When you retreat indoors to rest, relax, and recuperate, you don’t have to worry about dust, hair, and other airborne debris. However, all homes naturally accumulate dust and dirt, which settles on curtains, sheets, and carpets.
Even if your home is generally clean, dust can still find its way inside through open windows, open doors, shoes, children, and pets.
While indoor dust accumulation may seem unavoidable, there are things homeowners can do to reduce indoor dust and improve indoor air quality, allowing you to breathe easier as you sleep, eat, and go about your daily life.
This guide, provided by the experts, can help you find some simple ways to prevent dust from accumulating in your home in the first place.
1. Use an air purifier
One of the best ways to control the amount of dust in your home is to install an air purifier that captures dust, hair, dirt, and other debris. “Dust can enter through open windows and doors and ventilation systems,” explains Scott Schrader, CottageCare’s chief marketing officer.
It can also enter your home through clothing, shoes, or pets, but you can capture these particles using air purifiers and HEPA filters in your HVAC system.”
You can purchase small portable air purifiers for individual rooms, which are perfect for helping you breathe easier while you sleep.
You can also purchase whole-house air purifiers to help improve air quality throughout your home, reducing the amount of dust, dirt, and hair.
2. Ongoing HVAC Maintenance
Home maintenance is essential to your ongoing comfort and health, so regular HVAC maintenance is a must for improved air quality control.
“Change filters on the indicated schedule to maintain good airflow and capture dust particles,” advises Michael Rubino, mold and air quality expert and founder of HomeCleanse.
Upgrade to a high-MERV filter to capture more dust and other microscopic particles; and schedule HVAC maintenance at least twice a year to keep your system clean and efficient.”
It’s also worth hiring an HVAC professional to clean your ducts once a year, especially if you have pets. You can also use exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens to help remove dust and moisture from the air.
3. Clean surfaces
Keeping your home tidy not only makes rooms look better, but it also reduces dust accumulation. “The more places dust can accumulate, the more surface area it has to settle,” Schrader says.
This means that cluttered countertops, messy tables, and cluttered shelves should all be cleaned to remove accumulated dust.
You can also use storage boxes to store items in sealed spaces to prevent dust from accumulating. Similarly, keeping closet doors closed will prevent dust from getting on to clothing, towels, sheets, and other linens.
4. Limit fabric-heavy decor
Fabrics are soft to the touch and are great for keeping your home warm during the winter while reducing heating costs. However, carpets, fabric sofas, curtains, and draperies tend to collect dust, hair, and other debris.
“The more dust you have in your home, the more pollutants you have. Once disturbed, these pollutants can become airborne and affect your indoor air quality,” Rubino notes.
To help reduce the amount of dust that accumulates in your home, limit fabric-heavy decor, replace carpets with hardwood floors when possible, replace fabric blinds with plastic or wood blinds, and make sure to clean and put away any blankets, sheets, or pillows that aren’t in use.
5. Groom and bathe your pets regularly
While pets are an important part of your family and bring tons of joy, they’re not without their own troubles. They bring dust into the house and leave piles of hair that need to be cleaned up.
“Dust often contains skin cells, dust mite fragments, mold spores, pollen, pet dander, bacteria, soil, microplastics, and anything else that gets into your home,” Rubino explains.
Preventing dust buildup isn’t a one-time job, so it’s important to regularly groom and bathe your pet to remove pet dander, dust, and hair that would otherwise end up on your floor, bedding, or couch. Especially in the spring and fall, dogs tend to shed, which can lead to an increase in hair and pet dander indoors.
6. Use doormats and encourage visitors to remove their shoes
While some solutions to dust buildup may be time-consuming, there are ways to passively reduce the amount of dust that enters your home.
This can be especially helpful for people with asthma or severe allergies. “Dust in general is a well-known asthma and allergy trigger, and studies have shown that early exposure to dust increases the risk of chronic respiratory disease,” Rubino mentions.
Putting doormats on your front, back, and side doors, and encouraging visitors to remove their shoes when they enter, can help prevent dust and dirt from entering your home. This method also helps to wipe dust, dirt, and mud off your pet’s paws when they come home.
7. Clean frequently
The most effective way to reduce dust accumulation in your home is to keep it clean regularly. “Vacuum with a microfiber cloth rather than letting dust spread, and vacuum regularly with a HEPA filter, especially to remove fine dust, which can contain many allergens,” Schrader says.
In addition, it’s recommended to clean bedding once a week, spot clean upholstery, clean ceiling fans, and be sure to remove dust or hair that may be hiding in corners, under furniture, and even along the narrow edges of baseboards. Regularly removing dust from these areas will significantly improve indoor air quality.
8. Seal gaps and cracks around doors and windows
It’s impossible to completely stop dust from entering your home, but you can reduce the amount of dust that enters by taking several steps. “Seal all gaps and cracks around doors and windows to prevent dust from entering, and control relative temperature and humidity to prevent dust from entering the air,” Schrader says.
This process has the added benefit of slowing the transfer of heat through the walls, which can make your home more energy efficient and reduce your energy bills. Well-sealed windows and doors also tend to last longer because they won’t leak water, causing them or their frames to swell and rot.
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