5 Expert Ways to Reduce Dust in Your Home

(Especially if you’re an allergy sufferer!)

Today you’ll learn a few proven ways to reduce troublesome dust build-up in your home, leaving you with a sparkling, healthier, and more inviting living space.

Sneezing all the time isn’t fun, and often the culprit is, well….dust!

Our homes should be where we feel most comfortable; but when they’re constantly collecting dust, it can affect air quality, the condition of your furnishings, and especially the health of those closest to you.

The solution?

Try these 5 proven methods to get your home dust-free and stop the problems at the source.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

Solved: Why Do Our Homes Collect Dust In The First Place?
How To Reduce Dust at Home: 5 Proven Ways
Get the Dust-Free Home You Deserve and Beat Allergens with Park Avenue Cleaning

Solved: Why Do Our Homes Collect Dust in the First Place?

Our homes collect dust year-round, and without a keen eye, the causes can go unnoticed.

If you or anyone you live with suffers from allergies, there could be bad symptoms experienced like excessive sneezing, itchy eyes, running nose, and even nasal congestion.

Here are some staggering causes of dust in your home:

Dirt
Pollen
Mold spores
Dead skin cells
Hair
Fabric fibers
Airborne pollutants
Pet dander

That’s quite the laundry list, right?

Environmental research found that dust is capable of staying in your home’s air for up to 5 days (based on how big the particles are) — yikes!

Now, can you get rid of dust 100% and live in a “no-dust” home utopia?

Not quite.

But you can take measures to considerably reduce dust in a way that will benefit yourself and the people you live with. Here are the top 5 ways to reduce dust in your home! I’m listing them in reverse order.

How to Reduce Dust at Home: 5 Proven Ways

5. Reduce Clutter

Clutter = dust.

Many of us have a ton of valuables we want to keep around (for a wide range of reasons). But, sometimes, we have things that are “just there,” and they end up accumulating more dust than we’d like.

Reducing clutter allows fewer places for dust to hide and build up. So take inventory of every room in your home and see what items are taking up unnecessary space you can remove!

Clutter can also cause you to miss key areas when vacuuming your home (we’ve all been there!). The more space you have available, the better you can clean those hard-to-reach places.

And yes, this even includes the closets in your home as well — keep the floor space as open as you can!

Think about other areas that may get clutter, like countertops and even under the home beds, so you can take out what’s unnecessary.

4. Manage Indoor Air Quality: Changing Your Air Filters

The filters in your HVAC system have a pretty important job to do:

They trap dust and other bad particles in the air, preventing you and your loved ones from breathing them in…

Think of changing your air filters once a month to maintain your HVAC system’s effectiveness and keeping your air quality great.

The truth is, the air filters of your HVAC system can pile on a boatload of dust if you go MONTHS without changing it (yuck!).

Here’s what happens:

The air filtering process starts to have diminishing returns, and dust in the air begins to linger more and more. So replace your filter monthly because it’s one of the best ways to have consistently good air quality, especially benefiting any allergy sufferers in the home!

3. Get an Annual Air Duct and Dryer Vent Cleaning

Air ducts help carry air in and out of your heating-and-cooling system. This is a key function, BUT if you don’t clean your air ducts at least annually, this air that gets carried may begin to pick up dust build-up in your air duct!

Not fun, right?

Many air ducts also experience sealing leaks, which means unfiltered air could be entering your home without you knowing it!

And as we know:

Unfiltered air contributes to more and more dust in your home!

When we take a look at your dryer vent, its job is to take the air from your air ducts and release the hot air and moisture outside.

And (you guessed it) your dryer vent can also accumulate dust and lint build-up through time.

So all of this begs the question: How do you clean your air ducts and dryer vents?

One of the best ways to clean your air duct and dryer vent is by using your vacuum hose — here’s an example:

Find your dryer’s air duct, which should be behind your dryer.
Unplug your dryer (this is a good safety measure).
Remove the air duct from behind the dryer. Some air ducts may need to be unscrewed from the dryer, so have a screwdriver handy!
Remove the air duct from the wall as well and take out any excess lint from the hold behind your dryer. Using gloves of some kind or a sturdy paper towel is ideal.
Use a vacuum hose to clean in and around the hole at the back of the dryer.
Use the vacuum hose to clean the inside and outside of your air duct.
Outside the house, remove the exterior vent cover so you can clean your dryer vent from the outside with your vacuum.
Put all materials back when done, and you’re good to go!

Need extra help with these steps to reduce dust? Park Avenue Cleaning can do it for you! Our professionals can stop by, analyze and clean your air ducts and dryer vents for superior air quality.

The benefits?

Reduced dust
A more optimized HVAC system
Significantly reduced house fire risks

2. Scheduled Maintenance

Thorough home cleaning should be consistently maintained if you want to get dust under control.

When it comes to cleaning dusty surfaces, using a Swiffer can get you great results while requiring minimal effort on your part.

At the same time:

A microfiber cloth and a bit of dusting spray can also do the trick. Even a simple damp cloth will help catch dust as you wipe your surfaces if you’re in a rush.

For your scheduled maintenance, we recommend deep cleaning as many surfaces as possible once every two weeks. One of the best ways to remember to do so is to designate a day for the week for cleaning — mark that calendar!

If you have a busy schedule or tons of things on your plate, working with a professional residential cleaning service can go a long way!

People selling real estate especially know the value of thorough home cleaning. With a professional clean, they get their homes buyer-ready and have a higher chance of landing a valuable customer.

1. My #1 Dust-Busting Tip….Thorough Vacuum Cleaning!

Yup, that’s right…my BIGGEST tip to reduce dust is by vacuuming at least once per week.

Start by tidying up your rooms and removing anything on the floor.

Vacuuming is an art, believe it or not, 80% of your results will be from the quality of the vacuum itself, and 20% of your cleaning results will be from how well you use your vacuum. When it comes to the vacuum, get one that has a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) certified filter.

Why?

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these types of air filters remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and other allergens.

Ensuring they don’t return to your home’s air!

The EPA also recommends you follow your vacuum manufacturer’s cleaning instructions when it’s time to clean your filter.

And look to replace your vacuum’s filter every 3-6 months.

Remember that maintaining your vacuum is just as important as cleaning your floors with it. Empty your vacuum’s canister after each use. Ensure the different parts are working well to get the most out of the vacuum’s cleaning shelf-life.

Let’s now talk about where to clean:

Think of the areas in your home where you or your family walk the most (hallways, dining rooms, living rooms, etc.) These areas will be where most dirt and dust-causing particles will lie dormant.

Here’s the technique part…

When vacuuming these areas, go over them multiple times, at a slow pace from different angles (especially if it’s carpet!). Next, move to the different rooms in your home and vacuum the floors just as well. Get under things like beds, couches, tables, dressers, etc.

When you couple vacuuming with the previous 4 dust-reducing methods, you’re in for an even cleaner home!

Get the Dust-Free Home You Deserve and Beat Allergens With Park Avenue Cleaning

Dust may enter the home, but it DOESN’T have to stay.

That’s why Park Avenue Cleaning takes care of the cleaning needs of countless families, real estate agents, and commercial office owners. Park Avenue Cleaning is the go-to residential cleaning and maid service in the greater Baltimore area. We’ve been serving people for 20+ years, turning homes into clean and inviting oases.

Ready for thorough cleaning?

Book a service with us here or give us a call! We would love to get started on what you need: 877-546-9837.