Six tips to help your dust allergies.

Dust, dust, dust, it’s everywhere! It’s on your furniture, your collectibles, and on your coffee table… it’s literally everywhere!!! Have you noticed that once you clean your home, one week later all of the dust is back again? If so, I have a few things you’ll want to consider that may resolve that problem. Six tips to help your dust allergies.

Is dust normal?

Yes, dust is normal and it may be a common issue where you live geographically, specifically dry climates. Also, the appearance of dust may be caused by dead skin particles, especially if you have pets, but that shouldn’t occur if you just cleaned one week ago, it must be something else causing the dust to build-up so quickly. If you’ve been suffering from dust allergies for awhile, I’ve compiled a list of important things you should check.

Here are some items that you should check to reduce your dust allergies:

Inspect the dryer

Your clothes dryer is a pressurized lint-blowing machine. Almost all dryers have leaks that push lint past the seal of the front door, drum seals, or most commonly the vent. You would be surprised how much lint comes flying out of the vent when it’s not properly attached or the vent duct has a fracture. Some homes have the dryer in the garage which may not be the most convenient setup but at least you don’t have to worry about lint flying through your home.

Inspect door and window seals

This one is huge, especially if you want to keep your home efficient during the cold winters and hot summers. If there is a missing or damaged seal, your air conditioner or heater can draw in this potentially dusty air. Moreover, if you do have your clothes dryer in the garage, inspect “all” of the seals around the door and verify no light comes through.

Inspect old carpet

This may be something that most people haven’t thought of. Behind your carpet is a threaded masterpiece of strands that hold everything together. It is normally held together by a bonding agent such as glue that over time can break down and turn into loose, dust-like particles. When you walk on it, it may get stirred up and become airborne or worse yet, it gets blown around the room when you vacuum. And keep in mind, vacuum cleaners all leak dust, no matter how expensive they are. The only solution to making sure you’re collecting 100% of vacuumed particles is to use a vacuum cleaner that uses water as a filtering media.

Inspect attic access door seals

If you live in a home that has an attic, there is often all types of dust particles present from building materials, insulation, and termite insecticide powder, etc. that can enter into your living space if the access door is not properly sealed. Moreover, while the HVAC system is running, it can draw dust particles from your attic into your living space through the electrical plates such as switches and outlets.

Inspect basements

If you live in a home that has a basement, this can have a similar effect on air quality/dust particles as your attic, however the presence of mold and mildew is more common in this space. It is easier to clean every part of your home instead of hoping to contain a known issue.

Inspect old HVAC systems, dirty filters and ducts

This is one of the most common issues of dust re-circulation. Neglected filter maintenance leads to dust build-up inside of your HVAC system and duct work; dirty vents are an indication of this. This can be resolved by a professional HVAC cleaning service, just make sure they specialize in cleaning so you’ll have peace of mind that they have the adequate experience and equipment needed to do the job perfectly.

Pro Tip: Don’t waste money on a super expensive filter that promises to remove pollen, allergens, and all sorts of small particles. These filters may be great but they don’t address the cause of poor air quality, plus they’re often too restrictive and cause your HVAC system to operate inefficiently leading to a higher electric bill with reduced air circulation. The better choice is a high-quality washable filter that will save you hundreds of dollars every year and a separate dedicated air purifier.

One last thought, if you are experiencing a lot of dust allergies and you also happen to be a coffee drinker, make a point to remove that from your diet and see how you feel. Check out the article I wrote about my experience as a coffee drinker and what I learned; you may be surprised what I found.

Dust Fighting Resources