March 31, 2021 by Mulberry Maids
Dusting can be a real pain sometimes, especially if you live in a rural area where dust builds up fast. Because of this, dusting your home needs to be done frequently and properly, and you shouldn’t forget certain hidden areas where the dust really builds up.
Achieving all of this is not an easy task, but the most dependable cleaners in Fort Collins are always here to help you out! Using a recurring cleaning service can go a long way toward keeping the dust at a minimum throughout your home, even if it is just once a month.
How should I dust my home effectively?
Dusting your home is always easier with less dust! If you are interested in other guides that we have written to help keep the dust in your home to a minimum from the start, check out our spring cleaning guide, our fall homeowner checklist, and why you should never wear shoes in your home.
Like so many things related to home cleaning, effective dusting is best acheived through consistency. The longer you wait in between dusting, the more time consuming it will be. It will also be harder to get all the dust up in one go, as you will either need to use multiple rags or microfiber cloths, or constantly be cleaning your dusting head.
Tips for effective dusting:
- Always dust from top to bottom, as the dust will fall down on to lower surfaces
- Use a clean microfiber cloth for hand dusting in and around items on tables and shelves
- Use a mild all purpose for wet wiping and dusting where there is built up grime or stuck on dust, such as baseboards and window sills
- Use a bendable duster for dusting of ceiling fans
- For ceiling fans that have more built up dust and grime, use this guide
- Use a flat head mop with a microfiber mop cloth sprayed with a bit of water for dusting walls using a “W” pattern, to make sure you reach all areas of the wall
- Use a small paintbrush to dust delicate or intricate items
What are hidden areas that you should make sure to dust?
While you may notice dust on obvious surfaces such as table tops and window sills, the worst dust builds up where it is hidden away, and thus not attended to regularly.
Hidden areas that need to be focused on:
- Baseboards throughout the home, but especially in corners and behind furniture. These areas collect lots of dust and animal hair, and should be attended to when dusting. When these areas are regularly dusted, a dry microfiber cloth will be sufficient, but if these areas have been neglected, a wet wiping will likely be needed. Depending on the state of the baseboards, it may be best to vacuum them first to pick up excess hair and dust, then do a wet wiping of them. Use a microfiber cloth with an all purpose spray, and wipe all the baseboards by hand.
- Trim, door frames, and corners build up excess dust, hair and grime. Depending on how these areas look, a combination of the following techniques may be needed, including vacuuming, wet wiping, or dry dusting with a microfiber cloth. For high corners throughout the home, use an extendable pole duster to get cobwebs and high built up dust. Make sure to do all high dusting first, as the knocked down dust will settle on lower surfaces.
- Vents and light fixtures are easy to ignore when dusting. For vents with lots of build up, you may need to take the vent off and wash by hand. Once the vent is initially cleaned, it will be easier to dust and maintain. Light fixtures can be dusted a variety of ways depending on the type of light. You may be able to use an extendable pole for fixed light fixtures, but will need to use a handheld microfiber cloth for delicate loosely fixed lights.
- Window tracks can be filled with more than just dust, depending on where the window is located and how often it is open. At the very least, the track will usually accumulate dust, but more commonly can be filled with dust, grime, and outdoor debris. Cleaning window tracks can be pretty annoying, but if you keep them clean from the start, they are not too bad. For a window track that has not been cleaned for a long time, and is filled with grime, it is usually best to attack it with a combination of vacuuming with a hand held vacuum or attachment, to suck up as much loose debris as possible. You can follow this by using an old rag with an all purpose spray to help break up any gunk or stubborn debris. Once the track is free of grime and debris, you can use a clean microfiber cloth with more all purpose spray to get it fully cleaned. Once the initial cleaning of the track is complete, doing a quick wipe out of the area will be much easier and cleaner if done consistently.
High room dusting vs dusting by hand
There are many different techniques for dusting, from using handheld microfiber cloths that attract dust, to short dusting wands, to full extendable dusting rods with large heads. The type of tool you use will depend on the type of home you have. If you have large vaulted ceilings, you will almost definitely need a long extendable duster, but if you live in a small apartment or condo, you can probably dust your whole home with just a microfiber cloth.
Regardless of what type of home you live in, one of the most important things to remember when dusting, is to do all high dusting first. Whether this is dusting a vaulted ceiling, including all corners and edges, or dusting high shelves, you should do all high dusting first. If you are dusting your whole home, you should go around your home doing all high dusting, then swap tools, and begin all the lower dusting. This will make it more efficient, and ensure that you are not re-dusting lower surfaces multiple times.
Are you searching for the most dependable cleaners in Fort Collins?
Fort Collins’ best cleaners work with Mulberry Maids! Our fantastic pricing and 100% satisfaction guarantee are just some of the advantages we offer, alongside top notch customer service and scheduling ease.
Take a moment to enjoy a trip to the Bee Family Centennial Farm Museum with your family, while we take care of the hard work of cleaning. Book your upcoming cleaning online in less than a minute, or give us a call to discuss your unique cleaning needs.
We look forward to chatting with you soon!