Have a Dusty Home?

How to Reduce Dust in Your Home

How can you reduce the amount of dust in your home? Well, we've pulled together a couple of tips of how to reduce the amount of dust in your house and hopefully it leads to breathing easier and getting more out of your professionally cleaned air ducts by Metro Duct Cleaning.

There are several steps you can take to reduce the amount of dust in your home:

1. Use a high-quality air filter in your heating and cooling system to help remove dust and other contaminants from the air.
2. Vacuum regularly with a vacuum that has a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which can capture small particles such as dust and pollen.
3. Use a damp cloth or mop to dust surfaces rather than a dry cloth, which can just stir up dust and make it airborne.
4. Keep windows and doors closed to reduce the amount of dust and dirt that enters the home.
5. Use dust-proof covers on pillows, mattresses, and box springs to help reduce the amount of dust that accumulates in your bedding.
6. Remove clutter and reduce the number of knickknacks and other decorative items in your home, as these can collect dust.
7. Consider using a humidifier to help keep the air in your home moist, which can help reduce the amount of dust in the air.

Overall, there are several steps you can take to reduce the amount of dust in your home, including using a high-quality air filter, vacuuming regularly with a HEPA filter, dusting with a damp cloth, keeping windows and doors closed, using dust-proof covers on bedding, reducing clutter, and using a humidifier. By following these steps, you can help keep the air in your home clean and dust-free.

Do you catch yourself frequently cleaning your dusty home? Have you ever wondered where the dust comes from and how to prevent it from building up? Over the years, research has proven that the air inside of our homes can sometimes be a lot worse than the air outside. However, with some careful planning and a little elbow grease, we have some tips to help guide you to a cleaner and healthier home.

Sources of Dust

First, let’s discuss the source of the dust. One very common source of dust in your home is your attic. If you look around your home, there are many areas that have penetrations points, such as

light fixtures. These penetrations can often be the culprit of a dusty home. Many of these penetrations are unsealed during construction. They also may become unsealed when adding retrofit applications. Additionally, it’s important to make sure to check the ductwork in your home. This too is a major culprit of dust accumulating. Ductwork that leaks can cause small particles to build up in your HVAC system that creates dirty air. These particles consist of insulation, fiberglass, etc. that flow directly in the air stream of your HVAC system and into your home.

How to Choose a Quality Air Filter for HVAC

When choosing air filters for your HVAC system, there are several factors you should consider to ensure that you get the best filter for your needs:

1. Size: Make sure you choose a filter that is the correct size for your HVAC system. A filter that is too small or too large will not fit properly and may not work effectively.
2. MERV rating: Look for a filter with a high MERV (minimum efficiency reporting value) rating, which indicates how effective the filter is at trapping small particles such as dust and pollen. A higher MERV rating means that the filter is more effective at trapping small particles.
3. Type of filter: Consider the type of filter you need based on your specific needs. For example, if you have allergies or pets, you may want to choose a filter with a higher MERV rating that can effectively trap small particles. If you are concerned about energy efficiency, you may want to choose a filter with a low pressure drop, which can help reduce energy consumption.
4. Cost: Consider the cost of the filter and how often you will need to replace it. Higher-quality filters may be more expensive, but they may also last longer and be more effective at trapping small particles.

Regular Maintenance

Typically, if your home is 8 years or older, you should regularly be checking a few areas for dust that can signal a problem with your home’s HVAC unit for indoor air quality. Sometimes it is common to come across old duct boards. A duct board serves as a barrier against infiltration of dust and dirt into the insulation, improves system efficiency, exhibits low air resistance, and reduces the potential for fiber erosion. These duct boards are sealed with tape at the joints that can potentially fall apart, which sucks dusty air. Also, a system with no door cover to cover the air filter can cause it to pull dust. This causes the dust to filter through the air stream and into your home, where it collects on the furniture and into the air you breathe. Finally, many hanging systems in attics can be prone to abuse from animals. Older systems may have had run-ins with raccoons, squirrels, even house cats. This causes punctures in the ductwork that cause leaks. Multiple leaks throughout the system give dust the opportunity to slip into the airstream to collect in your home.

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