Bust the Dust!

Does it seem like you are always dusting? No matter how often I dust, it seems like a fine layer has settled back on every surface of the room before I’ve even finished! Although there is no way to ever completely get rid of dust, here are some tips and tricks for keeping it under control so your home can have a clean, dust-free appearance.

Throw out the feather duster. Sure, you may feel like a cute French maid while using it, but that doesn’t change the fact that you are essentially just moving the dust from one surface to another, not getting rid of it. When we dust off the top of a table or the entertainment center with a feather duster, we are just sending that dust airborne so that it can be redistributed on another surface of the room. Dusters like the Swiffer 360 are designed to trap and hold dust, which is better than the feather duster (and still looks very cute, actually!) but if you really want to banish dust long-term, consider using your vacuum with the crevice tool attachment to dust things like blinds, lampshades and hard-to-reach places like the ceiling fan.

Change those air filters. We live in an area with a high pollen count in the spring and summer months, and we have two dogs who shed like it’s their job to do so. Needless to say, it can become pretty obvious that it’s time to change the filters in our furnace and A/C unit when we let it go for too long. Try to change your filters once every three months, and you will see the difference in the amount of dust and dander you have to keep up with in your cleaning routine.

Close your windows. Yes, it’s tempting to keep the windows open during the spring and summer to reduce air-conditioning costs, but it’s also a great way to let in every speck of dust from the great outdoors. Dust particles move around naturally in the wind, so a delightful spring breeze is bringing a lot more than you think into your home. Keeping your windows closed, especially during high-pollen times of the year, will cut back on dust particles in your house and hopefully keep hay fever symptoms at bay.