How to Reduce Dust in Your Home

Everyone has it, and nobody wants it: dust.

It might seem like a minor nuisance, but in reality, dust is no laughing matter, no matter the setting. From causing allergies and respiratory issues to making your home look and feel less clean, dust greatly affects the indoor air quality (IAQ) of your Boerne home.

As heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) experts, Beyer Air Conditioning and Heating  knows how important good indoor air quality is for your home, HVAC systems, and health. It is important to take measures to reduce factors like dust from contributing to indoor pollution.

This blog explores practical tips and strategies to minimize dust accumulation in your home, helping you create a cleaner, healthier environment for yourself and your family.

What Contributes to Dust

Dust in your home is more than just a collection of particles; it’s primarily made up of dead skin cells and dust mite droppings and their body fragments. YIKES!

Dust mites are tiny insect-like pests that feed on dead skin cells. They thrive in mattresses, carpets, and upholstered furniture. In fact, most U.S. homes have detectable dust mite allergens in at least one bed.

These mites and their droppings can significantly affect indoor air quality, posing a risk for those with allergies or asthma.

Since dead skin cells are a major component of dust, spending more time indoors can actually increase dust levels in your home.

Home Maintenance Reduces Dust

Though dust becomes more visible as it accumulates, it’s often present long before you notice it. Completely eliminating or eradicating dust from your home is an impossible task because you and members of your household are primary contributors to it.

However, you can greatly reduce household dust levels by following some of the recommendations below.

Air Filters Combat Dust

Your HVAC system contains an air filter to trap dust and other airborne debris flowing through the unit. Use the best filter you can afford (and recommended by your system’s manufacturer) to trap dust traveling through the air.

Pay attention to your filter’s Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV), a measurement scale created by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) to rate the effectiveness of air filters. Be sure to purchase filters with the appropriate MERV rating for your HVAC system and indoor air quality goals.

You also want to change your filter on a regular basis, depending on how dirty it becomes. Optimally, we recommend changing it every month but at least every two to three months, especially if you or someone in your home suffers from allergies, asthma, or chronic respiratory conditions.

A good rule of thumb is to check your filter monthly. If it’s dirty, change it. A clogged filter hurts your HVAC system and obviously can’t reduce the dust in your home.

Clean Air Ducts

If you have a forced-air HVAC system, air ducts carry your home’s air to and from your heating and cooling system. If your ducts are not sealed well or have tears, unfiltered air will sneak into your home and transport debris through your ducts and registers.

It can be worse if your air ducts haven’t been cleaned in a while; dust and other particles will accumulate. The air passing through the ducts will pick up additional dust and dirt, depositing them throughout your home.

If you notice a continuously high level of dust in your home, call one of our indoor air quality professionals to check the seals on your ducts and inspect for leaks. Also, seriously consider getting your ducts cleaned, especially if you have never done so in the past.

Clean Your Home Regularly

In addition to the numerous HVAC steps you can take to reduce dust, there are some things you can do while cleaning your house to help:

• Eliminate clutter as it collects and holds on to dust.
• Vacuum at least one to two times a week using a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter.
• Dust with a microfiber or damp cloth, starting the cleaning motion from top to bottom to grab and remove dust and not push it into the air.
• Shampoo or steam carpets and fabric upholstery monthly.
• Wash fabric curtains monthly.
• Wash bedding routinely––sheets and pillowcases once a week; blankets, duvets, and pillows every three to four weeks.
• Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting because it can be an ideal habitat for dust and dust mites.

Keep a Constant Tab on Your Humidity

Be sure your home has the appropriate level of humidity. Too high encourages dust mites, and too low, dust accumulates more. Try maintaining a relative humidity of 35 to 50 percent, an industry standard.

Get Yourself an Air Purifier

A whole-home air purifier works with your HVAC system to purify the air, ridding it of dust, other particles, and allergens—the dust never makes it to your home’s living spaces.

A major benefit of a whole-home purifier is that it purifies all the air in your home at once. Portable units typically can only purify the air in one room. To achieve a similar result, you would need a separate purifier in every room.

Beyer Air Conditioning and Heating: Indoor Air Quality Experts

Don’t let your home be another one that bites the dust.

If you notice more-than-normal dust levels in your Boerne, TX, home, please call Beyer Air Conditioning and Heating at 210-503-7161 or request service online and discover how our experienced professionals can help. Our team specializes in offering whole-home IAQ and dust solutions to keep you and your loved ones healthy, comfortable, and safe throughout the year.