Most people don’t actually think of dust as a dangerous pollutant. Perhaps this is because most people don’t know what dust constitutes. Dust is not just made up of fine soil particles. It is a general term used to refer to all sorts of solid matter.
Dust in households and offices contains animal and human hairs, plant pollen, textile fibers, minerals from outdoor soil, paper fibers, damaged human skin cells, soot, flame retardants, bacteria, rodent waste, carpet fluff and other types of small debris.
When you vacuum or walk around your house, all these fine particles are stirred up into the air, along with every toxic chemical available. Family members present in the house are, therefore, likely to inhale these particles or absorb them via the pores on their skin.
If you have young kids and toddlers in your house that are known to crawl on the floor, the chances are high that they’ll ingest quite an amount of dust from hand licking. Bearing in mind that their defensive mechanism are still developing, they are at a higher risk of developing serious health complications.
So what are possible health problems caused by dust in your home?
Allergies – A significant number of people are allergic to dust mites. Most Americans will develop symptoms such as watery and itchy eyes, sneezing, coughing and a runny nose. Though these may seem less serious conditions which you can easily control, you are much better off limiting your exposure to dust.
Dermatitis – For some people, inhaling dust can potentially result in flare-ups of serious conditions such as eczema and atopic dermatitis.
Respiratory complications – For people already suffering from respiratory conditions such as chronic obstructive airways diseases, asthma and emphysema, even small concentrations of dust can potentially aggravate their symptoms. Studies have also indicated that inhaling relatively higher concentrations of dust over many years can potentially result in a reduced lung function in the long term.
7 Ways to Eliminate Dust in Your Home
1) Change your beddings at least once a week
Dust particles love to dwell in pillows, sheets and mattresses. You are highly encouraged to encase your mattress and box spring in an allergen-proof cover to reduce the rate at which dust particles collect on them. In addition to this, you should clean and wash your beddings at least once every week, and this should be sufficient enough to keep dust at bay.
2) Don’t leave clutter on your floors
On most occasions, homeowners tend to ignore piles of books, magazines, clothing, toys and just anything else on the floor. If you didn’t know, tiny dust particles often settle quickly on abandoned clutter.
3) Keep your closets clear for stress-free cleaning
Closets are great dust reservoirs, full of fine fibers from towels, bedding and clothes. It is apparent that you cannot prevent your clothing from shedding fibers. However, with some little effort, you can make your closets fairly easy to clean and reduce dust concentrations in your house. You can also enclose some of the clothes you rarely put on. Those heavy jackets you only wear during winter shed fibers year-round. Cover them with large bags to help contain those fibres.
4) Invest in a high-end furnace filter
Your home’s HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) unit does a fantastic job of filtering the air. A conventional cheap furnace filter offers protection from large dust particles thus ensuring optimal airflow, but does very little to eliminate household dust. Thankfully, there are top-end filters that guarantee a good balance between cost and dust filtration efficiency. If you didn’t know, these types of filters attract nearly 90% of dust particles.
5) Make good use of your air purifiers
An air purifier is equally effective at keeping most dust particles at bay. It is imperative to note that for your air purifier to be effective, you’ll have to buy one for each of your rooms. Air purifiers have the potential to absorb most dust particles before they can settle on your floor and other surfaces.
Always choose purifiers that feature HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters as opposed to ionic cleaners, which are known to release respiratory irritants. What’s more, always close your windows and doors on those windy days. Dust particles generated outdoors often find their way into your house through opened windows and doors. These particles could be in the form of mould spores, pollen, fine soil particles as well as airborne pollutants.
6) Vacuum the right way
When correctly used, a vacuum can be effective at removing even some of the most stubborn dust. The right vacuuming procedure, coupled with the right filters and vacuuming machine, can have a significant impact on how much dust remains in your flooring. You must note that suction alone isn’t sufficient to remove much dust from your carpet.
You need a vacuum featuring a powerful agitator. If you’ll be removing dust from tile, wood or vinyl flooring, then you’ll need a canister vacuum that doesn’t have an agitator. Vacuum high-traffic zones at least twice a week and the rest of the floor at least weekly. It is also a great idea to maintain your vacuum. Always empty the canister regularly and change belts and bags when need be.
7) Create a daily dust-cleaning routine
This arguably the best way to get rid of dust in your home. Prevention is the best cure when it comes to dust elimination. Create a daily cleaning routine and strive to keep up with it. It should be practical and easy to follow. Don’t allow dust to conquer your home.
If you wish to reduce dust at home but don’t find the time to perform the chores yourself, then why not get us to do the job for you? There are many benefits of hiring a professional home cleaner to spoil your home. At Maids in Brown, we aim to provide you with superior house cleaning at incredibly low prices.
Contact Maids in Brown today for a free home cleaning enquiry near Washington D.C. on 571-466-6900!
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