Getting rid of dust in your house

家里的灰尘不仅仅是一个小麻烦——吸入灰尘会引发过敏和哮喘症状. 学习清除家里灰尘的方法，让每个人都能呼吸得更轻松.

Start with the basics: Dust your surfaces often

在给家里的各种表面除尘时，试试这些有用的建议:

• Use the right cleaning tools. 避免使用鸡毛掸子和干抹布，它们会扩散而不是捕获灰尘颗粒.
  • If you dust regularly, a fiber duster allows you to easily pick up the thin, 积聚在大多数物体表面的几乎看不见的尘埃层.
  • If dust has built up, consider using a microfiber cloth. 超细纤维布具有吸引灰尘的静电荷.
  • For thick layers of house dust, a damp cloth works best. 湿布可以收集灰尘，所以在你清洁的时候灰尘不会飞到空中.
  • To reach into tight spots, Q-tips or a small, 干净的油漆刷可以让你进入家具的任何裂缝.
• Declutter before dusting. More clutter equals more dust. 减少家里的杂乱将有助于使清洁和除尘更容易，因为会有更少的东西可以移动.
• Dust from top to bottom. 这样更容易收集飘下来的松散灰尘. Also consider moving around the room in a circular pattern. Use a damp cloth to clean:
  • Ceiling fans
  • Tops of cabinets and ledges
  • Vents
  • Walls
  • Windows and seals
  • Baseboards
• Remove dust from household electronics. A microfiber cloth will usually do the job. Be sure to vacuum the dust from around the cords, vents or fans to help reduce the chance of overheating.
• Finish with a polish. 用一块干净的抹布给家具上光. 但要注意的是，将其应用于有光泽的表面，因为它可能会增加一层难以去除的薄膜.

And remember, dust the little things. 装饰品、相框、人造花、书皮和小摆设也会沾上灰尘. Move them aside to dust underneath. 在你把它们放回去之前，把它们擦干净或冲洗掉.

减少空气中的粉尘，有助于提高空气质量

Regularly dusting can help improve indoor air quality and overall respiratory health. In addition to dusting, try these tips:

• Change the furnace filter. 每隔几个月做一次这项工作，可以帮助清除室内灰尘 increase the efficiency of the furnace. 尝试使用折叠过滤器或静电过滤器，它们比玻璃纤维过滤器更有效地捕获灰尘.
• Clean exhaust fans. Exhaust fans accumulate dust as they are used. Vacuum them with a soft brush or, with the fan running, use a can of compressed air to clean the exhaust faceplate.
• 安装高效微粒捕获(HEPA)空气过滤器. To help improve your overall indoor air quality, 安装一个HEPA空气净化器或在吸尘器上加一个HEPA过滤器. 这些过滤器能有效地捕获微小颗粒，如尘螨和宠物皮屑.
• Consider adding indoor plants. 虽然没有进行明确的测试，但研究人员确实相信 plants are an effective "air purifier" that help reduce the amount of dust in your home.
• Utilize an air purifier. Ionic purifiers can help capture irritants 和灰尘，以帮助减少室内过敏原在你的主要生活空间.
• Close windows on windy days. 灰尘可以通过窗户和门进入，并可能带来污染物、霉菌和花粉.

Don't forget about fabric surfaces collecting dust

按照下面的建议来处理灰尘积聚最多的地方——织物表面.

• Use pull-down shades rather than blinds or fabric curtains.
• 每周更换和清洗你的床上用品，把你的枕头拿出去抖一抖，就像抖地毯一样.
• 选择皮革、木材或乙烯基覆盖的家具来消除室内灰尘.
• 每年至少洗一到两次可机洗的窗帘和窗帘.
• 考虑用木头和瓷砖等地毯代替地板. 如果你想要地毯，选择低绒地毯和可水洗的地毯.
• 把不用的衣服和其他纺织品放在盒子或袋子里，而不是放在户外.
• 无论地板类型如何，每周至少吸尘一次-在人流量大的区域每周吸尘两次.
• 在外面用扫帚或网球拍抖抖地毯和垫子.