Just a few minutes of light dusting Monday through Friday can turn this chore from dreaded into (almost) delightful.
Dusting can be fun. Yes, fun. Why? Because of all our household chores, dusting is so easy to tackle, yet leads to such rewarding results. By spending a few minutes dusting your home every day, not only will everything feel and look cleaner, but you’ll also save yourself the hours of hard work required in the long run to remove months and months of built-up grime.
The best dusting method for an easier endeavor is by putting one or two ten-minute “dusting musts” on your to-do list each day of the work week. By the weekend, your home will be dust free. TGIF!
Refuse to let greasy dust collect in your kitchen by wiping down the backsplash, vent hood and appliances with a clean dish rag soaked in a vinegar-water solution. Be sure to wring out the dish rag before using. Don’t forget to dust the items on your countertop, such as canisters and small appliances. Then use a vacuum brush attachment along the tops of cabinetry and along exposed refrigerator vents.
Dust loves to collect on bookshelves and other ornamental shelving. Use a microfiber dusting mitt or lambswool duster to capture dust that’s collected on shelves, books and decorative items. Do all the shelving throughout your home as one task.
Dusting your walls might seem like an odd chore, but dust can stick to and accumulate on walls just like any other place in the home. You can use the same microfiber duster you used for the shelves, wiping over and around any pictures, mirrors or other decorations hanging on the walls. For bathroom and kitchen walls, it might be a good idea to use soapy water and a sponge a couple of times a year.
Extendable lambswool dusters are a good tool for cleaning the pesky dust that collects on household woodwork and windows, which can turn to sticky grime in a hurry—especially on baseboards. Prevent it from getting a foothold by dusting all your windows and woodwork on one day. It’s OK to be speedy—since you’re doing this every week, you don’t need to be perfect to keep things gleaming.
Dust loves to land and burrow into our sofas, rugs and other household fabrics. Your vacuum is your best way to dust. Once a week, vacuum all your rugs and carpets. For upholstered furniture, pick a different room each week and use the brush attachment. By the time you’ve cycled through all the rooms in your house, it will be time to start over.
Lampshades and light bulbs can’t reveal their true sparkle when they’re covered in a layer of dust. Use a lint-free cloth to remove debris—but make sure the lamp is turned off to avoid burning yourself on the hot bulb. To dust a lampshade, a clean 2-inch-wide, soft-bristle paint brush will work wonders. You can also try a lint roller.