No matter whether you live with friends, alone, or with your family – you don’t want dust being the extra roommate. With these tips, you can keep dust at bay for longer.
Have you ever asked yourself where the dust in your home actually comes from? In fact, it’s actually us humans – and our pets – that are the biggest producers of dust. The organic components of dust come from us, for example, when we comb our hair, eat, or just sit on the couch. But inorganic matter such as textile fibers also get mixed in. This is how dust is formed that we then have to painstakingly remove. Dusting once or twice a week is the basic consensus. If you are allergic or have pets, this might not be enough. What you should keep in mind is that you can't prevent dust from forming, but you can reduce it! We will tell you how exactly to do this.
With these tips, you can prevent lots of dust from forming and make it easier for yourself when dusting!
- Moisture is your best ally in the fight against dust and is indispensable for dusting. If there is a lot of humidity, this binds the dust and prevents it from spreading. Our tip: In winter, place bowls of water on elevated surfaces, and close to your radiators, to increase humidity in your home. Please make sure to keep water bowls out of reach of children and pets.
- Dust also gets into your home through the windows since it’s a natural component of air. Ventilating every so often has two advantages over simply keeping a window tilted - it is more energy-efficient and it does not let as much new dust into your home. Our tip: air out your home before dusting to stir up the dust.
- Houseplants improve the indoor climate by humidifying the air and filtering dust and pollutants from it. Our tip: Aloes and orchids are particularly recommended for the bedroom. At night, they absorb the carbon dioxide that we exhale during sleep and release oxygen.
- Fabric fibers are components of dust. Therefore, it makes sense to shake out these fabrics outdoors, or vacuum them regularly. This will reduce the dust in your home.
- Curtains are literally dust catchers. Simply washing your curtains regularly prevents dust from spreading. Make sure to follow washing instructions on your curtain labels. Our tip: if you can hand wash, hang up your curtains and drapes while they're still damp after you’ve washed them. This way they smooth themselves out and increase the humidity in the air at the same time.
If you want to dust the floor, it is best to vacuum it first. Remove the remaining dust from the floor with a damp cloth and – if necessary – a floor cleaning agent. Sweeping, on the other hand, is anything but a good idea because you’ll stir up the particles and spread them around your home.
- The best tool for dusting is a damp cloth. This is because the dust gets absorbed instead of spreading around the home. But be careful because too much moisture can damage surfaces.
- Disposable dust cloths from specialist retailers are great dusting products since they capture dust even without any moisture being involved. However, they may not be friendly to the environment so only use them on sensitive surfaces that shouldn't come into contact with moisture. For all other surfaces, use reusable cloths, which are much better for the environment.
- With an extendable handle, you can reach even the most inaccessible corners. Don’t forget to wipe down lamps and on top of cabinets. Otherwise dust will collect there and a small draft is all that’s needed to quickly spread it all over the room. Our tip: A lint roller is great for dusting fabric lampshades without leaving any lint behind.
- For cleaning high ceilings, a soft feather duster with an adjustable handle works wonders due to its electrostatic effect.
One of the best cleaning tips is to start with the task you enjoy most, but when it comes to dusting, however, it makes more sense to vacuum first. This is because you’ll disturb the dust so that when it settles on surfaces again, it will be easier to remove. The rule is to dust from top to bottom. This way you don’t forget any surfaces and dirt can’t fall on already cleaned surfaces.
The electrostatic charge may help when you’re cleaning with a cloth or feather duster, but it’s rather annoying when it comes to electrical appliances like the TV. It attracts dust, which can find its way into openings and ventilation slots, clog them up and cause damage to the appliances over time. A glass cleaning agent helps in this case. When it comes to cleaning the TV, dab some on a lint-free cloth and carefully wipe the appliance when it is switched off. Our tip: an antistatic spray for electrical appliances that you can buy from the store dissipates charge and prevents static from building up again. Things get a little more complicated when you want to clean your laptop, but don’t worry – Ask Team Clean can help.