How To Prevent Dust From Coming Inside Your House
Dusting is one of those chores that we'd like to avoid but is very important in the cleaning process. Dust affects indoor air quality by increasing the chance of allergies and illnesses, which is why regularly dusting all the corners and surfaces of your home will not only the appearance of your home but also improve your health. Some helpful tips for dusting include dusting from the ceiling to the ground, using microfiber cloths, and cleaning your tools after use.
You can also prevent dust from building up by mopping floors and baseboards with a damp mop and attacking the dust mites that settle in clothes with eucalyptus oil. But what about reducing the amount of dust that comes into the house in the first place? While it isn't possible to avoid dust completely, there are ways to keep it under control. Here's how you can prevent dust from coming inside your house and make the chore more manageable.
What is dust and how does it enter?
Dust is made up of tiny particles of matter and comes from both inside and outside the home. Most of it, however, comes from outside, with two-thirds of all the dust in the home being brought in. This is typically caused by the air that is let in and the shoes we enter with. Dust comes into the house through doors, windows, and vents. This is how dust mites, pollen, animal, and soil particles enter the home and trigger allergic reactions in those that are sensitive to them.
Human skin, hair, fabrics, and other objects also shed and settle as dust right inside the home. However, more serious pollutants like arsenic and lead can be transmitted in dust as well, which is harmful to anyone. They can be coming from the paint on the walls or the corners of an old house that is rarely dusted, cleaned, or aired out.
How to prevent it
A great way to prevent dust from entering is to watch what you let in or bring into the house. You can do this by having doormats at all entry points to wipe shoes on before entering the house. If possible, you can also have a no-outside-shoes policy and find a way to keep them neatly at the door outside your home. Furry friends can also bring in particles in their fur and skin so it is advisable to brush them regularly.
Another way to prevent dust from coming inside your house is to be mindful of the windows and doors. If you're seeing more dust than usual, make sure that there are no gaps in your windows and doors. You should also think about how much you're leaving the doors and windows open. Opening them so that fresh air can circulate through the house in the winter is great, but be careful when allergy season rolls around!