The Kitchen Essential That's A Great Alternative For Dusting Your Home

Dusting is one of the easiest and fastest ways to refresh a space and make it look and feel cleaner. Plus, there are all kinds of hidden hazards of built-up dust in your home. Leaving dust around can decrease the air quality and trigger asthma and allergies for yourself and any guests. As such, while it may not feel as pressing as wiping the counters or cleaning the bathroom, dusting is an important part of keeping a clean home. If you feel inspired to find your feather duster and get to work, you may be shocked to learn that grabbing some wax paper from your kitchen may give you a more effective clean and may even help you avoid some dusting mistakes you've been making this whole time.

Feather dusters, though fun to use, can push around dust, flinging it into the air and allowing it to settle again in other places rather than trapping it so it can be removed from a space. If you are ready to ditch your feather duster for something that will actually collect the dust, wax paper makes a surprisingly good substitute. Typically used for baking, wax paper is simply paper with a wax coating that makes the paper moisture-resistant, grease-proof, and non-stick. Additionally, the wax has a tackiness to it that many people suggest can attract and capture dust. Based on this idea, there are all kinds of ways you can try to use wax paper to dust around the house. However, even if it works, wax paper may not be the most cost-effective or environmentally friendly choice, so you may want to consider other long-term solutions.

If you want to attempt to use wax paper to dust your home, the simplest way is to grab a small sheet of the paper and wipe it along a dusty surface, just as you might do with a duster or rag. This can help you determine if your wax paper is effective at picking up dust. If it works for you, continue the process, tossing the used wax paper pieces in the garbage and getting new ones as needed. 

You can also try other dust-related clever wax paper tricks you should be using when cleaning your kitchen, such as placing a sheet of wax paper in out-of-sight areas that collect a lot of dust, namely the tops of cabinets or high shelves. The wax paper is thought to attract the dust, so all you need to do is replace the paper every few months. Another suggested use involves picking up dust from the floor by using wax paper instead of a replaceable dry mop head.

While wax paper may work in a pinch, it is a single-use product. While you can buy a roll at the Dollar Tree for just $1.50, the cost will add up over time if it is your go-to dusting tool. Microfiber towels are another good dusting tool, and they can cost as little as $2. Additionally, although some types are compostable, standard wax paper usually must be thrown away. In some situations, wax paper can be washed and reused, but it may reduce the tackiness that helps it collect dust and render it ineffective.