I am constantly battling dust: I live in an old home in a city with less-than-stellar outdoor air quality, and I have a dog who sheds a lot. Dusting feels like a constant chore that I can never get ahead of—and not only is a layer of dust visually unappealing, it can also exacerbate asthma and allergies for some people.
Unfortunately, minimizing dust in your house requires both prevention and regular maintenance. But staying on top of the problem ultimately leads to less work and fewer impacts on both cleanliness and health down the line.
Regularly maintain your filters and vents
One of the best ways to mitigate indoor dust is to stay on top of the systems that allow dust to enter and move around your home. You should change your HVAC filter every three months at a minimum—every one to two months if you have pets, live in an area that is dry and dusty, or are affected by wildfire smoke—for both the efficiency of your system and the effectiveness at filtering out air particles. Check your filter’s Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values (MERV) rating: a lower rating will catch less debris and may need to be changed more frequently, while a higher rating will collect smaller particles (but may reduce performance).
While you’re at it, clean any fans, vents, and filters that move air in and out of (and around) your home, such as your dryer vent, bathroom exhaust fans, and HVAC vents and grills. You can give these a quick surface vacuum on a regular basis for maintenance, but if you haven’t cleaned them in awhile (or ever), you may need to remove vent covers and deep clean the motors or ducts.
Run an air purifier
Air purifiers suck air in, filter out particulates like dust and pollen, and blow the clean air back out—and you don’t have to do anything except plug it in. You can get an air purifier with the main goal of reducing dust in your house, though these devices may also help people who have allergies and asthma. Make sure you get an air purifier with a pre filter and a HEPA filter plus a carbon filter for odors and gases. We’ve tested a number of smart air purifiers (some of which also have other functions like heating and cooling) that we recommend.
Vacuum frequently and thoroughly
Vacuuming your floors regularly (every few days) can cut down on dust buildup throughout your house. If you have a lot of space or limited time, a good robot vacuum can do this work for you. However, you should also be vacuuming furniture—both hard and soft surfaces—as well as curtains and blinds, where pet dander and dust can quickly accumulate.
Don’t forget to vacuum or dust less visible areas, such as baseboards, ceiling fans, door frames, shelf corners, under beds and other furniture, and the space behind appliances. Use our favorite hacks to level up your dusting, and consider using a dust-repelling spray on hard surfaces once the dust is gone.
Your regular cleaning should also include washing sheets and towels, which collect dead skin, bacteria, and dust mites. Launder everything at least every two weeks—more often if you sweat a lot or allow pets on your bed.
Keep windows closed
This is most important if the outdoor air quality is poor, such as during wildfire season or high-pollution days. But keeping your windows closed in general can help minimize dust, pollen, and other particles from easily floating into your home.
Leave shoes at the door
Shoes are the quickest way to track mud, dirt, and dust into and through your house, even if it’s not visible. Set up a bin or shelf at the door to collect and store shoes—you could even leave them outside if you have a covered area where they’ll be safe from the elements.
