Done and dusted

Dust is everywhere and trying to rid it from the home is the bain of every house-proud person. Mikaela Wilkes finds out the best methods to keep those mites at bay.

If it feels like ridding your home of dust is a never-ending and futile task, you’re not wrong. Dust is everywhere. It soaks up blue and green light in the atmosphere, making sunsets orange. Some of it came from the Sahara desert. There is dust in outer space, dust inside drops of rain, and dust underneath your bed that needs to be cleaned.

‘‘Household dust is a complex matrix of components,’’ said Dyson research scientist Karen Holeyman, a microbiologist who breeds and studies dust mites out of a development lab in Malmesbury, England.

While no two homes have quite the same dust, a typical recipe includes soil, human skin cells, dust mites that feed on said cells, fungi and bacteria, small insects, food crumbs, and lint.

Depending on the concentration of each ingredient, you’ll get different types of dust, from the powdery stuff that settles on top of the dresser, to the coarse dust bunnies in the hard-to-reach spot behind the door.

‘‘We can often tell if someone lives near the sea because we can see certain salts and minerals in their household dust,’’ explains Holeyman.

‘‘If there is a certain type of tree in your neighbourhood, we might be able to determine the species based on the type of pollen in your home. In cities, or in homes close to roads, we also tend to find synthetic particles like bits of rubber tyre and microplastics.’’

Many of these particles are only visible under a microscope, but they all constitute a part of your home’s ‘‘indoor microbiome’’

– the domestic equivalent of the microbiome in your gut. And like the gut microbiome, your indoor environment can have repercussions for your health and wellbeing.

For some people, dust is merely an aesthetic nuisance. But for those who are allergic, the 0.3mm critters that feed on it – house dust mites – can trigger nasty asthma or hayfever flare-ups, said Caroline Shorter, senior research fellow for the Wellington Asthma Research Group, University of Otago.

Humans shed about 2 grams of skin flakes each day (gross, we know), which make up most of their diet. We tend to shed more at night because of the friction against our bedding, which makes mattresses a prime location for the mites to set up camp.

There can be millions of dust mites in your indoor environment, said Holeyman.

‘‘While the mites themselves aren’t harmful, the proteins found in their faeces are considered the most important inducers of allergenic diseases worldwide.’’

Mites can also get the nutrients they need from other household debris.

So, if you’ve been enjoying a few breakfasts in bed, or cosying up with a pet at night, it might pay to move a mattress cleanup to the top of the spring chore list.

Controlling the moisture in your home is also important, Shorter adds, because dust mites will flourish in temperatures around 15-32 degrees Celsius, and relative humidity over 50 per cent.

‘‘Vacuuming high-traffic areas twice a week and the rest of your carpeted spaces once a week is enough to keep dust and dirt at bay.’’ Karen Holeyman

Dyson research scientist

How to dust bust better Clean your carpet (or don’t install one)

The Sisyphean task of dust busting starts with the material beneath your feet, Holeyman said.

‘‘When we bring pets, plants, people, food and furnishings into our homes, they all carry their own sources of bacteria and mould contamination. Effectively, we transport the outside, inside with us as we go about our daily lives.’’

Carpet is, for lack of a better word, the worst type of flooring for harbouring dust (yet one more argument against ever carpeting a bathroom). It has the highest resuspension – the technical term for the amount of dust you and your pets kick up with each step.

Solid flooring like wood and tile isn’t perfect, but it collects and circulates significantly fewer particles. Plus, you’re more likely to see them.

Vacuum slowly

Keep your floors, upholstery and surfaces free of dust and pet hair most effectively by vacuuming ‘‘little and often’’.

Tricks you can use to make sure you’re removing dust effectively include vacuuming slowly, in different directions, and in the places you can’t see.

Cord-free or robotic vacuums, are helpful because you’re likely to use them more when there’s less faffing involved.

‘‘Vacuuming high-traffic areas twice a week and the rest of your carpeted spaces once a week is enough to keep dust and dirt at bay,’’ said Holeyman.

Clean the dust you don’t see

A Dyson study found most of the dust in people’s homes accumulated in spots like ceilings, skirting boards and walls, pet beds, shelves, lampshades and light fittings, curtains, stairs and showers.

One-third of people only clean when they spot visible dust on their floors, Holeyman said, three in four don’t clean their mattresses at all, and 90 per cent don’t touch their curtains or blinds.

Of those things, mattresses and sofas are the worst because dust mites thrive in warm, dark and humid places like our beds.

‘‘Regular and thorough weekly vacuuming won’t eliminate dust mites, but can reduce the level of dust mite allergens,’’ said Letitia Harding, chief executive of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ.

Regularly vacuum both sides of mattresses, upholstery and pillows, and dust hard surfaces weekly using a damp (but not wet) cloth.

When you’re deep cleaning, dust the top of kitchen cupboards and inside wardrobes and drawers, as well as moving furniture to vacuum the places that don’t often see the light of day.

Kill off allergens

While a cool wash is better for regular laundry like your clothes, washing sheets and pillow cases in hot water will help to remove dust mites allergens, said Harding.

‘‘Recent research showed that prolonged hot tumble drying can reduce house dust mites in duvets and blankets,’’ said Harding.

For young children who are affected by dust mites, put their soft toys in the freezer for at least 72 hours every four to six weeks, then wash and dry thoroughly.

Check your filter

In a vacuum, you’ll want a Hepa filter to trap particles, said Shorter, otherwise vacuuming can temporarily kick up as much dust as you eliminate.

She doesn’t think that you need a particularly expensive vacuum to do the job, though.

‘‘Regular vacuuming is the key factor.’’