Dust in your home can be the chief cause of allergies which taken to the extreme can worsen existing health conditions in your family. As the homeowner, you should have a goal to rid your home of seasonal allergies not through prescribed or over the counter medicines, but rather through a keen examination of the cleaning practices in your house. The dust that makes its way into your indoor space and settles on your surfaces within the home brings much more than just dirt. By controlling the influx of dust, you can get a higher level of comfort for you and your family.
The Problem of Dust
Many homes have layers and layers of dust and the homeowners do not seem to realize the threat this dust poses to their overall health. When dust accumulates around your home, it may harbor elements such as mold, fungi, dust mites, animal dander, cockroaches, pollen, and even mold.
The Solution to Dust
Whether you are taking over the counter medication or taking prescribed drugs as well as using an allergy specific air purifier, the key to a comfortable home lies in the quality of the cleaning and not how long you do it. Below are some of the strategies you can pursue to stop dust in its tracks.
Make Your Home Easier to Clean
Books, knick knacks, and the shelving around your home can add lots of aesthetics which is a good thing for your personal development and inspiration. However, these elements can also make it extremely difficult for you to clean the surfaces within your home. If you cannot donate the items that unnecessary occupy space in your home, the best way is to get rid of them. This will make your cleaning process much easier and you will significantly cut down on the time you spend to clean.
Set the Stage for Best Practices
After you get rid of the unnecessary items and clutter, you should now set the stage for the cleaning by employing the right equipment such as electrostatic dusting tools which are capable of tracking dust permanently. Non-electrostatic dusters just move the dust around but cannot get rid of it. Carpeting usually attracts lots of dust which settles deep in its fibers. Wherever possible, go for hard surface flooring and get rid of carpeting so as to effectively reduce the accumulating of dust and make your cleaning efforts worthwhile.
Deal with the Bedding
Your pillows and mattresses can be resting points for dust mites. Enclosing them with specialized casings which prevent dust mites from penetrating through their materials can make them dustproof. The encasements help in preventing dust from reaching the recesses of your pillows and mattresses where the mites wreak havoc. Ensure you wash your bedding in hot water at least once per week to kill the mites.
While Dusting and Vacuuming, Run the Furnace Fan
Dusting stirs up the dust and it may take up to two hours for it to come to rest on the home surfaces. The best way to deal with allergen-laden dust particles which float in your indoor air is by turning on the furnace fan as you dust and for a few hours, once the job has been done. The force of the fan will help in circulating the air throughout your home and into the furnaces filter which then traps the particles.