dust floating through air

Is there a lot of dust floating around your home?

Does it feel like you’re constantly dusting to get rid of it?

Are you wondering how to get rid of dust in the air?

If so, this guide can help.

We put together this article to help you keep your indoor air as clean as possible.

Not only can dust make it hard to keep your house clean, but it can also contain other harmful particles, including allergens, bacteria, and mold spores, that can impact your health.

So, read on to discover some of the best ways to reduce dust in your home.

How to Get Rid of Dust in the Air

Getting rid of dust can feel like a never-ending process.

Dust is a naturally occurring element, so no matter how hard you try, you’ll never be able to eliminate it completely.

You can, however, reduce the amount that does float around in the air.

Below are some of the top tips to help with that.

1. Add an Air Purifier

Probably one of the easiest and most effective ways to get rid of dust in your home is to add an air purifier.

Air purifiers work by pulling in air from the room and pushing it through a series of filters.

These filters have multiple layers and the ability to trap contaminants, including dust, mold spores, allergens, and bacteria.

If you want the most effective air purifier for dust, then it needs to have a True HEPA filter.

True HEPA filters are the only type of filter that’s certified to trap 99,97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns in size—and that includes ultra-fine dust.

You can also get an air purifier that comes with an Activated Carbon filter to remove airborne chemicals that can also attribute to poor air quality.

Activated Carbon filters will also reduce odors at the same time, so the air in our home is much cleaner and fresher.

To help you find the right air purifier for your home, we’ve put together a page with the top dust air purifier reviews.

When you check out this article, you’ll also discover how to determine what size air purifier you need for your home.

With an air purifier, you don’t have to spend every waking moment dusting your house since these units help cut down on the total amount of dust that floats around your home.

See all of Amazon's Best Selling Air Purifiers

2. Make Sure to Dust Properly

Adding an air purifier can help reduce the amount of dust in your house, but it won’t get rid of it all.

You’ll still have to dust every so often.

When you do, make sure you’re doing it properly.

This includes using a damp cloth or sponge to wipe down surfaces.

If you use a dry cloth or feather duster, this just stirs up the dust and allows it to fly through the air.

There are some dry-dusting products that claim to attract dust, but they accomplish this by using chemicals. And if you’re trying to keep your indoor air as healthy as possible to breathe, then reducing your exposure to airborne chemicals and dust is in your best interest.

3. Vacuum on a Regular Basis

In addition to dusting, it’s also a good idea to vacuum on a regular basis.

Like dusting, vacuums can also stir up dust, so you’ll want to make sure you use a vacuum that is equipped with a HEPA filter.

Similar to an air purifier, a vacuum with a HEPA filter will capture 99.97% of particles down to 0.3 microns in size, which includes dust, dust mites, and dust mite waste.

Just make sure to clean the HEPA filter often and change it every 2-3 months.

Once the HEPA filter gets clogged, the vacuum won’t be as efficient at removing dust from your floors.

It’s also a good idea to vacuum your upholstery and drapes once in a while.

Dust gets trapped everywhere, and when you sit on your furniture or open your drapes, you’ll disturb the dust and allow it to circulate throughout your home.

To reduce the amount of dust you have to deal with, take the time to vacuum every surface of your home.

Depending on your situation, you may be able to get by vacuuming once a week.

If you have pets or leave your windows open throughout the day, then you may need to vacuum more often.

4. Wash Your Sheets Weekly

Many people think that dust is incredibly fine dirt that gets into your house from outside.

While some dust is made up of dirt particles, other dust is made up of skin cells and hair.

Before freaking out about having these elements in your home, know that it’s incredibly common for these to be there.

Your skin and hair are constantly shedding to allow for new growth.

The old stuff has to go somewhere, so it turns into dust.

If you have pets, their bodies are doing the same thing.

One of the places that hair and skin collect the most is in your bed.

Thus, to reduce the amount of dust that is in your bedroom, it’s a good idea to wash your sheets and pillowcases once a week.

You can let your comforter go for a little longer, but it’s a good idea to wash it at least once a month.

5. Replace Your AC Filter

Many people think that the AC filter in your home air conditioning system is just there to protect the unit.

While that is mostly true, this filter is also there to help extract dust particles out of the air in your home.

And like with the HEPA filter in an air purifier and vacuum, the AC filter also gets clogged up over time.

If you don’t replace your AC filter often, then the dust and dirt particles that are trapped inside will start to become unlodged and flow back through the ductwork and into your home’s air.

So, keep up with the filter replacements on your home air conditioning system.

A good schedule is to replace this filter every 1-3 months depending on how dirty it gets.

6. Minimize Clutter

Another simple way for how to get rid of dust in the air is to reduce the overall clutter in your house.

The fewer things you have sitting around, the fewer surfaces dust has to cling to.

So, remove anything that’s laying on the floors that are not necessary and consider getting rid of wall hangings that are not essential.

7. Only Eat at the Table

This may seem like some odd advice, but eating at a table can help remove dust from the air in your home.

If you eat in other rooms of the house or walk around while eating, the food debris can fall onto the floor, which attracts insects.

And the more food bits and insects that a home has, the more that dust will accumulate in the air since the breakdown of food particles and insect parts have to go somewhere.

Can Dust Be Dangerous?

Now that you know some of the top ways for how to remove dust from the air, we wanted to cover the topic of how dangerous dust can be for your health.

Most people don’t enjoy dust floating around their homes, but in addition to making the space dirty, it can impact your wellbeing.

Here are some ways dust can be a problem:

  • If an individual has an allergy or sensitivity to dust, especially airborne allergens and dust mite waste.
  • If an individual has a compromised immune system or lung function. Dust particles can irritate those health conditions.
  • If the dust in the air contains asbestos, heavy metals, or silica. These substances are dangerous for anyone to breathe.
  • If the dust contains bacteria or viruses. Microorganisms and pathogens can lead to a number of illnesses.
  • If the dust contains chemicals. Volatile Organic Compounds can be harmful to your health.
  • If the dust contains fine particulate matter (PM2.5). This is one of the most harmful substances to be around since the particles can get buried deep in the recesses of your lungs.

Keep Your Air as Clean as Possible

We hope you enjoyed this post on how to get rid of dust in the air.

As you discovered, it’s important to realize you may not be able to get rid of dust completely, but you can minimize the amount you have in your house by following a few tips.

In addition to cleaning regularly, it’s a good idea to add an air purifier to your home.

If you get an air purifier that’s equipped with a True HEPA filter, it can remove more than 99% of the particles that make up dust in the air.

And adding an air purifier is the easiest and best way to improve your indoor air quality and reduce your exposure to harmful pollutants.

If you want to learn more about air purifiers for dust, take a look at our top dust air purifier reviews

That guide shows you how to get the best air purifier for your needs and help you win the battle against dust inside your house.

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About Katherine Dyson

Katherine is the lead Staff Writer. She conducts in-depth research and interviews with industry experts in order to produce a wide range of content for the site. Her main role is to write helpful articles that aid people who are seeking to improve their indoor air quality and comfort. (See Full Bio)