Quick Dust Cleaning Tips To Help Alleviate Allergies
Household dust is one of the biggest threats for dust-sensitive people, which usually results in miserable allergy or asthma reactions. Studies have shown that 90% of the dust presence in households comes from both people and fabric.
In fact, dust is everywhere around us and we cannot even see barely visible particles that freely float in the air and settle on every surface in our homes. The ugly truth about dust is that it contains molds, tiny dust mites and pets’ dander. And do you know what are the favorite go-to destinations for the aforementioned dust ‘ingredients’? Let me tell you – carpets, upholstered furniture and bedding. Simply put, your living space is a haven of allergies.
For many people, fighting the household dust is a never-winning battle, but the truth is that there are several smart strategies to alleviate the allergy triggers in your house. Let’s take a look at our home cleaning tips to successfully transform your lovely Cleveland home into a dust/allergy- free living space for the entire family.
- Dusting Tip No.1 – Start With Your Closets
No matter how unbelievable it might seem, closets are true dust kingdoms, as they are full of tiny fibers from our clothes, bedding and towels. Yes, while it is impossible to 100% prevent clothes from shedding fibers in the closet, you can help reduce them by keeping rarely worn clothes in plastic clothes bags. Every time you move clothes around in your closet now, every bagged item will be one less item to jostle the dust out of. Furthermore, make sure to keep the closets’ floor tidy and clean, because a cluttered closet floor is extremely inviting and attractive for dust bunnies. Move those shoe racks out of the way so you can vacuum under them!
- Dusting Tip No. 2 – Regular Bedding Change
We all love the hours of comfort and relaxation spent in bed, but if dust mites have settled in our bedding – it means that allergies are on their way. The truth is, bedding itself sheds its own fibers, collects skin flakes and sends out ‘waves’ of dust every time we roll over while sleeping. So, how to avoid the unwelcome allergy attack? It is simple and easy – pillowcases and sheets have to be changed regularly (on a weekly basis) and washed properly. You can take pillows outside and punch dust out of them as well.
- Dusting Tip No. 3 – Use The Right Cleaning Tools
The ultimate goal is to capture the dust and not to spread it all around the house, right? Well, this is the exact effect you will get if using the inappropriate cleaning supplies, such as dry rags and feather dusters. Hence, it is recommended to use disposable cloths or damp rugs that attract and hold the dust particles. For wood work and other rough surfaces hard to dust with a cloth, think of using vacuum attachments, as they will quickly ‘collect’ the dust. Don’t spread the dust, collect it!
- Dusting Tip No. 4 – Use The Right Vacuum To Clean The Carpets
Suction itself does not help as much as needed to thoroughly ‘take off’ the dust from the carpet. Since you are looking for effective results, make sure that you are using a vacuum that features a powerful agitator. But, when it comes to vinyl, tile and wood flooring, the cleaning procedure should be performed with a canister vacuum with a turned off agitator or without any agitator at all. Be sure to regularly empty to vacuum as well, as a dirty one will just blow dust around!
- Dusting Tip No. 5 – ‘Beat’ The Rugs And Cushions
As previously mentioned, our beautiful and expensive carpets are real dust residences, due to the fact that their fibers function like an immense sponge that absorbs dust in great quantities. This is why allergy experts strongly recommend vacuuming the carpets at least once on a weekly basis. If interested in enhancing the allergy-free effect, you should take all rugs outside the house and give them a good, quality ‘beating’. To perform this task, you can use a tennis racket or simply a broom. Make sure to give the same ‘treatment’ to your cushions too. Since cushions are commonly made out of upholstery fabric, they do not only shed their own fibers, but they also absorb dust. If you want to break free of upholstery dust for good, turn to vinyl-covered or leather furniture.
- Dusting Tip No. 6 – Furnace Fan and Filter
Turn your furnace fan “on” while dusting or vacuuming. This will run the air in your home through the furnace filter while neither cooling nor heating the home. It’s inevitable you’ll be kicking up a lot of dust while cleaning your home, so running the fan during your dusting and up to 20 minutes afterwards will help grab some dust from the air. Also consider upgrading your furnace filter. A typical furnace filter is made of fiberglass and will only catch large particles. Opt for a better quality paper or pleated fabric filters if you want to reduce the dust coming out of your ducts.
- Non-cleaning related tip!
Try taking local bee pollen! Many people swear that taking bee pollen gets rid of their seasonal allergies, and I’m one of those people as well. Make sure to get bee pollen from a local Cleveland, OH source. You don’t want pollen from a different state, as the allergies and plants will be different than what you’re experiencing at home. Most farmers markets have local honey and bee pollen vendors. I get mine from Crocker Park’s farmers market in Westlake, OH. Every morning I just take a teaspoon of granules with a sip of water. Do some research online to see some of the benefits yourself!
By following these simple tips, you can start transforming your home into the matrix of cleanliness, where no allergy can threaten your happy and healthy everyday life. Good luck!
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