What is that dust bunnie hiding under your rug doing?
On second thought… we should rather say these dust bunnies!
Because where you find a dust bunnie, you are sure there are plenty of them hiding.
Unless you manage to eliminate them before they even multiply...
But how do you get rid of this dust that keeps coming back? The first defense against dust is prevention!
Here are 8 tips to prevent dust from invading your home:
Eliminate or reduce the number of dust catchers, such as knick-knacks, especially in the rooms where you spend the most time such as living rooms and bedrooms.
That's the advice of Mark Sneller, head of Aero, a US allergen research center and author of the family health guide Indoor Air Quality.
If you are allergic to dust mites or you wake up with a stuffy nose, consider covering your cushions and mattresses with anti-dust mite zip covers.
Wash them twice a year at high temperature. We recommend this anti dust mite pillow cover and mattress cover.
Put large, thick, tightly woven doormats with a rubber covering in front of every door that allows entry into the house.
Place air purifiers in the rooms where you are most often. They will help suck up dust before it settles.
No need to invest in an ionic air purifier:they release ozone. Instead, opt for an air purifier by filtration.
Maintain a humidity level between 40% and 50% in your home, to reduce static electricity.
Static electricity attracts dust and makes it harder to remove.
Inexpensive furnace or air conditioner filters, such as those made of fiberglass, do little to keep dust out, says Aileen Gagney, US Environmental Health Program Specialist.
Choose pleated filters with a higher MERV (Medium Efficiency Reporting Value) rating, but be careful to meet your furnace standards. If in doubt, seek advice from a specialist.
Wooden, metal or plastic blinds are easier to clean than fabric curtains.
Just wipe them with a microfiber cloth (also called an electrostatic cloth). If you have curtains, use the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner to clean them.
Avoid washing your cloths in general, and especially microfiber cloths, with fabric softener.
This reduces their ability to attract and remove dust. They also become less efficient at absorbing liquids.
There you go, now you know how to avoid dust at home :-)
