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DCL
You don't want to live a dusty house like Ms. Havisham, all full of rats. First of all, it's creepy and off-putting. Secondly, it decreases indoor air quality and can trigger asthma attacks and allergies. It can also be a sign that your home isn't very energy efficient. Your filters might need a good changing, or there may be air leaks in places in where air should not be leaking.
Either way, you can reduce the amount of dust in your home, increase the amount of health in your body and possibly save some energy, all in one fell sweep. (sic)
How to Get the Dust Out of Your House
Take Off Your Shoes Did you know that your shoes may be the greatest contributor to your dust problem? Shoes can carry more than dust. They may also be seeped in pesticides and other on-ground pollutants.
Clean Your Filters Clean or change the filters in your air conditioning unit, furnace and other appliances as often as the manufacturer recommends. You can save up to 5%-15% on your energy bills. Oh, yeah. It will make your house less dusty as well.
Seal Those Ducts! Sealing your ducts can increase energy efficiency by up to 30%. Unsealed ducts are hell on air quality, and when leaky enough, they may pump in outside pollutants such as methane and carbon monoxide.
Vent Your Clothes Dryer Your clothes dryer should vent to the outside. If it doesn't, your house is going to be filled with hot, dusty air every time you dry your clothing. Vent it outside. Check out these tips on greening your clothes dryer.
Clean Your Ducts, Maybe?Cleaning your ducts may not be a necessity, says the EPA's website. Duct cleaning has never been proven to promote health. But the EPA goes on to say that you should have your ducts cleaned if:
EPA:
There is substantial visible mold growth inside hard surface (e.g., sheet metal) ducts or on other components of your heating and cooling system...[there are additional caveats to this.]
Ducts are infested with vermin, e.g. (rodents or insects); or
Ducts are clogged with excessive amounts of dust and debris and/or particles are actually released into the home from your supply registers.
Read More at Energy Star.gov.
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