How to Get Rid of Dust When It’s Everywhere

No matter how clean you are, dust will accumulate in your home or property. Some of the most common dust sources include dead skin cells, bedding, furniture, and clothing. According to a recent study by the Environmental Science & Technology Journal, 60 percent of indoor dust is produced outside, airborne particles in the soil, plants, and animals. 

Dust can be found outdoors, in our offices, and in our cars, but it can also be found anywhere in our homes. This dust found inside our homes may trigger miserable allergy symptoms, including sneezing, runny noses, wheezing, and itchy and watery eyes, making it difficult to enjoy time at home with family and friends.

Finding an efficient way to eliminate dust in your home can be challenging. So how do you get rid of something that keeps coming back? There are many solutions to this problem; however, the best place to start is with prevention. One of the best ways to remove dust from your home is by using an air purifier. Air purifiers are an effective way to combat dust allergies and other associated symptoms.

To effectively remove harmful airborne pollutants from the air, it would be helpful if you run an air purifier with a quality particle filter for dust. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends High Efficiency Particulate (HEPA) filters with a rating of at least H13 or higher. An H13 filter does what other filters cannot, eliminating 99.9 percent of particulate as small as 0.1 microns.

Additionally, Americans spend at least 90 percent of their time indoors, where airborne pollutants are two to five times higher than outdoor concentrations. What’s more, the current coronavirus pandemic shines a brighter light on the importance of quality indoor and outdoor air, and air purifiers with a H13 filter or higher can help you and your family create a path to healthier, cleaner air.

Here’s What to Know Before Adding an Air Purifier to Your Home

Air purifiers are an effective tool for improving indoor air quality and overall health. They can reduce dust, pollen, mold spores, smoke, and other particulate matter that can cause allergies, asthma attacks, and other respiratory conditions. But do air purifiers really help with dust? The answer is yes! Air purifiers are designed to trap and remove unwanted particles from the air in your home. Not only will they trap larger particles such as dust mites, pet dander, and lint fibers, but they also capture smaller particles like bacteria and viruses.

Before adding an air purifier to your home, it is important to choose the right type of filter for the efficient removal of airborne dust particles. High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters are specifically designed to remove airborne harmful substances at different levels of efficiency. If a room has excessive amounts of particulate matter or large amounts of smoke or pet dander—these types of filters may be especially beneficial. HEPA filters are especially good at trapping very small particles like bacteria and virus fragments. Allergy sufferers should look for an air purifier with a True Medical Grade HEPA filter that is proven by industry testing to capture airborne particles down to 0.3 microns.

Finally, remember that air purifiers are just part of an overall strategy for keeping your home clean and free of dust. Regularly vacuuming hard surfaces such as floors and furniture helps reduce dust accumulation in your space; using a damp mop on tiled surfaces will also help curb its spread. Moreover, making sure windows and doors are sealed tightly can further limit dust entry into your home.

What to Know About Home Air Quality

Poor air quality in the home can have a significant impact on our quality of life and health. From causing eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and respiratory diseases to potentially worsening existing heart disease and cancer patients’ conditions, there is no doubt that we must take proactive steps to ensure clean air within our homes. According to Kenneth Mendez of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), most people spend more than 90% of their time indoors with indoor air two to five times more polluted than that found outdoors.

The main contributor to poor indoor air quality is dust which is typically made up of human debris (skin cells, hair, etc.). Additionally, indoor air irritants can come from dirt, pollen grains and other allergens such as animal dander and mold spores, as well as tiny microplastics and fibers.

To maintain a healthy home environment with clean air, it is vital that these allergens are minimized or removed altogether through regular dusting or vacuuming. Furthermore, having the appropriate ventilation can help reduce levels of moisture inside that could be fostering mold growth. Our health depends on it so taking measures to test and improve your indoor air quality is crucial.

The most effective way of doing this is by investing in an air purifier with a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. These filters are designed to capture particles as small as 0.3 microns in size—more than 10 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair! For maximum efficiency, look for a unit that also has activated carbon filters to absorb odors and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

How Do Air Purifiers Work?

Air purifiers are important devices for ensuring clean air in the home or office. They draw air from the environment and pass it through a filter that traps dust, pollen, and other contaminants. This filtered air is then returned to the room as clean air. Most of these filters are made of fiberglass, paper, mesh, carbon, foam, or aluminum, and can remove close to 99.9% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns according to the EPA. Because such small particles can easily enter our lungs and cause an asthma attack or other allergic reactions they should be effectively removed with quality air purification systems.

Unfortunately, some air purifiers emit harmful levels of ozone which can irritate healthy people’s respiratory functions and even cause serious problems for those with asthma according to Allergy Standards Limited (ASL). Ozone produced by some air purifiers must be taken into consideration when shopping for cleaner indoor air because it is highly toxic just like outdoor pollution can be at high levels. It’s important to do your research when purchasing an air purifier so you know what type of filter you need and that it won’t pollute your indoor space further.

