Dust is unavoidable. It can be found outdoors, in our offices and cars—and especially in our homes. This dust found inside our homes may trigger miserable allergies symptoms, making it difficult to enjoy time at home. Using an air purifier to reduce dust may be an effective way to combat these allergies symptoms and other associated conditions. However, it is important to learn more about what dust is, where it comes from, and how to prevent it from coming back.
Where Does Dust Come From?
Dust can seem to appear out of nowhere, sometimes after you’ve just finished cleaning. Though fighting dust can feel like a never ending battle, it’s one worth fighting. Dust is, essentially, a combination of particles from both indoors and outdoors, that floats in the air and settles on surfaces.
Dust comes from a number of sources. Most often dirt and debris from outside your home comes in through open doors and windows, or it sticks to your shoes and clothes and breaks free when you get inside.
Other sources include:
- Furniture and carpet fibers
- Particles from walls and ceilings
- Food particles and cooking debris
- Pet dander
- Insects and insect droppings
- Dead human skin
Cleaning to Reduce Dust
Finding dust in your home is no fun, and it often seems that no matter how much you clean, it keeps coming back. Dust is made up of all kinds of particles including plant pollen, dead skin cells, and fibers from clothing and paper. When it accumulates, it’s annoying and can wreak havoc on asthma and allergy sufferers. To make matters worse, with dust come dust mites.
Make sure you do these things regularly:
- Clean light fixtures, ceiling fans and other up-high objects first
- Clean surfaces frequently with a microfiber cloth
- Change your bedding once a week
- Say “no” to carpeting
- Vacuum all flooring frequently. Sweeping hard floors leaves lots of dirt behind that a vacuum will pick up.
- Use a wet mop on hard floors in between vacuuming. This is a quick way to pick up a lot of loose dirt.
- If you have pets, brush them outside of the home as frequently as necessary.
- Store unused clothes and bedding in air tight bags
- Pick up any clutter
Maintain Your HVAC System
Change the air filters in your heating and cooling system every few months. If you have pets, or an unusually dusty house, you may need to do this more often. Many homeowners opt for a cheap filter, but higher quality filters can make a big difference in both air quality and the efficiency of your HVAC system.
You should also periodically clean your air ducts and vents. If you have a lot of dust in your heating and cooling system, it can find its way into your living space. Vacuum visible dust from vents, and consider a professional duct cleaning if you’ve never had it done.
- Changing your furnace filter regularly
- Clean ducts regularly
- Schedule semi-annual maintenance for your HVAC system
- Whole-house air purifiers remove dust and pollutants
- Consider an Air Purifier
Top 5 Benefits of Air Duct Cleaning
A visit from a professional air duct cleaning service can prevent many maintenance and health problems before they start. Plus, you will start saving money on heating and cooling:
- Better and reliable over-all performance from your HVAC system
- Fewer expensive repairs from wear and tear and longer HVAC system life
- More energy efficiency, reducing your energy bills
- Lower likelihood of respiratory and allergy problems
- Less dust makes it easier to clean and maintain your home’s living space
Not Just Annoying: Dust Can Be Dangerous to Your Health
Dust may seem relatively harmless, but it can be harmful to your respiratory health. Lungs are the body’s natural defense mechanism, as they remove dust particles from the respiratory system. However, when exposed to high levels of dust the risk of disease goes up dramatically.
Several factors influence the effects of dust particles. For example, how deeply the particles are inhaled into the respiratory system, or the length of exposure. Other factors, such as whether breathing is done through the nose or mouth, may also influence the effects. Using an air purifier to help control and reduce dust can assist in removing it from the air prior to it reaching your lungs.
Call Us Today!
You will never completely eliminate dust in your home, but with a little effort, and the right products you can improve your home’s air quality. If your system needs repair or inspection before winter, call Aire-Tech on 951-926-1002. You can also visit our Contact page and complete the contact form.