How to Remove Dust in the Home

Dust is comprised of various microscopic particles. Once airborne, these particles travel around the home, settling on all kinds of surfaces. Below, our Dyson experts explain how to get rid of dust in a room to achieve a thorough clean and a healthier space for humans and our pets to live in.

When impurities and debris such as bacteria, pollen, smoke, dirt, pet dander, hair, skin cells, and pollution come together, this leads to an accumulation of indoor dust. The 2022 Dyson Global Dust Study revealed that due to its microscopic size, dust can become displaced by small movements, such as sitting on a sofa or switching on your air conditioning. Essentially, our daily activities dictate what causes dust to travel. Therefore, to remove dust effectively, the key is to look beyond the floors and target furniture, high surfaces, curtains and corners – alongside flooring.

When present in the home, dust can contain allergens. As Monika Stuczen, Research Scientist in Microbiology at Dyson explains, "Just because it is out of sight does not mean it should be out of mind. The microscopic dust particles like pet dander and dust mite allergens have the largest impact on your health and well-being."

1. Regularly vacuum and wash hard floors

It may be an apt time to implement a vacuuming schedule into your home maintenance schedule. Vacuuming helps to ensure that dust, dirt, debris and pet hair are removed from the home on a regular basis. As we know, these are quick to accumulate. Note that while hard floors, carpets and rugs are commonly vacuumed, upholstery, mattresses, ceilings and walls require attention, too.

When vacuuming, a good tip is to focus on areas slowly and deliberately. This allows the brush bar more time to pick up and remove dust. Dyson’s vacuum accessories help to clean upholstery and reach higher spaces, as well as dust blinds. You can also consider beating your rug outdoors. This helps remove additional particles and dirt before vacuuming.

For homes with hard flooring such as wood, tiles, ceramic, stone and laminate, it’s important that you wash hard floors as part of your cleaning schedule. Vacuum first, and then go over any hard floors with a wet cleaner. The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is our all in one machine which can do both- removing dry, wet debris and fine dust. Do not vacuum spills or wet debris in dry mode, as this can cause damage to your vacuum cleaner.

2. Wash fabric, upholstery and linen

Dust, dust mites, pet hair and other particles stick to fabrics and upholstery. To thoroughly clean these materials, regularly wash bedding, blankets, curtains and other fabrics and use vacuum attachments to clean mattresses, couches, and other upholstery. This helps to remove dust and improve air quality in the areas you frequent. Furnishings that pets lay on such as couches and animal bedding are also common spots for dust mites and debris to form. If possible, as part of your house cleaning schedule, remove the outer material and wash it at a high temperature.

    3. Wipe down surfaces

You may already clean dusty surfaces with a wet cloth, but the most effective method for eliminating household dust is to vacuum them first.

Vacuum hard floors, then use attachments for surfaces. Next, mop the floors and wipe down the surfaces with a wet microfibre cloth to remove dust and other debris. This will attract and hold onto the remaining dust. When considering how to get rid of dust from surfaces, pay close attention to areas like: 

• The tops and sides of fridges
• Cabinets
• Pantries
• Bookshelves