The best way to dust

Monica Buck
Monica Buck

Don't let dust build up into grime -- use these tools and techniques to get every room clean

A little dusting goes a long way, and it's the task to tackle first when you're doing housework. In every room of the house, including bathrooms and the kitchen, if you let dust build up, it becomes grime. Grime requires heavy-duty (and invariably toxic) measures. Counterintuitive as it may seem, dust accumulates more easily in newly constructed homes: The airtight building methods and materials minimize air circulation, while older, draftier homes naturally self-ventilate. (But make no mistake -- they stop well short of dusting themselves.)

Read on for the tools and techniques you need to get the job done.

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Monica Buck
Monica Buck

The Basic Tools

  • Microfiber cloths. Update and consolidate your tools: Most dusting can be done quickly with a microfiber cloth and a vacuum. "Feather dusters and rags often just blow dust and dirt around," says Tara Tan, director of house-keeping at the W Times Square Hotel, in New York City. Made from a super-absorbent nylon weave, microfiber cloths -- even dry ones -- eliminate most dust and dirt. Use the largest one you can find: The Unger 16-inch-square microfiber cloth (800-833-6100 for store locations) allows you to cover more ground between washings. (The cloths can be washed up to 500 times.)

  • Vacuum cleaner with brush attachment. "Your most important cleaning tool is your vacuum," says Cheryl Mendelson, author of Home Comforts (Scribner, www.amazon.com), the modern bible of housekeeping. Provided you don't have every Hummel figurine ever committed to porcelain, a good vacuum can pick up dust from just about any surface. (Test: Your vacuum is a keeper if it doesn't regurgitate coffee grounds or cat litter.)

The Basic Rules

  • Dust high to low. Let dust that you've kicked up from the top of an armoire or the crown molding, for example, have plenty of time to settle before you attack the floor.

  • Dry to wet. Dust before you disinfect -- especially in the bathroom. "Make sure you pick up hair and dirt, so you aren't just pushing them around from surface to surface as you clean," says Tan.

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Monica Buck
Monica Buck

Dusting at Eye Level

  • Regularly: Surfaces at the same height as a table, such as sideboards, bookshelves, windowsills, and dining and occasional tables, are highly visible. Dust them once a week with a dry microfiber cloth or a slightly damp cotton one.

  • When Needed: For serious dust on upholstered furniture and rustic wood furniture that would snag a cloth, use a vacuum cleaner. Add the brush attachment to dust window screens, blinds (close them first), and lampshades.

Dusting the Desk/Entertainment Center

  • Regularly: The dust-collecting matte surfaces, knobs, and crags of your TV, computer, DVD player, and stereo components call for microfiber cloths, which will pick up the dust -- as well as fingerprints -- without leaving any linty residue. For deeper grime, moisten a cloth slightly to remove fingerprints on everything but the keyboard.

  • When Needed: Before dusting the computer monitor, use Dust-Off (www.falconsafety.com for store locations) on the keyboard. It kicks up all the crud and crumbs between the keys with a blast of air. Spray a little all-purpose cleanser (such as Mr. Clean Antibacterial Multi-Purpose Cleaner) on a microfiber cloth (or use a premoistened disposable cleansing cloth) and rub down the desktop and the phone receiver. (A 2001 study done by a University of Arizona professor found that a typical desktop -- especially the phone receiver -- hosts about 400 times more bacteria than the average toilet seat.)

Monica Buck
Monica Buck

Dusting Way Down Low

  • Regularly: The StarMop (www.starfibers.com) with its microfiber cleaning pad, attracts dirt without leaving a dusty trail. And provided your vacuum hasn't been around since the Bay of Pigs, vacuuming with the floor or brush attachment is an effective alternative.

  • When Needed: A dry mop does have its limitations. To rid any floor of a dirty film, use the StarMop with Earth Friendly Products Floor Cleaner or Murphy Oil Soap.

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