Some 40 pounds of dust can waft into your Cameron, North Carolina, home each year. Dust can contain pollen, dirt, and sawdust. If you studied dust particles under a microscope, you’d also find strands of hair, dead skin, and insect bodies. Dust enters the home from people and pets entering and exiting, and it can find its way through tiny spaces in window and door openings. Minimizing dust involves practicing some basic housekeeping techniques, assembling the right tools, and practicing a few golden rules of dusting.
How Often Should You Dust?
How often you dust depends on where you live and the season of the year. In North Carolina, many homeowners look forward to the cool days of autumn when they can give their air conditioners a break and open the windows for some cool breezes. However, opening windows can introduce dust into the home.
In general, you should complete a major dusting once or twice a month, with some light touch-ups once a week. Areas that see high usage, such as floors and kitchen counters, should be swept or wiped clean every day to keep them free from dust. Additionally, eliminating drafts with weather-stripping around doors and windows and regularly vacuuming doormats can also help minimize dust in the home.
Golden Rules of Dusting
- Work from the top of a room down. This approach allows you to vacuum any dust that settles on the floor.
- Dust the places you can’t see, such as the tops of door frames, ceiling fans, and light bulbs (make sure the lights are off, and the bulbs are cool). Don’t forget to dust the insides and outsides of the coverings of your home’s heating and air conditioning vents.
- Rather than dust around items, move them aside and get underneath them to pick up dust.
- While you may think they’re effective, dusting sprays can actually attract more dust when you use them. Made up of oily substances, these sprays can also build up on furniture and damage the finish over time.
- When dusting a flat surface, such as a shelf, move the dust cloth from one end to another in smooth, easy strokes. Avoid shaking or flicking your dust cloth, which will release the dust you collected back into the air.
Three Essential Dusting Tools No Home Should Be Without
Dusting tools should pick up and retain dust when you use them. Make sure your home has the following three essential dusting tools:
- Electrostatic duster: This tool not only picks up dust but also uses static electricity to attract and hold dust particles, preventing them from getting tossed back into the air. Sold in many housewares stores, electrostatic dusters are available as dusting cloths, covers for floor sweepers, and mitts you can wear as you dust.
- Paintbrush: A clean, natural-bristle paintbrush makes an excellent dusting tool for items like lamp shades and decorative wood furniture. Be sure to label the brushes you use for dusting purposes only.
- Vacuum cleaner: Your vacuum cleaner is a reliable warrior when you need to battle dust in the home. A vacuum cleaner with an effective filtration system collects and captures dust instead of moving it around your home. Various attachments can allow you to dust objects such as blinds, ceilings, walls, corners by baseboards, upholstery, sofas, and more.
A Word About Dust and Your HVAC System Air Filters
Your home’s HVAC system contains air filters that can be a haven for collecting dust. When picked up by your HVAC system, this dust can recirculate throughout your home through ductwork and vents. Regularly changing the air filters on your HVAC system cuts down on dust accumulations in the home, improves your home’s indoor air quality, and allows your HVAC system to do its job efficiently.
While staying ahead of dust can seem like a tall order, being vigilant about minimizing dust in your home can allow you and the members of your household to breathe easier. Along with regular dusting, regular HVAC system maintenance checks can also go a long way toward making your home a comfortable place to be. To schedule a service visit with one of our technicians, call Sandhills Heating, Refrigeration & Electrical at 910-338-3723.
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