10 Handy Dusting Tips You May Not Be Doing
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Keep dust under control with these 10 Handy Dusting Tips you might not be doing.
Let’s face it, none of us will ever banish dust bunnies for good! Dust, allergens, and other particles are constantly floating through our home’s air. It builds up and you can’t hide it. Dust build-up can even affect your health, especially if you or a family member has allergies.
Fortunately, dusting is not a difficult chore, if you stay on top of it. I actually find it a little rewarding to see things that were previously covered in a layer of dust, nice and shiny again. With the right techniques, tools, and tips on a few hot spots to pay attention to, you can keep all that dust in check, and your house healthy and shiny!
Tools: Use tools that will grab the dust, not push it around. A feather duster may be fun to use or look fancy but for serious dusting, use a microfiber cloth. Microfiber cloths literally grab dust, are super absorbent, streak-free and don’t leave lint or dust behind. I keep a spray bottle filled with half white vinegar, half water and lightly spray a microfiber cloth, or you can use your favorite multipurpose spray or furniture polish, whichever is appropriate for the surface. If you do like to use a duster for quick clean up, invest in a good quality feather duster one made with ostrich feathers, they do a better job at grabbing dust, they actually have tiny little finger-like nodules that are really good at holding dust.
Dust in the right direction: When dusting a room, start with the highest items and work your around the room and down to the lowest, moving in a spiral. Then vacuum. Since dust falls downward, working in this pattern will keep dust from landing on an already cleaned area.
Electronics: Computers, TVs, DVD players, stereo equipment, and printers are notorious dust magnets. Always unplug the equipment before cleaning. A gentle swipe with a microfiber cloth usually does the job, while a soft brush (like an old toothbrush or paintbrush) will remove dust from crevices. Be sure to vacuum dust from around cords and vents to keep devices from getting clogged and overheating.
Delicate Items: For all those little baubles, trinkets and other intricate items, where dust can get trapped, lightly mist a clean natural-bristle paint or makeup brush, then wipe with a microfiber cloth.
Walls, Door Frames, Ceilings and Baseboards: All of these areas can hold an amazing amount of dust if you don’t dust them on a regular basis. Use a clean dry mop, or place a microfiber cloth over the bristles of a broom and secure with a rubber band to dust areas that you can’t reach. No bending down, to dust baseboard and is also a great way to access hard-to-reach areas like behind furniture.
Behind stove and refrigerator: If you have ever pulled out your stove and refrigerator, then you know the amount of crumbs, grease, and other debris that accumulate can be staggering. If possible, move the appliance out from the wall and unplug. Use a refrigerator coil brush and vacuum to remove as much dust as you can from the back and underneath the appliance, then wipe floor and walls with hot soapy water. This will not only keep your appliances working better and longer, but you will also be eliminating a food source for insects and other pests.
Drapes, Curtains, and Blinds: If these are ignored, they can hold a lot of dust. Be sure to dust or vacuum both sides of your curtains on a weekly basis, to keep the build-up to a minimum. Taking them down and shaking them outside helps remove a lot of the buildup too. Have them cleaned or laundered once a year. For blinds, close completely and dust horizontally starting at the top of each blind and working your way down using an ostrich feather duster. Reverse blinds, and repeat process.
Upholstered Furniture: Remove pillows and cushions and vacuum regularly using the upholstery tool and the crevice tool for corners and edges. Deep clean upholstered furniture once a year.
Ceiling fans and light fixtures: Slide an old pillowcase over a ceiling fan’s blade then pull the fabric back, keeping all the dust and dirt contained. For lighting fixtures, turn them off, then dust exterior using a microfiber cloth, or use a long handle bendable duster that you can remove the cover and machine wash.
Vents and Furnace: Use your vacuum with the brush attachment to suck up the dust in the bathroom vent. Have your home’s furnace maintained professionally at least once a year and ducts about every 5 years.
Click to download a printable version of Top Ten Dusting Tips
I hope these tips help you clean more efficiently and prevent dust from accumulating as fast – How often do you dust around your home?
