Everything You Need to Know About Dust (Plus, How Often to Do It!)
Dust: Every household’s eternal enemy. It comes out of nowhere, coats all your stuff, and makes things generally messy. But what exactly is it, and how often should you be getting rid of it? And where does dust come from, even? We asked the experts for the details on dust — including what happens if you don’t dust at all.
Where does dust come from?
“Dust comes from everywhere and anywhere,” says Ken Doty, COO and cleaning expert at The Maids. “Pets, carpets, air vents, and clutter. You name it, and there is a high likelihood that dust can come from it.”
Here’s what you might find in your standard household dust: pollen, cloth fibers, dead skin cells, dust mites, hair, dirt, minute pieces of metal, pesticides, and more. The tiny particles come in from outside and accumulate from things inside. It spreads around your home thanks to the wind and other air currents running throughout your space.
Is dust good or bad?
Dust definitely isn’t great for you, but regular household dust that builds up over a week or so isn’t too bad. That being said, “dust can irritate the airways and cause respiratory issues if there is a huge buildup,” says Delah Gomasi, managing director and CEO of MaidForYou. Gomasi also notes that renovation dust can be harmful, “especially dust from cutting into natural stone or dust from breaking down walls, [which] can sometimes contain asbestos.”
A bigger buildup of dust can also trigger allergies and cause cardiovascular health concerns, Doty says. Plus, he says, “the possibility of metal fabrics within dust getting into your eyes is small but not impossible, and can cause serious damage.”
When should you dust?
Try to dust at least once a week. That will help prevent it from accumulating.
“Not dusting at that cadence can allow dust to quickly pile up and only makes it more difficult to clean,” Doty says. “This can also impact you or your guests who may be allergic. Not cleaning your dust will only negatively impact any guests that you may have.”
Remember not to beat yourself up if you miss a dusting session, though. Gomasi notes that it’s impossible to ever be truly rid of dust since it comes in from outside and every home has doors and windows.
How bad is it really if you don’t dust?
Well, it’s not great. If you never dust, you can expect breathing problems, allergies, and other health issues like exacerbated asthma and potential illness from breathing in contaminants. Plus, you’ll have to constantly be surrounded by dust.
What’s the best way to dust?
The best way to dust your home starts by ditching the feather duster. All that’s going to do is move dust around. You want microfiber cloths instead because they trap more dust particles. Start dusting from the top of your room, remembering to wipe everything from crown molding and door frames to the tops of fan blades and above cabinets and the refrigerator.
You can spray a multipurpose cleaner on your dusting cloth first to help trap it all. Once you’ve done the tops, move down the room and dust everything in your path. Don’t forget those picture frames! Finally, vacuum or sweep up the dust that fell onto the floor.
How do you reduce dust?
Whether you have a family secret for reducing and preventing dust or not, there are a few simple changes you can make to help keep it out, according to Gomasi and Doty. Start by taking off your shoes when you come inside. That’ll keep out dirt and pollutants from entering your home. An air purifier and a robot vacuum will help keep your home dust-free as well. If you can’t get either of those, try vacuuming (use a vacuum with a HEPA filter) or sweeping every day.