Why Is My House So Dusty

Introduction: - Dust can become a severe health risk, especially when the air pollution level spike in cities. London suffers particularly due to its large population and years of urbanisation. In 2020, a 9-year-old girl became the first person in the UK to list air pollution as one of the causes of her death. Therefore, not only outdoors but indoor air quality matters a lot. 

Such a crisis is becoming more of concern globally than ever before, stirring the government, researchers, and commercial firms to take a closer look at what precisely we are breathing in behind closed doors.

Specifically, in populated cities where outdoor pollution is at its poorest, we get contaminants and chemicals everywhere, we need air filters in our properties to reduce health risks. 

Major contributors to the outdoor 'dirty air' are industries and traffic; indoor pollution is caused even by chemicals that play a part in particulate matter (or PM). The most dangerous is calculated as PM, as it leads to serious lung and heart issues and has caused at least 37500 premature deaths in the UK.
 
Besides this, the presence of a layer of dust on household items can make your home look old and unclean. It also reduces the efficiency of electrical appliances, such as fans and air conditioners. In this article, you can know about issues like why is my house so dusty? And how to protect yourself from health risks caused by indoor dust? 

8 Ways in Which Dust Accumulates Within Your Property

Dust can block the filter responsible for the air to pass. Dust is made up of dead skin, hair, carpet fibres, lint and dirt, and other random particles that can fill your home. There are other issues caused by  excessive dust in your house:

1. Poor Quality of Filters: - 

To control the flow of dust particles, people install air filters that have minute ducts through which the air can come in and out. However, buying a cheap air filter can attract the dust particles present in the surroundings of your property. In addition, dirty air ducts cause dusty rooms. 

2. Window and Doors Don't Close Properly: - 

Outside air can enter your house through open doors and windows or gaps in windows or doors. More dust particles will enter during windy climatic conditions if the doorways/entrance and ventilators are not closed.

If you face any such problem, you should get professional help to repair the gaps or use weather-strips to close such minute openings.

The kitchen is the area most exposed to air pollution. If you use wood or charcoal-burning stoves, it can produce burned wooden flakes 

3. Improper Dusting: - 

You need to adopt proper dusting methods to keep your house clean. First, use a proper cloth to remove the dust from the deep edges and household items' surfaces. Next, use a microfiber cloth, and make sure to apply proper pressure to trap dirt/dust in your rag. 

4. Having Pets: - 

It is very difficult to restrict your pets' movement in the house. They may bring in dust from the outside, and the dense furs along their skin and hairs can spread in different parts of your house. Groom the pets regularly to prevent skin flakes and hair deposition within your property. 

5. Dust in Your Carpets: - 

Dust particles can get in carpets, so you need to vacuum them often. Otherwise, it will just release more dust in the air every time someone walks on it. 

6. Outside Conditions: - 

If you live close to farms or industrial sites, dust in the air during harvesting season or polluted air from industrial smoke can enter the house. Keep your windows closed to prevent the outdoor dust from coming into your home, or you can opt for netted windows to restrict polluted air.

7. Other Furniture: - 

Certain furniture, home decor and curtains accumulate dust. In addition, some items hold moisture and become a dwelling spot for microbes and insects to breed. Therefore, you should clean such items regularly, or you must get rid of old unused items - clutters from your household to reduce dust. 

8. Clean Your Floors and Bedsheet: - 

Lastly, one of the best dusty house solutions is regularly cleaning the floor using antibacterial solutions. 

Why Is My House So Dusty? 

Excessive dust in the house can cause allergies, skin rashes and other health problems- why is my house so dusty all the time. There are many allergens, just like pollen, that can set off hay fever. Some indoor allergens are dust mites, dead skin, and animal fur, and they can cause severe allergic responses.As a result, regular cleaning can help relieve the manifestation of diseases. Let's take a look at reasons - why is my house so dusty all the time -

Poor Air Filter

Air filters collect dirt from the house, but if it is not of good quality, it can cause dust deposition in the house. Old air filters can also cause the problem.

From The Dust on The Carpet: - 

You should regularly vacuum the carpet to avoid amassing dirt in it. 

Dust Enters the House by Pets: - Different types of pet dogs, cats, or other animals can bring dust from the outside or by other means into the house. 

Where Does Dust Come From? 

If you usually keep the windows and doors open, it can cause an inflow of dust particles into the house. Dust does increase with wooden floors. However, there are many ways to prevent such pesky particles from settling everywhere and getting you the dusty house.
 
