Breathe Easy with These 8 Tips to Reduce the Dust in Your House

Your home is a beautiful, peaceful place where you should feel at ease. When unsightly dust keeps that from happening, you can regain control of your home with these tips. Reduce the dust in your house by making a few lifestyle adjustments and you’ll protect your health while making your home cleaner.

What Is Dust?

You might have heard the rumor that dust is an accumulation of dead skin cells. Although they can be part of the grey fuzz on your shelves, that’s not entirely true. Dust is also tiny particles like:

• Fibers
• Hair
• Pollen

No matter what’s specifically on your shelves and blinds, you shouldn’t have to see it every day. Dust looks gross and it can become a health threat.

How Does Dust Affect Your Health?

If you inhaled over a pile of dust, you’d likely sneeze. That’s not the only way it could affect you, though. Dust can also cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems if inhaled long-term. It could also trigger illnesses if bacteria and viruses linger on household surfaces.

8 Ways to Reduce the Dust in Your House

Banish dust today by adding these ideas to your to-do list. You’ll deep-clean your home with little extra effort.

1. Clean Your Air Ducts

The ducts connecting your HVAC unit to your air vents can collect debris. Anything that enters the unit, like pollen or leaves, can get stuck in the metal and decay. When your HVAC unit turns on, it all blows into your home, so call a professional and schedule a cleaning.

They’ll use long brushes and vacuum cleaners to empty the ductwork in an afternoon. You won’t have to lift a finger to make your home’s air cleaner and prevent dust from building up as quickly.

2. Replace Your Air Filters

Check the packaging on your household air filters or research the product you typically buy. The packaging should indicate how often you need to replace them. The average homeowner changes their filters every two months because they collect dust quickly.

When filters become full of dust, your HVAC unit will still push air through them. The air loosens the initially trapped debris, sending it into your home to collect on flat surfaces. Replacing them as indicated by the manufacturer will prevent this from happening.

3. Remove Your Shoes

Even if your shoes match your seasonal outfits, you should remove them when you walk into your home. You’ll leave the dirt and debris on the soles in your garage or entryway. The particulate matter won’t float around your home and potentially enter your lungs while you’re hanging out with your family.

4. Shake Out Your Rugs

Rugs collect dirt and allergens between their moveable fibers. If you don’t shake them out in your yard or over your porch railing, those things could become airborne when you walk over the rugs. Vacuum or shake them out regularly to keep your house clean.

Don’t forget about your outdoor rugs, either. Your shoes could catch dirt on them and bring them into your home. They may need cleaning more often than your indoor rugs, but the effort will make your house healthier and more beautiful.

5. Wipe Your Ceiling Fan Blades

When was the last time you took a good look at your ceiling fans? Their blades might have a fuzzy gray lining. If that’s the case, that means the top of each blade has a thick coating of dust. 

You’ll likely need to wipe each blade with a wet paper towel or vacuum them to stop inhaling dust and risking illnesses. Ensure you have a stable surface while this happens, like a trusted ladder or kitchen chair. Someone can hold the base while you work so you don’t fall off accidentally.

6. Vacuum Every Other Day

Dust lingers everywhere. It isn’t just on ceiling fans and on rugs. It’s also in your carpet and on your hardwood floors. Vacuuming every other day solves that problem, especially if your vacuum has a rotating brush that combs through carpet fibers.

Don’t forget to empty the vacuum between uses. If it gets too full, the suction power decreases and more debris lingers on your floors after you put the vacuum away. Dispose of the contents over a trash can carefully to avoid accidentally making a dust cloud as the contents fall into the bag.

7. Groom Your Pets

Dust doesn’t always look like it contains pet hair. It might look like gray fuzz on top of your books, but it can still contain hair and dander from your family pets. The hair decomposes with time, breaking down into dust that’s hard to identify with your bare eye.

Grooming your pets at least once a week can solve that problem. Whether you have a dog or cat, you can run a brush through their hair and carefully empty it. All the loose hair will end up in your trash can instead of your home’s flat surfaces.

Your pet will also benefit because there’s less dead hair blocking their coat from healthy hair cycling. They’ll have a shinier appearance and shed less while you’re exploring the world together or cuddling during a movie.

8. Cleanse Your Decorative Features

There are so many other places to clean when you want to reduce the dust in your house. Imagine how small each particle is and how effortlessly dust can hide from your sight. When you’re ready to get rid of all the dust in your home, remember to clean these places too:

• Baseboards
• Lamps
• Inside cabinets
• Indoor plants
• Windowsills
• Under furniture
• On ceiling and table fans
• On shelves

You can make dust a thing of the past with a vacuum extension or a few wet paper towels. Try using both tools before investing in new supplies. A dust wand could help you if you don’t prefer those options. There’s always a way to take care of dust. You just have to know what works best for you.

Keep a Cleaner Home

Anyone can reduce the dust in their house if they’re tired of seeing gray fuzz everywhere. Removing it makes your home cleaner and protects your health. You only need some motivation and new ideas to get started.