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In the past two months, Princess has had substantial allergic reactions. I’ve had to (re) learn how to dust because we suspect that her issues right now are dust and pollen. Eyes so swollen that they won’t open, steroid shots, antihistamine eye drops, and allergy meds are her life lately. I’ve learned a lot from trial and error during Captain’s bout with this as well. Here are some quick tips on how to dust to keep pollen and dust out of the house as much as possible – especially if you have allergy sufferers!
Oh, the Dust!
When my son was young, he was first diagnosed with Ashtha and then airway disease. His issue was that his airway would narrow (causing wheezing and upper respiratory infections) caused by external factors like allergies to pollen, dust, smoke, etc. I learned more about dust mites and nasal passages than I ever wanted to know.
Yeah, fun stuff.
Whatever you do, don’t Google an image of a dust mite! You probably just looked at one anyway, didn’t you?
Maybe it’s a good thing – it might motivate us to keep these little nasties at a minimum! Although they are different than bed bugs, some people (like both my kiddos) are allergic to the shed skin and feces of dust mites. More about how to get rid of dust mites around the house in future posts, but let’s just talk about keeping the pollen and dust out of the house most efficiently (in the least amount of work for us possible!).
How to Dust Effectively
Now that I’ve motivated you to dust every day of your life (sorry, not sorry!), here are some of the best ways to keep dust and pollen under control. Generally, dusting and vacuuming will stir up dust worse than other times so take precautions with allergy sufferers.
Start at the top
How to dust in the best way? Simply start at the highest point you can and work your way down. I typically start by dusting the fans first, then the furniture, and ending with the floors. The success of keeping dust to a minimum in these three areas are my three secret cleaning weapons for each task (damp pillowcase for the fan, middle area microfibers, and my premium mop for the floors).
Less is more
The less clutter you have in the rooms of your house, the less that dust will have to settle on. That’s less work for us because that means there is less to dust! Also, the least amount of carpet that is in your home, the easier it is to keep the dust away.
Related posts:
- How to conquer dirty laundry
- Easiest toilet bowl cleaner
Microfiber
Dust clings to microfibers like a magnet. While you can use regular microfiber cloths to dust the house (I used to swipe my hubby’s car cleaning cloths), I prefer the microfiber gloves. They make cleaning blinds and other awkward areas a breeze. Dampen the cloth to cut down on flying dust bunnies before cleaning any areas.
Air purifier
Whether your family members have allergies or not, a quality air purifier can cut the dust in your home and make the air quality SO much better! You can spend hours of research and hundreds of dollars on air purifiers. Trust me when I say that I have spent the time researching facts and reviews but NOT hundreds of dollars and we are very happy with our purchases.
My recommendation is to only buy an air purifier that has a True HEPA filter. What that means is that air will be forced through a mesh filter and trap tiny particles of pollen, pet dander, dust mites, and smoke. I chose my two faves from these requirements:
- true HEPA filter
- compact
- best reviews
- cost
The winners are the Holmes 3-speed and the Honeywell Compact Tower. Both are under $100 and get the job done right! My goal is to eventually have one of these compact air purifiers in every section of our house.
After following these quick tips on how to dust more effectively to keep dust and pollen out of your house, I feel confident that you’ll notice a big difference. It’s my pleasure to share – just sent gratitude via coffee and chocolate, friend!
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Just added the air purifier to my wishlilist thanks for the info
These are such great tips to keep dust away
Author
Thanks, Paula!
shan walker
I’ve been sneezing like crazy, I really need to dust, allergy sucks!
Author
Sorry you deal with it too, Mimi. 🙁
shan
I woke up this morning with sticky itchy eyes from the pollen. Perfect timing to find this post! Thanks!
Author
Awe, so sorry, Jen. It’s a pain, isn’t it?! Hope this was helpful to you!
shan
I’ve been looking for an air purifier, so thank you so much for the details of what to look for as well as your recommendations. That really helps!
Author
Yay, Denise! I’m so glad it was helpful. It’s hard to know what to choose. 😉
shan
Yep! I definitely looked up a dust mite…eww! They are not exactly the happiest looking little boogers! lol
Author
The dust mites are SO creepy looking, aren’t they?! Ekkk Motivates me now to get rid of them every chance I get.
shan
Great post! I really needed this reminder! I have pretty bad allergies but I’m also super lazy about my cleaning… I guess I could try to dust EVERYDAY hahaha! I said try…
Author
We all forget – especially me! Until my daughter’s swelling, I didn’t think that much about it. We can “try!” lol
shan
I’ll have to try this. Everyone in my house keeps getting sick after being outside. I’ll have to try these tips!! Thanks!!
Angela
Author
Oh no, Angela! Hate to hear this. If it’s sinuses that is bothering everyone, may I also add that nasal irrigation is SO very helpful to keep that pollen and dust from building up in those nostrils. 🙂
shan
Those gloves look awesome! When I used to live in Colorado, the dust was terrible because of the dryness. Now that I live in Germany, pollen has become the biggest issue. Thanks for the tips!
Author
Oh wow. Never thought about the dryness out West. I bet it is bad!
shan
OMG the pollen is killing me! Thanks for sharing this!
Author
Oh no! I’m so sorry, Laura. It’s that time, isn’t it? Hope it was helpful to ya.
shan
Oh my how I needed these tips. I just moved and my allergies are in full swing!
Author
Oh, Bailey, hope it isn’t too bad at your new place!
shan
Great information! Thank you for sharing.
Author
Awe, thank you so much, Linette! Hope it helps in some way!
shan
Tis the season for pollen and everything turning yellow! What a great reminder! I definitely think I need to add an air purifier to my shopping list…
Author
Yep, Cathy, you’re right. Tis the season! We are LOVING our air purifier!
shan