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The Biggest Dust Magnets in Your Apartment (and How to Clean Them)

The Biggest Dust Magnets in Your Apartment (and How to Clean Them)
October 28, 2022

If you take pride in keeping your home white-glove clean, it can be frustrating to constantly find dust mucking up your presentation. 

The biggest dust magnets in your apartment (And how to clean them)

Dust consists of all kinds of things, including everything from pollen and pet dander to dirt and tiny fibres. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a dust-free home. 

In fact, your home is filled with some sneaky little culprits that make your home dustier. Here, we will look at the biggest dust magnets in your apartment with our residential cleaning services tips on how to clean them.

Dust Begets Dust

Dust is pretty tricky and has a way of resettling almost as soon as you finish the job. When you use a rag or duster to wipe dust away, you’re basically sending it up into the air and right back where it came from. 

Although some dusters are more effective than others, you really can’t escape the fact that dust acts like its own magnet. 

Therefore, the first thing to help avoid dust is to improve your dusting technique with our residential cleaning services hacks:

  • Always work your way down when dusting. This ensures you are removing the dust that falls from above as you work.
  • Use a damp, clean rag, or spritz your duster with a polish to collect dust instead of simply moving it around.
  • Choose a microfiber cloth or duster, as they are designed to trap dust so it can’t escape and resettle elsewhere. 
  • Don’t forget to dust the walls, as this dust gets moved all around the home. Wipe the walls down with an all-purpose cleaner or damp cloth monthly.

Once you’re done dusting, finish with a quick vacuum to clean up anything that settles on the floor. A HEPA filter vacuum works best. 

Just keep in mind, however, that some vacuums actually cause more harm than good on hard floors, so you might consider going old school by using a broom on these floors instead.

HVAC Filters and Heating/Cooling Vents

Floor vents and HVAC filters are both major dust magnets that continue to take in and spit out dust. As a result, dust is continuously circulated into your home. If you can, vacuum your floor and wall vents.

Some apartment condos have a unit with an HVAC filter that you can change as well. Do this every three months, using HEPA filters. 

You’ll possibly also find that your home feels more comfortable temperature-wise if you do this, as there won’t be as much dust interfering with the airflow.

Carpets and Area Rugs

Carpets are notorious dust and dirt magnets. Vacuuming helps, but as mentioned above, vacuums often kick dust into the air. Using a HEPA vacuum is always the best choice if you have carpeting. 

If you own your home and/or your condo building allows you to install hardwood or products like laminate or luxury vinyl, this can help you gain more control over the amount of dust in your residence.

Dirty Window Treatments

Fabric window treatments collect dust like crazy, and it’s not common to never (or rarely) clean them. 

In fact, although slatted blinds are even worse for dust magnets, at least they are easy enough to clean with a microfiber duster or cloth. You can vacuum your drapes and fabric blinds to help reduce dust. 

Curtains can also be dry cleaned about once a year to reduce dust. Consider taking your curtains outside and shaking them out every once in a while. 

Of course, you don’t want to do this inside your apartment, as it will just make matters worse. 

General Upholstery

Upholstered chairs, sofas, ottomans, etc. also collect dust. The more often you sit on the seat, the less dust they’ll collect, as it won’t have time to settle. 

Using a vacuum or dust buster on upholstered furniture every month or two, and getting under the cushions, can help reduce dust.

Cuddly Pets

While pets themselves aren’t the actual magnets, their fur and dander are major contributors to the dust and debris in your home. The best way to deal with pet issues is to brush them often, especially long-haired cats. 

For dogs, be sure to have them professionally groomed based on your vet’s recommendations. You should also vacuum or sweep daily to help contend with the furry mess.

Open Windows

Open windows suck in dirt, dust, and pollen and then spread them throughout your home. Although it’s nice to have fresh air indoors, the dustier the area you live in, the more likely open windows will bring dirt into your home. 

For example, if you live in the country near a dirt road, the dust thrown up from passing vehicles creates a problem.

If you live in a city near a construction site, the dust from the machinery is problematic. If you do live in a dusty area, keeping windows closed will help. 

Also, if you have older windows and entry doors in your home, dust can be swept in through the leaky spaces. Fortunately, caulking and weather-stripping can help with this issue.

Outdoor Shoes

We always recommend having a no-shoes-in-the-house policy at home. Although you can wipe your feet off on a mat, you will still track in dirt. 

Also, every time you or your pets step on the mat, more dirt is trekked around. 

A good solution is to have indoor-only shoes at the door that you can slip on if you really feel the need to wear something on your feet. 

Guests should also preferably be asked to remove their shoes.

Fan Blades

Whether you have ceiling fans or portable fans, fan blades are major dust magnets. They should be wiped down often using a clean, damp cloth. 

Be sure to then follow up with a thorough dusting/sweeping/vacuuming below to get rid of the debris that floats downwards.

Knick Knacks

If you consider yourself a bit of a collector, or just love to have a lot of home décor accessories on display, every little knick knack is a major dust magnet. 

That’s why they’re often called dust collectors! Be sure to wipe down the little trinkets on display around your home when dusting your shelves.

Picture Frames

Picture frames for photos and art also collect a lot of dust. Clean them with a damp cloth to keep the dust at bay.

If this all sounds like too much work, you can trust our residential cleaning services at Maid4Condos to clean your apartment for you. Click here to reach out to us today, or call us at 647-822-0601.

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