Dusting is a chore that I always thought I was doing right but I am recently learning I have been doing wrong all along. Running a feather duster occasionally along surfaces will not cut it. I hear my mother now, “Move that when you dust, get in between there”! I guess I should have listened closer to her dusting wisdom when I was younger. So here we are, 34 years old and learning to dust my home the right way. Better late than never I suppose. Do you know the correct way to dust your home?
Let’s begin by discussing one very big and disgusting reason why we need to be dusting our homes frequently and properly. Dust mites. Enough said right? Dust mites are microscopic mites that like to feed off dead skin cells, which is what dust is primarily made of. They like to live where there are plenty of cells to munch on like bedding, flooring, stuffed animals, and clothing. They don’t bite humans but can cause rashes, they are also a major allergy source for many people. Dust and dust mites can lead to all the typical allergy symptoms like post nasal drip, and sneezing.
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The Right Way to Dust
When dusting you always want to work from top to bottom since dust will fall while you are cleaning. It’s not typically recommended to dry dust (feather dust) since it just moves the dust to the air and then settles in a new location; however there are times I do dry dust which we will cover below.
Dust Your Walls
I honestly never really thought about dusting my walls but, have you ever really looked at them? They can get so gross! For walls, I use a duster with an extension that has a microfiber attachment to capture the dust. This is the duster I bought and LOVE it, Duster. I run the duster all along the walls starting at the top. The top of walls, especially in the corners is where dust likes to accumulate. Using this method is an example of dry dusting. Using a microfiber attachment or rag helps prevent the dust from flying into the air and landing elsewhere.
Dusting and cleaning your cabinets fall into this category, they too need to be dusted regularly. Read How To Clean Your Kitchen Cabinets for detailed instructions on cleaning cabinets.
Dust Your Ceiling Fan
Ceiling fans can get downright nasty, especially on the top of the blades where you don’t see. It’s super important to stay on top of dusting your ceiling fans, think about it, if they are covered with dust and you turn them on, where is some of that dust going to go? Into the air and up your nose. I typically start with a dry dusting using the same Duster I talked about previously, I then will follow with dusting spray and a microfiber cloth. I highly recommend using a dusting spray after your dry dust because it helps prevent dust from building up as quickly.
Side Note: These are the microfiber clothes I get from Amazon, and they are awesome. Microfiber Cloths
CLEANING HACK: Use an old pillow case and slip it onto the blades of the fan, when you pull it off, the dust will stay in the pillow case and not fall onto the ground.
Curtains and Blinds
I swear curtains and blinds are absolute dust magnets; which I guess makes sense, especially if you open your windows to let a breeze in. While doing your weekly dusting, run a microfiber cloth over your curtain rods and window seals. Use your vacuum upholstery attachment to vacuum your curtains. Every six months wash your curtains in the laundry machine on a gentle cycle to wash away any lingering dust and dust mites.
CLEANING HACK: If you don’t have a microfiber cloth on hand, grab an old sock, put your hand in it, and run it along each blade.
To clean your blinds, weekly run a microfiber cloth over each blade, this will GREATLY reduce dust accumulation. Monthly use a dusting spray and wipe each blade. For a more in-depth read on cleaning your blinds read How to Clean Your Wood Blinds .
Dust All Surfaces
Once you have finished the walls, fans, and window treatments it’s time to move onto surfaces such as tables, and bookshelves. Use a microfiber cloth and dusting spray to wipe every surface, you will need to move any nic nacs to ensure you are getting all the dust, also wipe down each item individually.
CLEANING HACK: Use a lint roller to remove dust from lampshades
CLEANING HACK: Run an old dryer sheet over surfaces, this leaves an anti-static layer making it difficult for dust to stick, making your dusting job last longer.
Vacuum Furniture
Dust and dust mites love to make homes on cloth surfaces, weekly use your upholstery attachment and vacuum your furniture.
Sweep and Vacuum the Floors
After you have done all of that dusting, your last spot will be your floors. Vacuum, sweep, and mop to capture all the remaining dust. Carpet LOVES dust so you will want to vacuum at least weekly if not more.
Vents
I like to use a shop vac to suck out all the crumbs from my floor vents at least every 6 months. It makes sense to me to clean these out since air blows through them, if there is dirt in them the dirt will be dispersed throughout your home.
How to Cut Down on the Amount of Dust in Your Home
Replace your air filter about every 3 months, this will catch a lot of the dust in your home and prevent it from recirculating.
Have sturdy door mats outside and inside your doors to capture dust before it enters your home.
Sweep your driveway and sidewalk to help cut down on the amount of dirt your shoes pick up.
Nix your shoes at the door. Remove shoes and put them on a shoe mat when entering your home. Shoes track in so much dirt and dust, they are one of the main culprits of dust, dirt, and bacteria in your home.
Keep your pets brushed and clean. Animals shed a ton and they are also constantly shedding dead skin cells.
2 responses to “The Correct Way To Dust Your Home”
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[…] The first thing you will need to do regularly is dust your baseboards. Dusting your baseboards is as simple as running a microfiber cloth along them, and using a vacuum attachment, or a broom to get the fine layer of dust off. Remember to do this when you sweep or vacuum and make it part of that routine. By including this chore with your floor care, the maintenance of your baseboards will be simpler. For more tips on dusting check out, The Correct Way To Dust Your Home. […]