How To Control Dust In Your Home

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Most people hate dusting, and they’ll do anything to reduce and control the dust in their home.

Some houses are dustier than others. There are all sorts of things that create dust. People, animals, outside forces, dirty heating/AC vents, all generate more dust to be released into the air which ends up on your furniture and in the house.

Swiffer Dusters are my number one go-to tool for dusting surfaces. Nothing works better. If you haven’t yet tried them, do yourself a favor and pick them up and give them a try. (And, no, no one is paying me to say this. I know it from using them for years in my cleaning businesses!)

Here’s How To Control Dust In Your Home

Because most of us hate to dust, you’ve got to find a way to reduce the amount of dust that ends up in your home.

Eighty percent of the dust that’s in your home walks in the door on people’s feet. Dirt and dust collect on the bottom of shoes, which in turn ends up in your house.

Asking folks to take their shoes off is one way to combat this problem, but the right door mats placed inside and outside of all entrances to your home will significantly reduce the amount of dust and dirt that ends up inside.

1. Purchase a professional mat, sometimes referred to as a walk-off mat. These rugs are the professional mats you see at the entrances of hospitals and supermarkets. They are available at a janitorial supply store. They’re called walk-off mats because they give the dirt a chance to be walked off before it gets into your home. Walk-off mats are usually nylon or olefin with a rubber or vinyl back for inside the door, and rubber or vinyl-backed synthetic turf for outside on the step. They’re available in a variety of colors and sizes. To do their job well, both the inside and outside mats should be four strides long.

These mats might not be the best solution for your home. I know for my home, I don’t have four strides available to me, heck I barely have two. So instead, I put two smaller rugs at the entrance of my home and request that all shoes come off.

If you find this mat unattractive, find a nice doormat that allows the dirt to be removed from the bottom of your shoes when you come into the house. Look around; you’ll find some excellent options at Target or Kohl’s that are both attractive and do the trick.

Need a simple way to remember the best method to dust? Grab a copy of my dusting checklist in the Free Resource Library.

Don’t have the access code? No problem! Just sign up below and I’ll send you the code so you can grab my dusting checklist. Look around and see what else strikes your fancy while there! And, keep coming back because I add new content ALL. THE. TIME.

2. Vacuum mats regularly or shake them outside. If the rugs are washable, wash them frequently. I tend to wash my rugs twice a month. If you do use a professional-grade mat, you can scrub it with an all-purpose cleaner and hose it down, then hang to dry.

3. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter, and keep fresh vacuum bags on hand and change the filters often. Check seals and gaskets on your vacuum and keep them in good repair. This prevents fine dust from being blown from the vacuum back into the air.

4. When you dust furniture, begin dusting at the top of the room and work your way down. This way any dust that falls will not fall onto an already cleaned and dusted surface.

5. Use microfiber dust cloths like Swiffer to trap the dust. These are the best dusters on the market. I’ve tried them all, and you won’t believe how awesome they are.

6. Some people swear by having your air ducts cleaned professionally. Personally, I tried this myself last year and thought it was a huge waste of money. It cost me $400, and there was hardly anything captured in the cleaning. The technician told me that despite the fact I had several pets, he didn’t expect to capture much because my home was so clean and I used a Kirby vacuum.

I’ve had a Kirby for over 15 years, and although pricey and not very easy to use, it does do a terrific job.

So, weigh all the pros and cons of having your vents cleaned to see if it really is worth it. For me, I know I won’t ever have it done again.

Dusting is the chore most of us hate to do, but you can keep dust to a minimum in your home by following these simple but effective cleaning tips. You’ll manage the dust in your home and save time dusting.

If you’ve got any great dusting tips, I’d love to hear about them – share them in the comment section below.