Living Dust-Free
Dusting – one of the easiest housecleaning chores of them all. Or is it?
The concept is a simple one: There is a surface, usually on some type of furniture, that is coated with a thin layer of dry, powder-light dirt. You don’t want the dirt there, so you remove it.
OK, so why are there so many dusting products out there? Why are there so many choices to make?
When did the simple act of dusting become so complex?
First choice: feather duster or dusting cloth?
In our professional opinion, a feather duster does little more than disturb the dust from where it is and kick it up into the air. That dust hasn’t been removed, it has simply become airborne, and it will fall and accumulate on another surface in the home.
So dusting cloth … do you choose a modern microfiber dusting cloth or old-fashioned flannel?
This seems to us to be a personal preference. With either choice of material, dusting with a cloth actually traps that dirt on the cloth so that it can be removed.
For us, the cloth definitely is the more effective choice.
Next choice: furniture polish, dusting spray, or just a clean cloth?
Again, this is largely a personal preference, but the answer also is determined by the surface that is to be dusted.
For example, certain types of wood have specific recommendations regarding products to be used to treat them. Electronics have specific care issues. So do pianos.
When in doubt, use nothing but a clean cloth.
If you are going to use a product – whether it’s an oil, a spray polish, a dusting spray, or whatever else you may find that you prefer – it’s always a good idea to spray the product on the cloth instead of on the furniture. You will use less product, and you’ll have a better finished result.
The other thing to be cautious of when using a product is to be aware if it is creating a build-up over time. You don’t want a buildup; you just want a clean, dust-free surface.
For us, as a professional housecleaning service, a dusting spray or a clean cloth is the right choice. We do not even carry a spray furniture polish.
Approach it systematically
As with any type of chore, you are much more efficient when you have a system to follow.
For dusting, it is critical that you work from the top down. We also work a room from left to right, finishing a section completely before moving on to the next one.
Once you figure out which choices work best for you, you have to actually do the work! There is no magic cleaning wand. No magic spray. You have to actually do the work to get the results.
Unless, that is, you hire a professional housecleaning service to do it for you!
Here’s to dust-free living … whatever choices you make to get there!
