Dust can be a real pain. Believe it or not, these tiny almost-invisible particles can cause irritation to the skin, lungs, eyes and to anyone with allergies to dust. An allergic person is highly susceptible to various skin irritations and extreme itchiness. It’s hell. Getting rushed to the hospital for over exposure to dust is something no one should have to go through. There’s no need for you—or anyone, for that matter—to go through the trouble of contracting dust-related diseases, but only if you care enough to dust your house from time to time.

Dusting Discipline

Proper dusting is methodical, patient and done on a regular basis. You can’t dust only whenever you feel like doing it. There has to be discipline. First and foremost, dust builds up anywhere, and at its own pace. Anywhere there’s people, there’s dust. When dusting, look for the highest horizontal surface in your house or office and start from there. Use a microfiber cloth to sweep away dust from surfaces. Make sure all surface areas are covered and apply surface polish if you have to. Then, work your way down the room. Remember this important step: always dust from top to bottom and not the other way around.

Rules of Thumb

You might have to move some objects to be able to properly dust the surfaces. Do so. Don’t hesitate to turn the room upside down if it means getting at those crevices for more dust to sweep. In any case, dust tends to accumulate all the more in corners and hard-to-reach places. Common dusting equipment includes window cleaners, all-purpose cleaners, disinfectants, cotton cloths, extension dusters, static dusters and microfiber cloths.

Make sure to dust regularly. Dust at least once a week if the horizontal surface is below eye level and above your knee. For any horizontal surface other than that, dust at least once every two to four weeks. Vertical surfaces should be dusted at least once every three or four weeks. Those are the basic rules of thumb. Hopefully you’ll remember these rules!