Stop the Sneeze: 5 Inexpensive Cleaning Hacks To Rid Your Home of Dust

With spring just around the corner, now is the perfect time to clear your home of grime, dirt, and dust that built up over the winter. But don’t use any old cleaning spray — many household cleaners contain chemicals that cause headaches after breathing them in for a while. Plus, they may not work as well as our quick and easy dusting hacks. Designed to trap dust before it drifts into the air, these cleaning tips will keep your home allergen-free so you can enjoy spring, sans sniffles.

To Polish Wood Furniture: Use a Vinegar-Oil Spritz

To banish dust from wood tables, desks, and chairs, first give them a quick wipe with a damp cloth, says Reta Engelking of CleaningMaidAffordableLLC.com. Then spray them with a mix of 1 cup of water, ¼ cup of white vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. The vinegar and olive oil clean and moisturize the wood, creating a barrier that repels dust.

To Filter Indoor Air: Add Water-Loving Greens

Houseplants act like natural air filters, trapping dust in their leaves — and regular watering enhances this effect, reveals housecleaning expert Hugo Guerrero. “Well-watered plants release moisture into the air, increasing humidity, which helps reduce the amount of dust in your home,” he explains. To boost plants’ moisture content, just give leaves a quick wipe-down with a water-dampened cloth about once a month.

To Outsmart Tech Gunk: Use Fabric Softener Sheets

TVs, laptops, and tablets all carry a static charge, which attracts dust. “That’s why fabric softener sheets come in handy,” reveals Ray Brosnan, cleaning expert for Brosnan Property Solutions. “Simply swipe a sheet across screens. Not only will it hold on to dust, it will also dispel static cling, leaving behind an invisible residue that thwarts future dust from settling.”

To Grab Hard-to-Reach Dust: Create ‘Sock Tongs’

Dusting between window blinds’ slats can be tricky. To the rescue: an old pair of socks. Just dampen two socks with cleaner, then use rubber bands to secure them onto a pair of tongs. Run the tongs across each slat to trap dust.

To Get Windows Sparkling: Use an Alcohol-Vinegar Spray

For crystal-clear windows and mirrors without the toxic scent of commercial cleaners, combine 1 cup of rubbing alcohol, 1 cup of water, and 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a spray bottle. Spritz the glass and wipe with a rag. Acetic acid in vinegar cuts through dust and dirt, while the alcohol ensures the spray evaporates quickly, leaving no streaks.

A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.