How to Eliminate Household Dust

Reduce dust with the right tools and techniques.

Not only is dust build-up on the surfaces of your home unsightly, it can also increase the number of dust mites that can lead to indoor allergies. By examining your environment, dusting methods and the products you use to clean your home, you'll be able to reduce dust and eliminate many allergens. Consider these tips to eliminate household dust and causes of rampant dust mites.

Instructions

1. Use wet dusting methods (such as a dusting or multi-purpose spray applied with a microfiber cloth) to reduce dust since household tools like feather dusters will simply scatter the dust into other areas and turn mites into airborne allergens.

2. Curb dust mites where you sleep by covering pillows, mattresses and comforters with dust mite bedding products like zippered, anti dust mite, anti-allergen covers. Be sure to launder these every few months to reduce dust and dust mites, however.

3. Install an air conditioning and heating filter in your vent with a Mean Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating of at least five to eight to help eliminate household dust. These can contain particles (like pet dander, dust and pollen) as tiny as three microns. While filters with a rating up to four are less expensive, they won't filter the air and reduce dust as well as the commercial versions.

4. Try to strive for an indoor humidity level between thirty and fifty percent. A level lower than thirty percent will increase static that helps dust cling to surfaces, while a humidity level higher than fifty percent is said to increase the number of dust mites, since the insects love moist environments.

5. Clean spots where dust can hide once a month to eliminate household dust. Pull out the refrigerator, move furniture (to get the dust bunnies under the bed), run a vacuum attachment around the baseboards and heating or air conditioning vents and remove cobwebs from ceiling corners to get these sources of dust and dust mites.

6. Avoid tracking excessive dirt and dust into your home by stomping and scraping shoes on door mats with a weatherproof, abrasive surface before entering the house. Leaving dirty shoes and socks in the garage can also help eliminate household dust.

Tips & Warnings

• As you're dusting and vacuuming, ensure you're working from the top to the bottom so you'll end up vacuuming dust and dust mites you've You won't eliminate household dust if you vacuum or sweep first, for example, then dust knickknacks or change air filters that will lead the allergens to settle into your carpets.