Asthma and allergies are no laughing matter, and excess dust can severely exacerbate the suffering. If you've been looking for ways to reduce household dust in your greater Tulsa area home, we suggest that you start with these tips:
Upgrade your vacuum. Good suction won't remove all the dust from your carpet. For the best results, you need to find a vacuum with a strong agitator (the brush that sweeps the carpet) and a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter.
Remove your carpet. Carpets hold a great deal of dust, and when you walk across them, that dust is sent back into the air. Switching to alternate flooring such as laminate, wood or tile will cut down on hidden dust and allow for easier cleaning, which is best accomplished with the use of a canister vacuum.
Use a micro-fiber cloth. Feather dusters spread around more dust than they collect. When you dust your home, you should be using a micro-fiber cloth or, at the very least, a damp rag. This will capture the dust instead of stirring it up, where it can irritate your respiratory system.
Get a new filter. Not all HVAC filters are designed to catch dust and other contaminants, so you may want to upgrade to one that does. The best kind to use is an electrostatic filter attached to your ductwork, but those are expensive. If in doubt, contact an industry professional for help in deciding the best type of filter.
Clean the air. If you have carpets, the vacuum you're using—no matter how powerful or expensive—will whip up dust and send it into the air, before settling on a new surface. You can filter out some of this dust by turning your thermostat to its "fan" position. For maximum effect, leave the fan on for 15 minutes after you've finished cleaning.
For more advice on ways to reduce household dust, or if you have any other concerns related to home comfort, please contact the friendly professionals at Air Assurance. We've been serving the HVAC needs of Broken Arrow and the surrounding area since 1985.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: “Craig Wactor/Shutterstock”