Do Air Purifiers Remove Dust?

Air purifiers are designed to improve air quality by removing pollutants, allergens, and other toxins from the air. The goal is to improve indoor air quality and make it easier for people with allergies and respiratory problems to breathe more easily. One of the common pollutants that these devices can filter is dust particles, so the answer is yes: air purifiers do remove dust. However, how effective they are in eliminating dust will depend on the features of the specific device. Consider models which offer an ASL and AAFA certification as these can help rid your home or office space of much higher levels of dust compared to others that lack this level of filtration.

When using an air purifier it is important to be aware of where you put it in the home or office. We suggest placing them in areas where allergens like dust likely accumulate such as bedrooms. Additionally, leave some space around an air purifier so that the unit can effectively circulate its power throughout a room instead of being condensed in one general area. As a result, you’ll benefit more from your investment in better health and comfort overall through removing more harmful pollutants like dust particles from the environment surrounding you.

Important Factors for Dust Elimination

Dust elimination is an important factor to consider when selecting an air purifier. First, it’s essential to look at the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of the model you’re considering. This refers to the volume of particles that can be removed by a purifier in a given time and will be higher in units designed for larger rooms. When possible, choose models that are built for larger areas than needed, so they can be run at lower speeds and remain quieter whilst still eliminating dust.

In addition, some purifiers are equipped with additional filters such as HEPA filters, odor filters, and ionizers, which help take care of other molecules in the air or particular types of dust. Evaluate your pollution sources and make sure that the model you select provides enough air filtration power to eliminate contaminants from your environment. Look into sanitation systems like vital ionizers or washable prefilters as these can often approve dust removal efficiency. In conclusion, by taking into consideration size and quality filter options, you can find an air purifier effectively eliminate dust from your home or workspace.

How Long Does It Take an Air Purifier to Clean a Room?

The cleaning period of the air purifier varies greatly depending on space size, air quality, and the speed or power of your air purification system. Typical small rooms will require 30 minutes. Larger rooms may take between two and three hours. For the best air purification, you have to select a device suited for the room size.

How Much Do Air Purifiers Reduce Dust?

High-quality dust filters are capable of filtering dust up to 5 mm in size with an average of 3 micro-micrometers of the best air purifier. Currently, air purifiers with HEPA filters filter the most dust in an apartment or home.

8 Tips to Help You Get Rid of Dust in Your House

1. Run an Air Purifier for Dust

The best air purifiers on the market, specifically designed to remove dust, utilize HEPA (High-Efficiency Particulate Air) filters. Effective HEPA filters can remove up to 99.97% of airborne particles, which can help you effectively control and reduce dust in your home. For example, the Alen Breathesmart 45i HEPA air purifier has received online rave reviews for its dust-removing capabilities.

A side benefit of using an air purifier is that it reduces the need to dust your home. When most air purifiers are used 24/7, it reduces, and may eliminate, the need to dust your furniture and home.

When researching air purifiers, it’s also important to consider units without carbon components in their filters. Although carbon is the best bet for Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) and odors, it’s also expensive and you’ll have to replace it long before your HEPA filter needs to be replaced. Additionally, we suggest you avoid purchasing air purifiers that work like a fan. These units blow air across the floor and kick up dust on the floor. The best air purifiers blow air up, which minimizes mixing particles that are already on the floor.

It would also help if you choose an air purifier that either does not come with an ionizer or have ionizer on/off capabilities (ionizers with California Air Resource Board [CARB] certification are acceptable). Ionizers not only help the air remain fresh, but they also emit charged particles that help air purifier filters capture pollutants that otherwise would be too small to filter out.

However, these airborne pollutants can become heavy and land on your furniture and carpet, and more. So while these pollutants are no longer airborne, they are still in your environment, which can trigger bothersome allergy symptoms for you and your family members who are allergic to dust. Moreover, take caution of brands with technology such as Plasma Wave Technology, which is similar to an ionizer.

2. Use an Air Quality Monitor

Air quality monitors allow you to measure the quality of air in your home. These monitors assess the oxygen content, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, radon, and volatile gasses. They can also detect particulate matter, including dust, pollen, mold, and smoke. The need for this is necessary now that wildfires are raging and the general quality of the air we breathe every day has decreased drastically. We recommend an air quality monitor from Dylos. While this premium brand is pricey, Dylos’ air quality monitors measure smaller particles and will help you learn what causes dust. Read more about air quality monitors and get our recommendations for the best monitor for your needs.

3. Clean From Top to Bottom

When cleaning, it’s essential to start at the top. By cleaning the highest surfaces first and working your way down, you can ensure you catch all the dust as it falls.

4. Use Fabric Softener

Because computers and televisions are electrically charged, they are an attractive place for dust to settle. Fortunately, used dryer softener sheets can significantly reduce static cling, helping keep the dust away. Additionally, you can use a liquid fabric softener to achieve the same results. Dampen a dust cloth with the fabric softener, and you can clean anything from shower doors to wooden tables.

