Dusting – It is a task associated with “cleaning house” whether it is in the home, office, or business. There are many techniques available that cumulatively add up to be the best way to dust.
We all have dust around us. Because after a while dust builds up on flat surfaces everywhere sooner or later like it or not, we have to dust. Dust makes surfaces look dirty. When left unattended it builds up to a grime that can actually scratch (thus damage) your tables, desks and shelves. Dust is also the cause of allergies and breathing problems for many people.
What is Dust
Dust is some pretty gross stuff including human dead skin cells, dust mite excrement, fabric and paper fibers, dirt, pollen, hair, pet dander, and other micro-particles. Each individual contributing bit of ‘dust’ is incredibly small and lightweight. Together the bits combine to form a fuzzy and dulling film making every surface look dirty, especially when the light hits it just right.
For people who have allergies, dust mites are the worst ‘ingredient’ of this notorious household grime. The dust mites feed on scales from human skin and then poop it out like any other living thing. The waste products produced by these mites are highly allergenic. Sniffling and sneezing are a result of inhaling the teeny tiny, spider-like creatures and their “souvenirs” that are found everywhere. The microscopic turds will even continue to cause allergic symptoms well after the dust mite that left them there has died. Dust mites primarily live in carpets, mattresses and upholstered furniture. They especially thrive in humid and warm weather.
Note: If you dust regularly, you will not just be protecting your furniture you will also protect any loved one that are allergic or suffer from asthma.
Easiest and Best Way to Dust
With so many sprays, rags, wands and electrical appliances out there, it is difficult to know which product is best and which will prove to be a waste of money. So many gadgets just cause the dust to fly around and land somewhere new or worse require the use of toxic substances. In short very few methods and tools actually work as claimed.
In short the best way to dust is to do so regularly and systematically. The proven dusting system is to move high to low as well as around the room clockwise or counter clockwise. Start dusting up high while knocking the dust down onto the next surface. If you keep doing this, the dust will ultimately end up on the floor where you can then vacuum and/or mop it up and away. Start by looking for cobwebs in the corner followed by window treatments, ceiling fans, shelves, plant ledges, hard to reach crevices, knickknacks, furniture and baseboards before tackling the floor.
Microfiber (in the form of a cloth or duster) is a great choice for dusting because those gazillion tiny split fibers grab and hold a lot of dust without releasing it into the air while you are doing so. Thus this enables you to actually remove it rather than just spread it around. The unique construction of the split microfiber enables it to pick up and hold debris better than any other material available for dusting.
Using microfiber without the traditional sprays or chemical soaked tools also yields the fastest and easiest results. Because the tiny fibers can reach crevices, microfiber dusters are ideal for ceiling fans, tall shelves, in between tight spaces, and picture frames. A microfiber duster such as the one available from CleansGreen® is full yet thin, rigid yet flexible and can be extended.
Best Way to Dust Techniques
Success will be achieved when you:
- Declutter first. Start the dusting process by picking up so you are working with clean surfaces that are easy to reach.
- Cut down on textiles as a preventive technique. For those textiles that have survived the purge, give them (rugs and cushions) a beating to release free fabric fibers and everything else they have collected. (Note the shorter pile carpets are the best since there are fewer and shorter fibers.)
- Pick up small items up to dust underneath. This avoids developing and enhancing a gray line around the base that just builds up over time.
- Eliminate the hiding dust bunnies. Left alone they will jump out when the slightest breeze pushes them out. Look under cords, behind furniture (especially with hard surface floors), in corners, and around appliances.
- Do not forget the vents. HVAC air returns can collect a lot of dust, even when filters are changed regularly.
- Shake your duster (or rinse your cloth) regularly to keep it fresh and ready to grab more dust.
- Vacuum fabric upholstery.
- Mop hard floors and vacuum the carpets and rugs as the last step before completion. Of course a high quality vacuum with a hepa-filter is the most effective. A bucket-less microfiber mop is the best mopping system since it will not spread dirty mop water around.
Best Way to Dust How to Tips
- Keeping up with your dusting will yield the best results with the least amount of effort since you would avoid grime that builds up and needs replacement. Then when using the duster, lightly floating it over the surface will easily and quickly eliminate the dust that has accumulated since your last visit. This does not require a lot of time, rather the diligence to keep up with it in a proactive manner.
- When using a microfiber cloth (especially a large 16” x 16” cloth) instead of wadding it up, fold it in quarters for a smaller and thicker cleaning pad. This technique will also afford you EIGHT clean surfaces to work with.
- For best results move your microfiber cloth or duster in one direction.
- Rinse or wash after each use for fresh “good as new” results. A good hard shake (outdoors preferred) is often all that is needed for a premium microfiber duster. (Many of the CleansGreen® Microfiber Dusters have worked for years without washing – just shaking.)
- A very fine and light mist of water on a fluffy microfiber duster will enhance its effectiveness in grabbing and holding the dust.
- Want to use polish? Consider using a microfiber mitt where you sparingly apply the polish to one side and use the other dry side for buffing for a quick and simple one step method.
- Periodic and regular vacuuming of your bed mattresses to remove the dust mites and dead human skin cells that accumulate while you sleep. (Washing sheets frequently will wash the dead human skin cells down the drain and out of the house.)
- Shake out your computer keyboards to help remove dirt, dust (and crumbs) in between the use of an “air in a can” duster.
- Fabric gloves (the softer the better) are an excellent way to clean glass animals and other bric-a-brac.
- Paintbrushes and toothpicks are useful tools for those tiny crevices and cracks that are hard to get to, but seem to accumulate dust particles.
- Squirt bottle when clean and dry can provide that “burst of air” that will remove the dust in the corner of your picture frames and other nooks and crannies.
- Pantyhose are great for capturing the delicate, hard to reach dust bunnies. Ball it up and attached it to a yardstick with a rubber band for a cheap ad hoc tool for those “under furniture” scenarios.
- Use the Bounce type of fabric softener sheets (new or used once) to provide a coating on the surface that will minimize static electricity and thus resist attracting dust. This is an excellent technique for baseboards, plantation shutters, and Venetian or wooden blinds.
- Pillowcase around a ceiling fan blade that is then slowly pulled along the blade will capture the dust while preventing it from falling below.
Stop struggling with the dust in your home and keep the sneezing to a minimum by following these best way to dust tips and techniques shared by Green Cleaning Products LLC.
