The holidays are going to be here before you know it. It’s time to start taking some baby steps to get your home in order so you’re not all stressed out trying to do everything at the last minute.
Every week I’ll give you something to work on. I’ll also give you tips and tell you the tools I use to get the job done.
Today we’re going to start tackling dust.
Your vacuum is your best friend when it comes to keeping dust at bay.
According to the Carpet and Rug Institute, one square foot of carpet can contain up to one pound of dirt before it even becomes visible, and invisible particles like skin cells, pollen and food can also be left behind after vacuuming.
How does vacuuming help keep dust down?
Imagine a poof of dirt being released into the air with every step you take. (Did Linus come to mind? 😉
The more dust you can get into the vacuum, the less will be landing on your furniture.
I love the cleaning power of my Kirby. It has kept my carpets looking great for 20 years now. I haven’t had to spend money on shampooers. It has a multitude of attachments that help you clean pretty much anything in your house.
Here’s the downside – It is heavy. I mean really heavy. If you have more than one story in your house, the ideal situation is to have a Kirby on every level.
Changing from the power head to the attachments is kind of a pain. But using the trendy uprights with onboard attachments is a bigger pain, and not very effective. The hose is too short to reach very far. You’re always pulling and struggling.
And don’t get me started on bagless!
With the long hose and attachments on my Kirby, I can get in all the corners.
You can use your upholstery brush to clean blinds and lampshades. Be careful when doing metal or plastic blinds. It is easy to bed the ends. Always use a light touch and vacuum out.
You can vacuum your screens and inside window sills too. Just make sure they are dry first.
You can also use the brush to vacuum baseboards.
Start vacuuming behind furniture. Do a room a week during the course of your regular vacuuming.
Start working on your upholstered furniture too. Make sure to do under your cushions. You could find a small fortune, and maybe some lunch.
I have been known to use the brush to do regular dusting when the dust levels are really high. When I had the dog and 2 cats and lived on the lake – the dust levels were pretty high!
This is the Kirby that I have. This one does come with the shampooer and the turbo brush. If you are comparing, make sure you get both.
My sister uses Electrolux. The old ones would be the next best option, but its very hard to find good reconditioned ones. I’ve tried. The new ones don’t cut it.
Another decent solution is the Kenmore Canister.
Its not as powerful as the Kirby, but its pretty good, and its a lot easier to use.
The next weapon in your arsenal is a Feather Duster
A feather duster is an essential tool you need to have. Its great for dusting blinds, window treatments, ceiling fans, light fixtures, lampshades, cobwebs, stair spindles, and more. Its also great for a quick touch up dust if someone is coming over.
There are other tools you can use. I’m cheap. This is easy to store and requires no refills. And I use mine pretty much daily.
If you can’t reach the cobwebs up in the corner, I just stick the feather duster in a vacuum pole. That’s my version of an extender 😉
I’ve used a lot of dusters in my time. the best one I’ve ever used is the Libman feather duster. It has a comfortable handle. Stays in your back pocket without falling out. If you’re cleaning, just stick the duster in your back pocket so you have it right there when you need it.
The Libman has held up really well for me. My current one is like 3 years old. I do need a new one…
Do not waste your time or money with those colored ones. Yeah, they are cheap, but they fall apart after a couple of uses.
Swifter is another option –
It’s effective, but you always have to buy the refills.
I do have one of these. It does come in handy sometimes. It’s great for a quick run over the wood floors when I don’t feel like hauling out the Kirby. You can also use it for cobwebs, ceilings and walls. Yes, your ceilings and walls are dusty too.
Again, you have to buy the refills. I do like to keep a box handy. In a pinch, I can grab one and use as a dust cloth.
Of course, the more economical and environmentally friendly option would be a cut up t-shirt and some Pledge or Endust sprayed on it.
If you want to keep things easy, vacuum at least once a week. Dusting depends on your circumstances. Some people can get away with dusting every 2 weeks. Others with kids and pets might have to do a quick dust every day or 2.
If you own Clean Freak, you probably do a lot of this on a regular basis – so you won’t really have a lot of extra work. Its just time to start zapping those thing we may not get to all of the time.
Just remember, the more you let it build up – the harder it is to remove. Do tasks more often and they take only minutes. Do it less often and you’re looking at a much harder job.
I like fast and easy. How about you?
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 * Cut your housecleaning time in half so you have more time to actually enjoy your home,
* Be more organized so your day runs smoothly,
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