Expert Advice on Preventing Dust Before It Forms

Photo by cottonbrofrom PexelsNo matter where you reside, you will eventually have to deal with dust. It grows on shelves, corners, televisions, and the underside of furniture. But rather of continually removing the resulting debris, what if there was a technique to actively combat dust before it forms? If you can believe it, anything's feasible. You may reduce the amount of dust in your house by doing a few simple maintenance tasks like periodically replacing your air filters, grooming your dogs, and cleaning your bedding.

Leave The Dust Outside

The outdoors is one of the most typical methods that dust is brought inside. According to Alicia Sokolowski, co-CEO of Aspen Clean and president of the company, "Dust may enter via open windows and doors, fractures in the walls, as well as from us people." In actuality, we can be the main culprit for introducing dust into our houses.

Employ A Doormat

Sokolowski advises installing a fiber doormat both outside and inside your front entrance so you may fully clean your feet before entering the house in order to avoid dust from entering your home on your shoes. "You might also request visitors to remove their shoes before entering the home. This could confine some dust to the corridor leading to your entry "she claims.

Keep The Windows Shut

We understand that on windy days it's good to have some fresh air flowing through your house, but try to avoid often opening the sash since this creates a channel for dust. Particularly if they front a road, ground level windows should be kept closed. The greatest time to keep your windows closed, according to Sokolowski, is during periods of heavy traffic since a lot of dust from the automobiles may accumulate.

Vera Peterson, the CEO of Molly Maid, a Neighborly business, advises looking for broken windows if you're still seeing a lot of dust in your house. She adds that dust may also enter via leaky windows and doors. It's a good idea to inspect all the doors and windows in your house as a first step if you are seeing more dust than normal.

Maintain Plants Near Your Windows

Of course, it's impossible to always keep your windows shut. Sokolowski advises purchasing a plant and putting it in front of the open window as a result. According to her, houseplants are notorious for filtering dust, which they may collect on their leaves. We advise picking a plant with hairy or crinkly leaves rather than smooth ones since they will collect more dust.

Replace Your Air Filters

The air filters in your appliances should be replaced often whether you use window units or a central heating and cooling system. To reduce the quantity of dust in your home, it is advised that you replace your air filter every three months, according to Sokolowski.

According to Melissa Poepping, creator of The Chemical Free Home, the size of your home and the time of year determine how often you should change or clean your filters. She advises monitoring the filter's appearance in addition to adhering to a timetable. If it's time to update it, you can know by a fast sight, she advises. The filters in your house will eventually stop retaining dust, grime, and pollen and begin to distribute them if you don't maintain them.

Keep Your Bedding Clean

One of the main sources of dust in the house might be bedding. According to Poepping, this is a result of the dust that is kicked about your room with each toss and turn since sheets, covers, and pillows tend to accumulate dust. She advises cleaning your bedding every two weeks to stop this from occurring. She explains that regularly washing your bedding can help you keep ahead of pet dander, dead skin, and hair-shedding dust. I take the decorative pillows outdoors to do the same and shake out the blanket as I would a rug.

There are further steps you can take in addition to regularly cleaning your bedding to keep your bedroom dust-free. Sokolowski advises putting a "dust-proof" cover over your mattress. She explains, "These keep out any dust mites and also stop water damage." She also advises airing out your bedding every two to three days. Pull aside your covers so that your bedding can breathe; in hot, humid climates, dust mites cannot survive.

Pet Maintainance

Despite the fact that we like them, our furry companions may be a significant source of dust in the house because to pet dander and debris they drag in. There are, however, a few strategies to reduce the amount of dust they gather.

Grooming Regularly

Poepping advises purchasing high-quality de-shedding equipment and brushing your pet every day in order to solve this issue. In addition to combing them every day, Sokolowski advises setting your furry pals up with regular washings. It is advised to wash your dog once a month, preferably once every three months, according to her. Sokolowski advises against over-soaking your dog, though: It may dry out their fur and make their skin peel, which will ultimately produce more dust.

Sanitize Their Bedding

You should be meticulous about cleaning your pet's sleeping spaces, whether they are on their own pet bed or on the family couch. Wash their bedding once a week, but be sure to shake it outdoors first to get rid of hairs, grime, and dust, advises Sokolowski. "You run the danger of harming or clogging your machine if you place a bed straight into the machine." Before letting your pet sit on a couch or bedding, she also advises covering it with a blanket or towel. She explains that subsequently, "you can simply shake it out and throw it right into the wash."

Purchase An Air Purifier

A home's environment is made cleaner by an air purifier by removing impurities like dust from the air. "An air purifier may assist to lessen the quantity of dust accumulating in your house, even if it cannot completely eliminate dust," explains Sokolowski. "Dust enters your house by drifting through the atmosphere. By capturing the dust before it has a chance to settle on surfaces in your house, the air purifier does its part in keeping your home clean." The gadget circulates the air in the room while trapping the particles using a fan and internal filter. Unwanted dust particles are drawn in by the fan along with the air, which is then filtered, purified, and circulated back into the space, with the dust remaining lodged in the filter of the fan.

Use A HEPA-filtered Vacuum To Clean

Making use of the proper equipment is a necessary part of keeping your house dust-free. The majority of vacuum cleaners are quite effective at cleaning dust, but a HEPA filter will do so for a longer length of time. They eliminate germs, pollen, and 99.7% of all dust particles, claims Sokolowski. On the other hand, she adds, "certain vacuums may stir up dust and spit it back into the air because of their exhausts, inflicting more damage to your health than good."