Vacuuming and Dusting

Vacuuming is an essential part of housecleaning, especially if a family members suffers from asthma or allergies. We tend to rely too heavily on products to clean our homes instead of just dry mopping or vacuuming on a regular basis. To keep the levels of dust and particulate toxins low in your home, we recommend vacuuming at least once or twice a week.   You can pour baking soda on your carpets to help deodorize the fabrics naturally.  You should also look into the HEPA vacuums for asthma sufferers. These can be expensive but will reduce the amount of dust released back into the air.

There have been recent studies  that have detected that the overall design of the vacuum cleaner is often more important than any special filtration features however.  Each vacuum serves different needs.  Here is a breakdown of the four popular types of vacuum cleaners:

1.) Canister Vacuums - these are recommended for cleaning drapes, upholstery, stairs and under furniture. They are easy to store and great for small spaces.
2.) Cordless Vacuums - these models are convenient for light to moderate cleaning jobs. If you live in a small apartment, they also take up very little room.
3.) Upright Vacuums - these are the most common and are generally the cheapest on the market.  They are great for cleaning the standard carpet and bare floors.
4.) Stick and Hand Vacuums - lack the power of larger models and work best for small jobs and quick cleanups.

A recent Consumer Report Survey had evaluated the most efficient and best-value vacuum cleaners available right now. It found that models with a manual pile-height adjustment are useful for cleaning carpets and that a brush on/off switch will help avoid scattering dust when cleaning bare floors.

Whichever model you choose, make sure to read the instructions thoroughly.  Many people break their vacuum because they never bother to learn how the machine actually works.  You should change the vacuum bags or empty the canister on a regular basis to prolong the life of your vacuum cleaner.

HELPFUL VACUUM ARTICLES

• Choosing the Right Vacuum Brush
• Choosing A Hoover Vacuum Cleaner

DUSTING

Dusting is an essential chore for those hard-to-reach places beyond the orbit of your vacuum cleaner. The dust in your house is a mixture of particles from activities as varied as cooking, cleaning and smoking. It also contains pollutants brought in from outdoors.  This can include pollen, pesticides, heavy metals and dander from pet fur.  You need to dust regularly, several times a week if possible.

If you are dusting in a high place, us a long-handled tool, lint-free or microfiber cloth and notoxic glass cleaner. Mist the cloth with glass cleaner and dust all surfaces.  This includes tops of doors, fans, cabinets and vents as this is a common collecting place for dust as it is out of eye sight. Remember to clean your dust mop or microfiber cloth when soiled.

HELPFUL CLEANING ARTICLES:

• Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
• How to Improve your Indoor Air Quality