Insights | Cleaning

We spend 90% of our time indoors, according to estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO), and indoor air quality can be five times worse than outdoor air quality. Eliminating household dust through regular cleaning, home maintenance, and home improvement projects is important for your wellbeing.

Dust is made up of various microscopic particles, and indoor dust can be a collection of bacteria, pollen, smoke, dirt, pet dander, hair, skin cells, and pollution.  Dust is very lightweight and small actions like sitting on a couch or the air conditioning turning on can move it, according to the Dyson Global Dust Study. This makes dust airborne before it settles on surfaces, in corners, and under furniture in homes. 

The study, which included 10,754 participants from 10 countries around the world, found that 1 in 4 people feel “extremely worried” about indoor dust at home. It also found that 1 in 5 people were surprised to learn that dust can contain viruses.

Not only is dust unsightly, but it can affect allergies as well, which is why eliminating household dust is important for your wellbeing. Some common symptoms of dust allergies include:

• Sneezing
  
• Itchy, watery, red eyes
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Itchy skin
• Wheezing or coughing

The study also found that 77% of people believe that the less dust there is in their homes, the healthier their home is.

There are many areas around your home where dust can accumulate. 

• Ceilings
• Corners of walls and floors
• Baseboards
• Fan blades
• Lamps and lampshades
• Window blinds and curtains
• Window ledges
• Behind and under furniture
• Pet beds
• Bookshelves and shelving
• Crown molding
• Photo frames 
• Air vent covers
• Tops of light fixtures

• Tops of mirrors
• Behind toilets

• Tops of alarm clocks
• Bedding and mattresses
• Backs of closets

• Top of refrigerator
• Top of microwave
• Tabletops

Creating a regular cleaning schedule, improving indoor air quality, and dusting overlooked areas are key to eliminating household dust.

Dust, dust mites, and other particles cling to fabrics and upholstery. Washing bedding, blankets, curtains, and other fabrics on a regular schedule and using vacuum attachments to clean mattresses, couches, and other upholstery removes household dust.

A vacuuming schedule helps to ensure that dust, dirt, debris, and pet hair are being cleaned on a regular basis. Hard floors, carpets, and rugs are commonly vacuumed, but upholstery, mattresses, ceilings, and walls may be overlooked.

Vacuum slowly to allow the brush bar more time to remove and pick up dust from carpet fibers and make two or three passes over each spot to ensure all dust is removed. A vacuum with laser technology also helps to illuminate dust on hard floors for improved pick up.

Using a vacuum with attachments that dust upholstery and reach up high to clean ceilings helps to pick up even more dust around the house. When it comes to how to clean blinds, using a vacuum tool with soft bristles allows you to dust blinds without damage.

If you have rugs around your home, it’s helpful to take them outside and beat the rugs from time to time to remove additional dust and dirt buildup

It’s common to clean dusty surfaces with a wet cloth, but the most effective method for eliminating household dust, including dust mites and their droppings, is to vacuum the surfaces first.

Vacuum hard floors and use attachments to vacuum surfaces and fabrics. Once the dust has been picked up by a vacuum, mop the floors and wipe down the surfaces with a wet microfiber cloth, which attracts and holds onto remaining dust.

One way to purify the air inside your home is to change your furnace filter regularly. The filter helps control airborne dust but can become clogged over time. It’s recommended that you change your filter every 90 days.

If your furnace seems to be running more than usual or you’re noticing that your furniture gets dusty soon after cleaning, these may be signs that it’s time to change the filter.

Air purifiers assist in eliminating household dust by helping clean the air at home. These machines are engineered with technology that traps dust before it settles on your furniture and floors. Opt for a HEPA air purifier that captures 99.97% of dust and particles as small as 0.3 microns. Some purifiers also link up to apps on your smartphone to deliver indoor air quality reports.

On windy days, keep the windows closed to prevent outdoor particles and allergens from blowing inside and mixing with indoor dust.

Pets can increase the number of allergens in your home, especially if they’re indoor/outdoor pets because they bring outdoor particles and allergens inside. Pet hair mixes with dust and other particles, and pet dander can trigger allergies.

Regularly grooming and bathing pets removes dead skin cells, which make up dander, and reduces the amount of hair dropped on your floors.

If you have cats, keeping the litter box covered helps to reduce dust as well.

According to the American Lung Association, dust mites absorb moisture from the air, so the more humid your home is, the more likely you’ll have dust mites.

Home humidity levels should be kept below 50%. This also helps lower static electricity levels. The higher the static electricity levels, the more likely dust is to stick to surfaces, making it harder to clean. Dehumidifiers can help keep indoor humidity levels low. 

Welcome mats work to reduce the number of outdoor particles from coming inside. Before entering, you and your guests can wipe your shoes off on the outdoor mat, which traps particles.

An indoor mat near your front door provides a second opportunity to wipe off shoes and remove even more outdoor particles.

Adopting a “no shoes in the house” rule also prevents the spread of outdoor particles throughout your home.

Dust and dust mites can trigger allergies. If you’re finding that your allergies are constantly flaring up and you have carpets throughout your house, consider removing the carpeting and replacing with hard flooring.

Household dust, dust mites, and other allergens can get trapped in carpet fibers, even with vacuuming. Hard floors may be better to help relieve severe allergy symptoms.

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https://www.marthastewart.com/8116134/how-dust-works

https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/indoor-air-pollutants/dust-mites

https://acaai.org/allergies/allergic-conditions/dust-allergies/

https://www.lung.org/clean-air/at-home/dust-briefing

https://www.dyson.com/insights/air-quality/dust-mite-season

https://www.dyson.com/insights/cleaning/dust-cleaning-habits

https://www.dyson.com/newsroom/features/product/dyson-dust-study

https://dysoncyclone.com/c/oboddo9k

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https://www.dyson.com/insights/cleaning/how-to-clean-your-hard-floor

https://www.dyson.com/insights/cleaning/most-neglected-spots-during-deep-cleaning

https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/cleaning-tips-to-reduce-household-dust/

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https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-often-to-change-a-furnace-filter/

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