You will be surprised to know your perfectly kept home has a dusty secret. Several to be exact. Learn which are the places where dust hides and how to eliminate it. Our experts are here to give you valuable insight and some interesting cleaning advice.
1. What Is Dust?
Dust is the common name used when referring to a microscopic air pollutant formulated by several different elements. Dust particles can have a natural origin — from the soil, rocks, pollen, dander, or can be a cause of man-made activity — from construction sites, numerous industrial areas or even day-to-day tasks like gardening and roof cleaning.
The bigger the city you live in is, the higher the levels of dust in the air. London, for example, being one of the most populated cities in Europe, has a good amount of dust in the air that can transfer to every corner of every house, apartment or building.
2. Is Dust Dangerous for Your Health?
On average around 5,000 types of bacteria and 2,000 types of fungi live in house dust. Most of them are not dangerous and are a part of the home’s internal ecosystem. Much like the skin of our bodies, our house contains different microorganisms which manage to live without harming its host.
However, there are always exceptions to the general rule. Some types of microorganisms can react to other dust particles and emit dangerous substances. They can cause skin and eye irritation, headaches, behaviour changes and even mental problems. So, yes, dust can be dangerous for your health.
The regular cleaning of the house prevents these kinds of negative effects and assures the well-being of its occupants.
3. What Are Dust Mites?
Their name is quite self-explanatory. They are mites that live in your house dust. These creatures come from a large variety of species called Acari. With their small size (less than ½ mm) mites are not visible for the naked eye. However, don’t let this fool you, their preferred living spots are pillows, mattresses and any type of beading. Dust mites feed on dead skin and other organic particles. Some species emit specific chemicals that can trigger an allergic reaction or an asthma attack. That is why you need to keep your home as dust-free as possible.
4. How Dangerous Is Dust?
The simple answer is a lot. In fact, dust can be quite toxic. Pollutants can be carried very easily not only by air but also as a part of your furniture, carpets, curtains, even on the bottom of your shoes. You can bring to your home all kinds of dangerous particles that can easily cause various allergic reactions and skin problems.
Just imagine how much dust fragments your fluffy cat is carrying from your backyard. That is why you should not only vacuum but wet mop the floors and stairs of your home. A good idea is to get yourself a steam cleaner. These multipurpose gadgets will sanitize your home and keep the dust levels low.
5. Health Problems Caused by Too Much Dust in the Home
The dust in our homes can cause a lot of problems, and unfortunately, not all of them are well-known. Sometimes we tend to overlook the simple explanations and forget how easy it is to “invite” the danger in our homes. Here is what you need to bear in mind:
- Allergies. A common body reaction to the house dust is the development of different allergies. The symptoms vary from a runny nose to big red spots covering your body. If your immune system is weakened, you may even fall into anaphylactic shock. Be extremely careful if you are allergic to dust and consider calling a cleaning team instead of attempting to wipe and vacuum by yourself.
- Asthma and breathing problems. The small dust particles can easily enter our lungs and stick there. That will cause heavy breathing, and eventually, you will feel out of breath. For people prone to pulmonary problems, this can even be a life-threatening situation.
- Skin issues. Some people can easily develop different skin problems due to the thousands of bacteria and fungi in the dust. You should always wear a mask and gloves when attempting to clean your home.
- Headaches. Incredible but a fact, dust can be a cause for migraines and headaches. The combination of some pollutants in its contents can have a negative effect on the human body. Clean regularly to avoid the accumulation of dust particles in your home.
6. Can Dust Cause a Fire in Your Home?
Most dust particles are highly flammable. You may think to yourself “What fire? I live in London. It rains constantly here!”. Well, tell that to the 16th-century Londoners who experienced the Great Fire. If your house is burning from the inside, it is not much of a comfort it is raining outside. If a light bulb explodes in a dusty room, there is a real chance it causes a fire.
Dust and dust bunnies are quite easy to set on fire, and if there are a lot of them the situation becomes hazardous. Always make sure to check the electric wiring in your home. If you are relocating to a new place, first clean it, and then switch the lights on.
7. What Are the Dustiest Places in the House?
We established that dust is everywhere in the home, however, there are specific places that attract more particles than others.
7.1 Dust in the Living/Dining Room
Yes, even in your dining/living room, there are hidden places you need to inspect and wipe regularly. When you rely on a cleaning company to keep your home in an immaculate state, things are easy, but it doesn’t harm to know the dust hot spots in your house.
- Under heavy furniture – Enter the realm of dust bunnies and spiders. You can also find the occasional food scraps and forgotten socks. Inspect and vacuum under your sofas at least once a month.
- In between your couch cushions – Similar to the mentioned above, here you can find a variety of things that normally don’t belong in your couch. To purge all dust mites your upholstery needs to be deep-cleaned every season.
- Your PC case – You may be shocked, but this place accumulates more dust, fibres and hairs than any other spot in your home. Consider relying on specialised cleaning services to deal with your PC periodically.
- On flat hard-to-reach surfaces – This is the single most common place you can find a layer of dust. If you have a bookcase, a TV stand or any type of shelves, you know what we are referring to. It is inevitable and quite irritating. A good way to keep your surfaces dust-free is using repellent cleaners. They will make it hard for the mall particle to stick to your furniture and cover them.
7.2 Hiding Spots in the Bedroom
Usually, when you think about the place you sleep, you don’t associate it with uncleanliness. However, London professional cleaners often find the following spots to be one of the dustiest in the home:
- Bedding and mattresses – You shed your skin daily and in combination with the millions of dust mites living under your covers, makes your bed a surprisingly dirty place. Vacuum your mattress every week and remember to change your sheets regularly.
- The top of your wardrobe – If you don’t see it, it’s not dirty. Well, not quite. It is unsanitary to have two fingers of hairs and dust just sitting there unbothered by anybody. Hoover and wipe the tops of your wardrobes at least once a month.
- Lighting fixtures – Nobody remembers to dust their lights, but they should. You will save yourself a lot of headaches if you wipe with a damp cloth your fixtures and prevent dust from accumulating.
There is a lot to take in. We are not surprised if you just now realise how much dust accumulates daily in your home. If you have any more questions, why don’t you check our complete house cleaning guide? There you will find a couple of professional advice and some free checklist that may help you with your daily chores.
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