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There is more than meets the eye with dust floating in our houses. It usually comprises of different harmful aerosols like dust mite, smoke, soil, animal dander, food particles, pollen, insect waste, and fumigants, all of which are also harmful to our health and that of our loved ones. So, how often should you dust your house?
You should dust at least once per month the easy to access areas in your house such as floors, counter tops, kitchen cabinets and furniture among others. Hard-to-reach areas such as high walls, ceilings and door frames and windows need to be dusted after every three months.
Why should you dust your house?
Whether you are doing it yourself or using professional cleaning services, dusting a house doesn’t take quite much of your time than you would imagine. There are loads of benefits that come with dusting your house often. Take a look;
1. It maintains a healthy environment
Having seen the components of the dust floating in the air inside your house, you would want to reconsider the seriousness of dusting your house. Upon breathing dust, you and your loved ones may fall sick with allergies.
The dust in your house could be from insect waste or animal dander and dead skin cells that could be carrying all sorts of pathogens. Getting rid of dust floating in the air and that on the other indoor surfaces greatly improves air quality for a healthy living.
Dust could also fall on moist surfaces and corners and facilitate mold growth. Dusting your house often maintains a healthy living environment at home because allergies, pathogens, and mold will not have a haven and you and your family live healthily.
2. It is cost and money effective
Living with dusty surfaces is not unappealing; it is also expensive in so many ways. Dust can impact the efficiency of your appliances, requiring you to frequently repair and maintain them.
Take for example your range hood or air purifier; when the filters are clogged with dust, the blowers inside them will have to work extra hard, hence using more electric power. This will translate to skyrocketing monthly electric bills.
Dusting your house often also prevents dirt and debris accumulation and you may never require the professional cleaning services because there is no much to do. Dusting or vacuuming first when cleaning reduces the entire workload and also protect your sensitive surfaces against scratches.
3. Proper dusting improves your home value
Dusty is itself unpleasant to look at; and when it goes to the extreme levels, this may result in the formation of debris. This would look so bad for your reputation and image, especially when you have visitors coming over. Dusting often improves your image and reputation and everyone will enjoy living in the house.
A dust-free house doe spays off when reselling the property. A prospecting homebuyer is more likely to choose yours as their dream home and will more likely meet your asking price.
4. It improves the quality of your life
Let’s face it; no one loves the sight and feel of dusty looking surfaces. Such surfaces and items are a turn-off and you would tend to avoid them by all means necessary. Dusty floors, surfaces, and items are always stressful and can be distress because you have to clean them regularly.
But the dust-free environment is fun and easier to live in. you feel happy and comfortable to live in, and this reduces your stress levels considerably.

How often should you dust your house?
The answer to the question of how often you should dust your house lies in the location in which your house is situated. If you live in a neighborhood with lots of air pollution for example from industrial fumes, agricultural sprays, dust and pollen, construction dust and smoke from heavy traffic, you can expect so much dust in the air.
This dust will find its way into your house through open windows, doors, and vents. In this case, you should dust your surfaces every day when you do the dishes. As for the windows, ceiling fans, and walls, they should be dusted every once in a week.
If you live in dust-free zones like the leafy suburbs, then dust issues are few unless it comes from within your house. With this in mind, you can dust your surfaces every weekend, and the ceiling fans and walls after let’s say 2 weeks.
Generally, dust your house at least once per month in easy to access areas and after every three months for hard to reach areas if your home is located in dust-free areas. Dusting should be done more often if you live in dusty environment.
How do you properly dust your house?
Getting dust out of your house requires patience and thoroughness. Here is how to go about it.
1. Have a plan
Before you even start dusting your house, you need to come up with a clear and concise plan on how to go about the work. Make a comprehensive list of the tools and items that you will need to do the job. Usually, you’ll need a microfiber cloth, a damp piece of cloth or a vacuum cleaner.
After you have bought all the tools, then come up with a plan; where to start, what procedure to follow, and where to finish. It is advisable to do one chore across the board so that you do not keep going back to the rooms.
Start with high areas like the ceiling, walls, and ceiling fans. Then come down to the surfaces and appliances and finish up with the floors. Having a plan will make your dusting work easier since you are not likely to forget any spot.
2. Open the windows while dusting
While dusting your house, opening the windows and doors should be the first thing. This is because as you shake things off, dust might return to clothes, linens, and fabrics in the house and you do not want this to happen.
Opening windows while dusting helps lose most of the dust that you shake off from surfaces and floors. At the same time, unless you live in a dusty environment, opening windows often improves air quality thus losing dust before it accumulates in the first place.
3. Dust in the right direction
Just like snow, dust moves from top to bottom of the house, and this is why you should clean your house in the right direction. Experts advise that you start with ceiling fan blades, bulbs, chandeliers, walls, and work your way down to countertops and finish with the floors.
Dust from bottom to the top only returns dust to the areas you already dealt with and this means you have to keep repeating the process.
4. Use the right tools
As you dust your house, use a damp piece of soft microfiber cloth, except for the floor. I insist on a damp cloth because dry cloths will only shake the dust off and lose it to the neighboring areas. But a damp one on the other hand catches most of the dust and does not lose until you wash it in water.
Use a spray bottle with warm water and detergent to clean the surfaces, countertops, appliances, and fan blades. Contrary to a rough cloth, a soft microfiber cloth ensures that you do not damage or leave scratches on surfaces like countertops and appliances.
5. Vacuum the floors
The best way to dust floors is by using a duster before a vacuum cleaner. A vacuum with HEPA filters is recommended as these can pick tiny particles of dust and pet hairs from the floor. They also have carbon filters with antimicrobial properties that kill disease-causing bacteria and pathogens.
It is advisable to vacuum tile, vinyl, and any other type of floor except hardwood. Unless you are using a vacuum with double filter cloths; one for hard floors and the other for soft ones like hardwood. The normal vacuum cleaners would only end up damaging the finish on hardwood floors and this is not the intended plan.
6. Clean your equipment often
The secret to a fast and effective dusting lies in using great quality cleaning equipment. When shopping for cleaning tools only pick the highest quality ones and have a list so that you do not keep going back for the items you have forgotten.
Make it a habit of washing the microfiber cloth in warm water after a few minutes of dusting. Also, clean the filters and empty the waste container of the vacuum cleaner often when dusting. This will prevent dust from returning to the already clean surfaces.
How can I reduce dust in my house?
You can minimize dust and its effects by doing the following
1. Buy new filters
One non-cleaning technique for dealing with dust in your house is to utilize a high-proficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in your air conditioning systems and/or vacuum cleaner. HEPA filters trap small particles — including dust, pet dander, and residue parasites — with the goal that you’re more averse to breathe them in.
2. Dust regularly
There is no doubt that cleaning regularly makes your house dust-free. It also makes it effortless to deal with issue of dust in your home. Without regular cleaning, dust will typically accumulate on your indoor surfaces and appliances and it need more effort and resources to clean it.
3. Tidy clutter
Heaps of garbage and mess everywhere in your home are what contributes to contamination of indoor air and spreading of germs. Other than dusting, you should also organize everything in your home which will also make the whole cleaning process to be easier.
Final Thought
The unsightly image of dirty surfaces and items is not the only disadvantage that comes with having a dusty house. When dust falls on moist surfaces like window sills, it can harbor mold growth and this too, makes you and your loved ones sick. It can also damage your appliances, hence costing you unnecessary repair and maintenance costs. It is thus recommended to dust your house on a regular basis to avoid such problems.

HVAC tech with over 30 years of experience. Retired and doing repair work on the side around Madison County, AL.