Five Ways to Dust Proof a Home
You don’t have to suffer from allergies to want a dust-proof home. But unless you want to live in a hermetically sealed bubble, you'll never be able to completely eliminate dust from your home. Even frequent dusting does little to help; in fact, it just pushes the dust to a new location. You can take steps to mitigate dust build up, though. Does this Spark an idea?
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Furnace Filter
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A home with a forced-air heating or cooling system is prone to dust. The specialized filters in these systems trap dirt, dust and bugs from the air before cycling it through the house. When the filter gets dirty, the dusty air cycles back into the home. You can upgrade your filter to an electrostatic one to prevent this, but be prepared to pay up to $1,500 as of time of publication to have one professionally installed. If your budget can't handle a high-priced system, consider using high-grade disposable filters, which cost less than $100 but must be changed frequently.
Bedding and Fabrics
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According to Reader’s Digest, fabrics and people produce 90 percent of a home’s dust. Bedding is a large contributor, because as you sleep, skin, hair and dust build up in the covers. Every time you roll over, open up the bed or even make the bed, dust particles escape into the air. Wash your bedding weekly and shake non-machine-washable items outdoors to remove dust from your home.
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Dust Properly
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A dry duster pushes dust around but doesn't clean it up. Use a multipurpose polishing cleaner or a damp cloth to remove dust from surfaces. Dusters with an electrostatic charge are also effective at cleaning dust. Dust weekly to help keep dust out of filters and bedding and off furniture surfaces.
Vacuum
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Not all vacuums are created equally; when dust-proofing, you need one that not only picks up the dust, but also keeps it out of the house. Use a vacuum with a strong agitator. Use upright vacuums on carpet and canister vacuums for hard surfaces. Avoid using a vacuum with an agitator on hard surfaces, however, because agitators tend to pick up dust and disperse it throughout the room.
Cushions and Rugs
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Cushions and rugs often go unnoticed during the weekly cleaning. Carpets, according to both Reader’s Digest and the MayoClinic.com, contain the most dust and mites in the average home. Though you can vacuum rugs, you should also carry easily moved area rugs outside and shake them at least once a week to remove dust. Also remove couch cushions and beat them outside to remove dust and skin flakes that accumulate on the upholstery. If your couch cushions cannot be removed, use a vacuum with an attachment to clean any dust on the surface.
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References
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