This article comes from Angi.
Eliminate Dust in Your Home With These Floor Cleaning Tips
Dust is the accumulation of tiny debris, like skin cells and dirt, and dust mites, which are tiny pests that feed on old skin cells. Where there is dust, humidity, and warmth, there are likely dust mites. These pests can cause allergy symptoms and are a trigger for people who have asthma, according to the American Lung Association.
How to Eliminate Dust in Your Home
Grab a vacuum and some microfiber cloths and get ready to send the dust mites packing. With these regular cleaning tasks, you get rid of dust around your house.
1. Clean Your Home Frequently
When you’re wiping down surfaces and vacuuming daily, you’ll collect dust particles and other small debris. That means it won’t have a chance to accumulate on dressers and floors. Consider following a house cleaning checklist with rotating tasks each day so all parts of your home stay clean and dust-free.
2. Don’t Wear Shoes Indoors
While you may not actively think about it (or want to think about it), your shoes come into contact with all kinds of things during the day, from your office’s carpeting to the city streets. All of this activity can lead to dirt, bacteria, and germs coming home with you via your favorite sneakers.
Taking your shoes off when you enter your home will prevent you from tracking these harmful substances in with you, since 60% of the dust in the home comes in from outside, according to a study from the American Chemical Society.
3. Use Door Mats
Using doormats is another way to combat external grime, especially if you have guests coming in who aren’t removing their shoes. Keeping a microfiber cloth by the door to wipe your pet’s paws off as they enter the home is another way to keep dirt and debris from filtering through the home.
4. Vacuum Frequently
Vacuuming at least once a week—more often if you have family members with allergies or pets in the home—will keep your rugs and flooring from collecting as much dust and dirt. Upright vacuums work well for rugs and carpets, while canister vacuums are better for hard floors because they produce stronger suction.
If you have area rugs, taking them out for a good beating three or four times a year is also a good idea. Hang your rugs over a clothesline or fence and beat them with a sturdy object, such as a bat, broom handle, or tennis racket.
5. Steam Clean Your Floors
Although vacuuming is an excellent way to keep your floors dust-free, steam cleaning is also a must. Steam cleaning your carpets and rugs every four to six months can drastically reduce the amount of dust, dirt, and dander hanging around in your home. Steam cleaning also kills dust mites, which is a common allergen and can aggravate asthma. Hire a carpet steam cleaner near you to keep your rugs in tip-top shape year-round.
6. Use a Damp Cloth to Clean Surfaces
Dry dusting with a feather duster or cloth keeps dust off of furniture and picks up some debris, but generally, dry dusting just pushes dust around instead of picking it up. Using a damp cloth or a furniture polish spray to wipe off furniture once a week is a more effective way to pick up the dust.
7. Clean Top to Bottom
Don’t forget about your curtains, blinds, lampshades, and furniture. These items collect lots of dust, especially the soft surfaces. Wash your curtains regularly, at least every three months, and vacuum your blinds and lampshades. Vacuuming your furniture regularly and having it steam cleaned with your carpets will keep the dust level in your home manageable.
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