5. Upgrade Your Furnace Filter

Homes with forced-air heating or cooling systems can control and reduce dust by filtering the air. Using an electrostatic filter that connects to your ductwork is considered the most effective method of using air cleaners to eliminate dust. Unfortunately, it would need to be installed by a professional and can cost between $700-$1,500.

Standard fiberglass filters can trap large dust particles. It can significantly reduce dust on your furnace; however, it does very little to reduce household dust. Using an air purifier, however, with a HEPA filter, can help tremendously. Placing an air purifier with HEPA filters in your home can significantly reduce allergy symptoms. Additionally, when using a HEPA filter, it is important to change the filter at least once every three months.

6. Clean Your Bedding Weekly

Regularly changing your bed sheets is more important than you realize. If you don’t change your bed sheets often, they can become a major collector of dust. This dust includes everything from skin flakes to fabric fibers. Washing your bedding weekly in warm water can help to eliminate dust and keep dust mites under control. You can also clean non-washable items by taking them outside and shaking them.

7. Use Laundered Baby Wipes

Baby wipes are not only antibacterial and disinfectant, but they are also perfect for dusting around the house. Many people recycle them as dust cloths after use. These cloths can help remove dust from narrow spaces such as keyboards. Some brands of baby wipes work exceptionally well at removing dust after being laundered.

8. Get Rid of Your Carpeting

Although it may seem like an extreme measure, removing some of the rugs or carpets from your home can help by removing places for dust to settle. Rug fibers trap dust and particulate matter, which gets kicked up into the air again when the rug is walked on. If you have persistent dust and allergen issues, it may be time to reevaluate the flooring in your indoor spaces.

What is Dust?

Particles suspended in the atmosphere, such as dirt, pollen, dander, and plastic fragments, are collectively referred to as dust. It can be composed of anything from dirt, pollen, and even tiny pieces of plastic. Dust is everywhere, both inside and outside, an unavoidable part of our environment. Identifying the source and makeup of dust can aid us in minimizing its presence within our abodes or workspaces.

Dust can come from a variety of sources such as soil erosion, combustion processes like vehicle exhausts or industrial emissions, construction activities blowing soil onto surfaces like roads or buildings, and even indoor sources such as cleaning activities creating house dust mites. To ensure minimal exposure, it’s key to identify these origins and take preventative measures where necessary.

PM10 and PM2.5, particles of less than 10 & 2.5 micrometers in size respectively, can cause long-term health risks if inhaled depending on their content. VOCs such as formaldehyde, benzene, and xylene can be carcinogenic if exposed to high concentrations for extended durations. To ensure minimal exposure, it is key to identify these sources and take preventative measures where necessary.

Sources of dust vary depending on location, but common ones include outdoor pollutants such as car exhaust fumes, factory emissions, and construction works. Indoor sources include materials used during building renovations and remodeling projects, furniture wear and tear, pet dander, cigarette smoke, and cooking residue, among others. Other more natural sources include plant pollens and spores released into the atmosphere through seasonal weather changes, along with dust mite droppings carried around by wind currents amongst many others.

Dust is a common airborne particle, and it can cause health issues if not managed properly. Comprehending the minuscule creatures that subsist on dead skin cells, referred to as dust mites, is critical for preserving healthy air quality.

Why You Should be Concerned About Dust In Air?

Dust may seem relatively harmless, but it can be harmful to your respiratory health. Lungs are the body’s natural defense mechanism because they remove dust particles from the lungs, airways, and blood vessels. However, when exposed to high levels of dust, the risk of disease increases dramatically.

Dust is a dangerous substance that causes allergies or asthma symptoms and may cause skin irritation. Fine particles can easily enter your lungs via respiratory tracts. It can cause lung inflammation and may also decrease heart function. Therefore, it is vital to keep an eye on the tiny particles already in the air and keep them out regularly.

Inhaling Dust Takes A Toll
Several factors influence the effects of dust particles, such as how deeply the particles are inhaled into the respiratory system or the length of exposure. Other factors, such as whether you breathe in through the nose or mouth, may also influence the effects of fewer dust particles. Using an air purifier to help control and reduce dust can help remove it from the air before it reaches your lungs.

Dust At Work Is Often Worse
Occupations, where dust is an issue, tend to put workers at risk for dust-related illnesses. Inhaled dust particles produce scar tissue, and particles may even dissolve into the bloodstream, causing potential toxicity to spread to vital parts of the body, including the brain and kidneys.

Monitor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

Although air purifier technology continues to be popular, air quality monitoring devices are available which help you to monitor the air quality inside the home. It is used to monitor carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, radon, and volatile gases in the atmosphere. A specialized device detects particles such as particles of soil and dust, mold spores, and smoke in the air.

One Final Thought

Unfortunately, we cannot wholly avoid dust. However, these eight tips are some of the best ways to get rid of dust in your home. Again, placing an air purifier in every room is a great way to eliminate dust from the air collectively. People who suffer from dust allergies and asthma would benefit from the use of them.