Why Is My House So Dusty? How To Reduce Dust

Why is my house so dusty, for real, though? Some people probably wouldn’t care, but I’ve always been a researcher and someone who easily gets irritated by repetitive tasks.

You better believe that I was let down by the lack of information I found. I was able to find an article from 1926; however, it was not quite what I was searching for.

Therefore, I kept digging. I figured by understanding why this uninvited guest felt the need to keep returning; I would be in a better position to prevent him from showing up so frequently.

Wouldn’t that be nice?!

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Thankfully a much more recent article was published by ACS.org, giving more in-depth insight on the subject and was written in lamens terms. In other words, I didn’t need a degree in biology to understand it.

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Here’s The Surprising Truth On How Dust Is Created

The study conducted by David Layton and Paloma Beamer pointed out that house dust consists of a mixture of some pretty nasty things. You don’t say?

Yes, it includes dead skin cells, fibers from upholstered furniture, carpets, and dirt. Don’t even get me started about the dust mites living in our beds!

Most of this airborne particle mixture is found outdoors, which then makes its way into our homes.

There is no doubt that it is gross, but what’s alarming is the level of potentially harmful substances that live within the mix. Among them are lead and arsenic – say what?!!!!

I could only imagine how alarming this is to my mamas out there since toddlers are notorious for placing dust-contaminated toys and objects into their mouths.

Don’t worry; I’m on it!

How Can I Prevent Dust In My House?

The good news is there are ways to minimize the dust.

Since most dust particles make their way into your home from the outdoors, playing defense is our best option. In our household, we have always committed to a no-shoe policy indoors.

To follow through with our commitment, we place our pairs of in a shoe bin in our garage.

Not only is our dust level dramatically reduced, but our floors require sooooo much less maintenance because of it.

Now I do realize that you may feel awkward enforcing this policy on friends and family, so my suggestion would be to purchase a good quality doormat for your main entrance when you chicken out.

If you’re extra bold you could try to hang a “Please Remove Your Shoes” sign outside your front door; but despite your best efforts some people will not respect it. I totally feel you on this one!

What Causes Dust In a Room?

As we walk on our carpets and sit on our furniture, small particulars from these objects become airborne, creating dust.

Could this be where the expression “breaking it in” comes from? Maybe.

Another culprit is our furry pets.

Yes, even petting your cute dog or cat produces dust and hair, which is released into the air.

One way to control their contribution to our losing battle is by making it a habit to keep our furry friends well-groomed.

The trick is to do so by grooming them outside or in a confined area to make the clean-up process a snap.

It really helps to have a pet-hair air purifier too.

Why Is My House So Dusty? Dust-Proof Your Home

If you have trouble keeping up with the vacuuming, consider getting a robot vacuum like the Narwal.

Plus, it also mops your home, too! This greatly helps to reduce all the dust and hair that fly around the air of your home.

Now that we are aware of where dust comes from, here are ways to help us manage it.

Dusting Hacks You’ll Be Thankful For

Let’s Explore How To Handle Hard-To-Reach Places.

As I mentioned before, it’s a losing battle, so playing defense will be our best option.

For hard-to-reach places like on top of cabinets don’t even bother trying to find ladders and risk falling.

Instead, use newspaper to line the kitchen cupboards.

Every so often, toss the paper out and replace it. You can also use a kitchen cupboard shelf liner. Easy breezy!

Declutter Your Home

If you want to cut down your cleaning time, try to eliminate all the unnecessary knick-knacks and chachkies.

As a side note, your home décor will love you back as most homeowners tend to over-decorate.

To truly bring out the beauty in your furniture and accessories, less is often more. Why? It allows for each piece to have “breathing room” in order to showcase its beauty.

If you need help decluttering you may want to read, How To Organize Your Room FAST.

Best Flooring Options To Consider

Carpets not only produce dust but trap it as well; therefore, consider other options.

When possible, opt for wood flooring.

And if choosing area rugs, lean towards a low pile rug like these.

 

Cut Back On Fabric Where Possible

Adding faux leather seating or throw pillows into your décor can eliminate some of your fabric and improve the aesthetics of your overall design.

Window Treatments

Unfortunately, drapes are a magnet for dust and need to be cleaned more often than we care for.

When shopping for fabric window treatments, consider purchasing ones that are machine washable.

This way, you will be able to clean the collection of dust more often than if they are dry clean only.

Of course, modern roller shades would be a better option.

How To Reduce Dust In Your Home

If you were to apply all the suggestions above, you would probably be sitting in a bare and depressing space right now.

To be clear, I don’t recommend going to extremes, but you should consider at least one or two to cut down on your dust.

When it’s time to collect the dust bunnies here are some suggestions.

Air Filters

Air filters should be replaced at least once per season. If you have pets or are remodeling your home filters will require replacement more often.

Work From Top To Bottom

To not duplicate your efforts, you should work from top to bottom due to dust falling downward. Begin with ceiling fans which are in the center of the room and then move on to ceiling moldings.

Microfiber Cloths

Many people may not be aware, but microfiber cloths are electrostatically charged. In other words, they attract dust, which allows you to clean more efficiently.

Simply spray your favorite cleaner directly on the cloth and go at it.

You should not use fabric softeners while washing microfiber cloths since they will absorb the waxy build-up and no longer work as well.

Moldings, Corners & Door Frames

If you have a vacuum that allows you to extend the handle, that would be your best bet. If not, just grab a mop or broom pole and cover the end with a microfiber cloth or sock.

To make sure it stays secure use an elastic band.

Don’t forget the baseboards while you’re at it.

You can also use a duster with a long pole:

Room Vents

Use the vacuum with the brush attachment to suck up most of the dirt. If necessary, remove the vent with a screwdriver and wash it with mild detergent.

Delicate Items

Place a stocking over the suction hose of your vacuum and use it gently around objects. The stocking will prevent the vacuum from sucking anything up.

This tip works great for cleaning those pesky junk drawers.

Pro Tip: Choose one room during your routine cleaning schedule to give special attention to. If you try to do an in-depth cleaning of every room of your house, you will likely be exhausted.

Where Does Dust Come From In An Empty House?

Even if no humans were living in the home, you could bet that some rodents and bugs are likely contributors to the dust.

Second, no home is 100% airtight, and dirt particulars will make their way in from the outdoors.

Why Is My House So Dusty? Conclusion

There you have it! Where dust comes from begins with us shedding away some skin cells, losing our hair, petting our pets, and good ‘ol living.

Don’t think for a minute that I was naive enough to think I was going to win the war, but I will be battling with it less.

After reading this post, you will probably be tossing some curtains in the washer instead.

One thing is for sure, you won’t be asking  – “Why is my house so dusty?” anymore.

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