Through Shoes Coming into The House From Outside: - 

The dirt from shoes, pet paws and particles in the air settling into carpet fibres predominantly contribute to the home's dust. To reduce carpet-based dust, encourage family members to take off their shoes at the door, stow them in an entryway cubby or carry them directly to the suitable closet.

In addition, you may have to vacuum the carpet regularly to avoid the deposition of mud/dirt in it. While carpet dust can be reduced by frequent vacuuming, the only way to remove it is to replace carpets with hard floorings.

Fabrics and textiles can gather a lot of dust, and the curtains or the sofa can release that dust into the room. Use your vacuum cleaner to clean upholstered furniture and draperies once a week. Or you can switch the fabric furniture covers with leather or other items that do not 
attract dirt.

Via Open Ventilator: - 

Not only do the gaps around windows and doors cause loss of energy, but the outdoor dust and allergens can enter the house every time the wind blows through open ventilators, which forms a layer of dust on lights, fans and other items in the house.

Through Your Staff or Guests: - 

If you think you are the only one responsible for dust entering your home, you are wrong. Your staff and guests can bring in the dust. However, it would help if you improved techniques for dusting the house where you should use a duster made up of microfiber, which will help trap most of the dust, so less of it recirculates. If you have a rooftop, then pile old things over there. Then, try to keep it clean.

How To Get Rid of Dust in The House? 

Some popular dusty house solutions are given below–

Keep The Bedding Clean: - 

Mattresses gather dust mites fibre particles, and the dead skin cells are dispersed each time you roll over on your mattress or shake the bedding.
To prevent the spread of dirt particles from the mattresses and pillowcases, wash them frequently. 

You Can Use an Air Purifier: - 

Air purifiers can help those suffering from health issues like asthma or allergies. Air purifiers work against dust but not dust mites. You can find them at different prices and proportions in the market. You can use an air purifier to get fresh air circulation in the house; at the same time, you need to clean the filters and replace them when it gets old.

Keep Home Use Shoes Separate: -

Mud and dirt enter the house through dirty shoes, so you can leave them at the door to reduce the amount of dust tracked into your home. In addition, outdoor muck and grime can stick to the soles of shoes, so you can even ask the guests or family members to remove them. Further, you can have separate shoes for home and outside use.

How To Reduce Dust in The Home?

There are multiple benefits of using a vacuum cleaner, but you can also use a broom to clean specific house areas. Brooms can control and reduce dust in most home areas. Sweep the floors frequently, especially the places prone to constant dust accumulation, like the hallways and doorways.

Use a dustpan to dump the dust and dirt outside the home in a properly covered garbage bin. Ensure that you frequently mop instead of waiting for the dust particles to accumulate. You should declutter the space when you build a house to prevent the collection of dirt in various parts of the house.

You may have to renovate the house if old walls are shading dust. Buy anti-dust colour and paint the walls and the wooden things. You can also recommend your carpenter to provide you with dustproof tables and chairs.

Each time you open your closet doors, clothing fibres and accumulated dust particles spread into other parts of the home. It is almost unthinkable to avoid it, especially when you have more furs or cotton wear.

However, you can make a small changing/dressing room outside your home at the garage by fitting a small water supply over there. Emerge your boots and clean clothes in the bucket of water and change your clothes immediately as you enter the house. 

Is House Dust Dangerous?  

Dust can get inside the house in the form of the smallest particles like nanoparticles, or it may spread due to corrosion or any other motorised work inside or outside the house. However, it can be dangerous and harmful at the same time. For example, small children may be exposed to dust allergens, triggering random sneezing and coughing. 

Such allergens can enter your body through food and water. So always cover your food and water and do constant breathing exercises to keep the lungs strong.

Why Is My House So Dusty in The Winter?

With the central heating on and windows shut, your home can become a breeding ground for dust mites, germs and bugs in winters. So, it would help if you cleaned the electric furnace and the fireplace every weekend. Your fireplace may get fly ashes, making the home dirtier.

Avoid using the same wood, ever and ever again, if it is not burning properly to prevent it and clean the windows and take care of the glasses. 

Conclusion: - 

You should become more strategic with your choice of cleaning materials to control dust. For example, if your home is made up of woods, you should get pest control every six months or once a year. Hire professionals, especially if you have a big house, and use air purifiers in your house. Also, you can use machines to trap the uncontrollable dust in your house.