How to Get Rid of the Dreaded Dust Bunny! If you want to improve your home’s air quality, there are a few ways you can go about it. One of those ways is to say no to dust bunnies! Getting rid of dust and fine dirt inside your home improves air quality and can also help you breathe better. Banishing dust bunnies from your home is easier to do than you think! What Are Dust Bunnies Before you can attempt to get rid of dust bunnies, you need to understand what they are. Dust bunnies are giant clumps of dust and debris. They include dead skin cells, hair, pet hair, clothing lint, spider webs, dirt and other contaminants. They all join together (via static electricity) to form one giant ball of dust. Dust bunnies like to collect in areas that don’t get cleaned on a regular basis – such as the corners of rooms, tops of ceiling fan blades and underneath beds and furniture. These giant clumps of dust aren’t only unattractive - they can also be harmful to your health. People with allergies, asthma or other upper respiratory problems are the ones that seem to suffer the most. Everyone is impacted by the effects the dusty clumps have on indoor air quality. Accumulations of dust can eventually clog your air filters and land in your electronics causing things to overheat. Dust bunnies also seem to attract and trap dust mites and other nasty parasites – YUCK! So, what’s a person to do if your house is currently under a dust bunny invasion? Here are a few quick tips to clean and banish that dust FOREVER!!!! Vacuum Away Vacuuming doesn’t only remove that trail of cereal your son left on the floor, it also removes the particles that eventually lead to the formation of dust bunnies. But not all vacuums are up to the task. Many of the particles that form dust bunnies are extremely small. Only a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate arresting (HEPA) filter is equipped to catch the fine particles of debris. If your vacuum doesn’t use a HEPA filter, the particles may recirculate back to where they came from. When you vacuum, you need to be sure to get in the hard-to-reach areas. Dust tends to collect in the corners of your home. So, be sure to use vacuum attachments to get into and clean tight corners. You should also vacuum under furniture, appliances, and any other areas you think dust bunnies might be hiding. While you may not be able to vacuum under all surfaces do the best you can – move the furniture if you have to. Sweep Attack Dust settles on hard floors as well as carpets. You should regularly sweep all your floors to remove dust. This is especially important after you vacuum. Vacuuming may aggravate some dust particles and recirculate them to other areas of your home. Sweep thoroughly to prevent them from building up. You should also try to sweep under your refrigerator and oven. If you can’t reach under them or move them yourself, find someone to help you. After you sweep your floors, you should mop them. Sweeping alone isn’t enough to collect all the dust. Damp mopping can collect the particles that the broom missed. And you don’t need to get hi-tech. A simple microfiber bonnet applicator attached to a sponge mop will get the job done. While you can’t sweep appliances and furniture, you can use a microfiber towel or mitt applicator to get these hard to reach places. Be sure to clean window ledges, ceiling fans, blinds, and any other surfaces that might be a gathering spot for dust. A Dust Bunny by Any Other Name Did you know a dust bunny isn’t called a dust bunny in some areas? Other names for the dusty clumps of debris include house mouse, woolies, ghost turds, dust kitties and dust rats. Here are a few international terms for dust bunnies. Language Term Translation Finish Villa koira Wool dog German Wolle mäuse Wool mice Hungarian Porcica Dust bunny Norwegian Hybelkannier Lodging bunnies Swedish Dammråtta Dust rat French Mouton de poussière Sheep dust Portuguese Bolas de poeira Balls of dust Change Your AC Filters Your HVAC filters protect your home from airborne contaminants. But when you forget to change them, the filters become a hazard. Dirty filters can do more trouble than good. Changing the filter is easy; remembering to change it is the hard part. When you install a new filter, you should keep track of the date. A good way to remember is to set a reminder on your phone’s calendar. HVAC filters should be changed at least every three months. Put a reminder in your phone - then, three months later, you won’t forget to change out the filter. If you have fur babies (hello kitty!) or use your HVAC system more than six months every year, it probably makes sense to check your filter every month. Once again, you can just set a reminder in your phone. The Right Cleaning Equipment When it comes to deep cleaning your home, the tools and equipment you use can mean the difference between success and failure. Using the wrong equipment can make it impossible to remove dust bunnies. For example, a vacuum without a good filter won’t remove all the dust. And an old mop will only spread dirt and dust around your floors. To effectively clean, you need an arsenal of high-quality cleaning supplies. With knowledge and the right supplies, you can keep your home clean and free of dust bunnies. And most importantly, you can improve your air quality!