Do you have any great dusting tips? I would love to hear them. Share them in the comments below.
More cleaning tips you might like:
10 Tips for Cleaning with Vinegar
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Hi there, I'm Cheryl!
As a wife, mom, and caffeine enthusiast, my journey has taken me from bustling mornings with my family to sharing delicious recipes, home care tips, and heartfelt decorating insights with wonderful readers like you. My love for baking, photography, and tidiness shines through every post I craft. Dive into my world and discover the art of homemaking, one tidy moment at a time. Read more...
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Love the tips, I’ll make sure Kevin reads this! 😉
I use canned condensed air to blow out dust from the motors of my ceiling fans. Of course, this is the first thing to do when cleaning, because the dust does fall onto everything lower in the room.
oh that’s a great idea! I use the canned air on the back of the computers and TV’s, but never thought about the ceiling fan motor!
You can add a few drops of lemon extract (or lemon zest if in a spray bottle) to the vinegar solution so that it doesn’t smell as vinegary while dusting.
great idea!! I actually used to add a few drops of cinnamon essential oil to my cloth before dusting!
Can you come do my house?
These are some great tips! They will be very helpful with my cleaning! I’ve also found that it is good to dust the motor and housing of the ceiling fan. This area can collect a large amount of dust and often gets missed since it is something that might take a little more gentleness. Also, I like to make sure that I don’t forget to dust the headboard, foot-board, and rails of beds; these areas seem to collect more dust than imagined and can often be overlooked!
Thanks for some helpful tips!
Anna
WRONG WRONG WRONG. Everyone of these suggestions are spot on EXCEPT: Vacuum BEFORE you dust. Vacuuming stirs up dust and if you dust first, you will just have to do it again.
It’s an age-old debate, to dust first, or to vacuum first. It’s a debate that has divided households and relationships since the beginning of time! The bottom line is this; there is no right or wrong answer, even the experts are divided right down the middle. 😉
The best thing you can do is make sure your vacuum is putting out the least amount of dust possible.
Great tips, especially with fall weather coming and the heater rearranging the dust in the house.
I vacuum out the dryer vent every 3 months and every six months I open up the back of the dryer and vacuum around the electrical and heating element. Mine is about 10 years old and collects a lot of lint! Also I had suggested vacuuming the electronics to my husband once, he said that it would create a static build up that could destroy the computer. There is a very expensive vacuum designed just for that:(
These are some lovely tips and definitely good reminders on some places I forget to dust often. Thanks for sharing!
For dusting the leaves on my plants I use a winter mitten
Oh how i miss cleaning like this. My mom wouldn’t have it any other way so I’m sure i learned from the best.
However…those days are behind me, probably forever. I have fibromyalgia. For years i would push through the pain, take a week to recover, then attempt to do it all over again. I’ve learned to settle-
Just like those relentless dust bunnies! It’s not that i don’t clean, its more like if i can dust a partial piece of furniture one day and still make dinner, well I’ve done a good thing.
If you know someone that cleans like you do professionally and would like to help out a nonpaid individual with a government-recognized reason for drawing SSI, although denied on technicalities, please send them my way.
What was that? Oh, I understand. I can’t find anyone either. The only person I know that has and would do such a thing isn’t able to anymore. And i sure do miss helping others in need.?
Treasure your strength, your energy and your skills. One day they all may disappear. If that happens and someone says you’re just being lazy, drop me a line and let me know how that makes you feel. I envy your abilities. Not in a bad way though. Happy Dusting!
Thank you for this.
Blessings on your day,
In the dark last nite, I ran my hand over the headboard of my bed, and there was pink dust..Turned on the light, I did this on a few other areas of the headboard, and more pink dust. What would cause this?
Female dust bunnies??
Very useful tips. I’ll make sure my husband reads this 😀
A simple damp cloth is still the original and best… Swiffer is a fad, long live the ripped up ex-towel!
GREAT LIST!!! Sounds like we are on the same page most days. I have a list of things I try to make sure I get done each done to keep things running smoothly too.