a regular weekly cleaning: Vacuuming furniture and drapes regularly, and changing air filters in your HVAC system monthly can go a long way to helping you combat dust.
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. "Air purifiers (also called air cleaners) are designed to remove small particles from the air we breathe indoors," Mendez says.
It finds its way into your home through unsealed windows and doors. Shoes, clothing, and pet paws can also bring in sand, gravel, and soil that contribute to further buildup. Dust can even contain harmful substances, such as trace metals, antibiotic-resistant germs, microplastics, and other harsh chemicals.
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.
Your room is too humid.
Dust particles can adhere more easily to damp surfaces, which can occur if the humidity levels in your bedroom are too high. “Humidity causes static electricity, which is regarded as the culprit that helps dust cling to surfaces,” says Jameson.
Exposure to dust inside homes can have adverse health outcomes, such as respiratory problems, asthma, allergic reactions, and lead poisoning (if the dust contains lead).
Dust is made up of plant pollen, fiber from clothing, and dead skin cells. According to an article from Housewife How-To's mentions that the average house collects 40 lbs of dust in one year.
If you don't dust or vacuum, your home will turn into an allergy festival. Pollen will gather in all the nooks in your home, pet hair will lie in wait, and dust mites will come out in force. All the things that make your eyes water and your nose run will be sitting around your home making your allergies worse.
A gentle swipe with a microfiber cloth usually does the job, while a soft, long-handled microfiber duster will collect dust from crevices.
Vacuum Your Home Twice a Week
To reduce the dust in your home, we would recommend vacuuming at least twice a week – with special attention to high-traffic areas. Vacuuming is one of the most effective ways of cutting down the dust in your home and it is likely you will notice a difference straight away.
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.
Frequent dusting, sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming can help reduce levels of dust in the air. People can also change and wash bedding regularly. Air purifiers can also help remove dust from the air. The EPA writes that air purifiers with HEPA filters can remove 99.97% of airborne particles.
That clump of gray fuzz hiding under the couch may look dull, but it contains multitudes: tiny errant crumbs of toast, microscopic fibres from a winter coat, fragments of dead leaves, dog dander, sidewalk grit, sloughed-off skin cells, grime-loving bacteria.
The dust that enters the air can settle in the smallest or most awkward-to-access places, which is why most cleaning professionals always recommend that you dust before you vacuum to help you capture as much as possible. Dusting first is essential if it has been a considerable time since you last dusted.
Once a week at least.
Tetro says your bathroom is the ultimate bacteria host; E. coli can be found within six feet of the toilet and in the sink. To keep it at bay, disinfect the toilet and sink at least once weekly, and the bathtub every two weeks — more if you shower often.
Mop Frequently
High-traffic areas, like kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, and entryways, require weekly mopping. Infrequently used rooms, such as formal living areas or guest rooms, can be mopped every other week, or even once a month, so long as they're vacuumed once every seven days to remove dust and grit.