Why A Top Air Quality Expert Recommends Decluttering And How To Start ASAP

We’ve all been there—you’re walking by a bookshelf, and when the light hits just right, you see a gray film sitting on the surface. Or, you’re relaxing in the living room when a ray of sunlight streams through the window, illuminating a vortex of particles floating in your air. Every home in the world constantly battles against this nemesis: dust. It isn't just an eyesore, though. It’s harmful to your health! 

As mentioned before, that layer of dust isn’t just visibly unpleasant; it’s also dangerous. The more dust in a home, the more harmful microscopic particles are present. When this layer of particulate matter gets kicked up into the air as we move around, or when the HVAC system turns on, it lowers the indoor air quality1 of the space and allows contaminants to enter our bodies through inhalation. 

Numerous studies have highlighted how different types of dust particles, particularly the smallest ones, can lead to serious health issues.

Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5), or particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, is one of the main issues with dust. The average human eye can only see up to 40 microns, so these are small. 

Short-term exposure2 to PM2.5 can trigger respiratory conditions such as asthma attacks, coughing, watery eyes, chronic bronchitis, and more. Long-term exposure3 has been linked to more problematic health conditions such as reduced lung function, neurological effects, disease, cancer, and even premature death. People with pre-existing heart or lung conditions are particularly at risk. Some of these particles are so small that they can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, making them even more dangerous. Mycotoxins4, a toxic byproduct released by some species of mold, are an example.

Nervous about what’s hiding in your dust? Don’t stress! Dealing with dust is easy peasy, and it’s a quick way to boost your well-being.

1. Reduce clutter

Over the years, we tend to collect items and store them in our homes– kind of like a squirrel collecting acorns in the winter. As time goes by, the pile of clothing, decorations, crafts, knick knacks, and whatever else is laying around becomes a bit of a mountainous hodgepodge. 

These items may have tickled a part of our brains at the moment, but there’s truth behind the quote, “Clutter smothers. Simplicity breathes.” Less clutter is good not only for our mental health but also for our physical wellness. The less stuff you have in a home, the fewer surfaces for dust to settle, and the easier it is to clean thoroughly and eliminate dust so that it doesn’t make its way into your body.

Let’s be honest: staring down a dusty bookshelf packed with an array of accent pieces and novels is daunting. More often than not, that small strip in front of everything will get a quick wipe down, and the rest is left. But out of sight does not mean out of mind! This means that the already-present dust layer will continue to build up and become more toxic. 

Every year, it’s helpful to evaluate our belongings and ask ourselves if we truly need each item. Reducing the amount of stuff around our homes will prevent dust from collecting on small surfaces throughout it, which can have far-reaching positive impacts.

(For more on decluttering, check out these expert-approved tips.)

2. Test that dust

Before you start frantically working on eliminating that now very visible layer of grime, it’s a great idea to test it with a tool like The Dust Test and make sure there aren’t high levels of contaminants hiding within those dust particles. Again, contaminants settle where dust settles. 

That layer of dust may only contain the normal culprits like excess skin cells, dirt, pet dander, and other less harmful stuff that inevitably makes its way into an indoor space. However, it could contain high levels of particles like mold spores, bacteria, or mycotoxins. If that’s the case, it indicates a hidden source of contamination within your home. Not only is that microbial growth creating toxic dust, but it’s also drastically lowering your indoor air quality, causing unwanted exposures and a wide range of potential chronic health issues (and it could be wreaking havoc on your home's structural integrity). 

By testing the dust before you remove it, you’ll have a clearer picture of your home's health. If there are high levels of contamination, you can use the results as the foundation for the next steps of the process. The data collected will help you create a roadmap, so you can work with a remediation team to properly remove all the sources of contamination in your home.

If there are no high levels of contaminants, you will have peace of mind knowing that your indoor environment is safe.

3. Have a cleaning party

Once your donation and trash piles are ready to go and you’ve sent in your dust for analysis, it’s time to clean all those newly revealed surfaces! The more dust you remove from your home, the less it can enter your body through inhalation. Not to mention, it’ll make your home look cleaner and smell fresher. 

A clean house actually shouldn’t have a smell. Odorlessness equals health! 

With that in mind, dive into cleaning. Go from room to room, working from top to bottom to eliminate as many particles as possible. Also, make sure you’re using the right tools to avoid leaving particles behind. 

Your cleaning arsenal should include:

• A damp microfiber cloth. They are more effective than regular rags at wiping away microscopic particles. 
• A HEPA vacuum cleaner. To reach the EPA standard and be qualified as a HEPA filter, they must filter out 99.7% of particles that pass through that are 0.3 microns in size. That means these machines can remove dust and other small particles like mold spores.
• Botanical cleaning products. You don’t want to add harmful chemicals to your air! Find botanical products with surfactants to healthily cleanse surfaces and protect your indoor air quality. Thymol is one active ingredient to look for; it’s derived from thyme and offers powerful antibacterial properties.
• A botanical laundry additive. This will help remove microscopic particles from the surface so they don’t continue to build up. Plus, it helps keep your washing machine clean! Tea tree oil and citrus seed extracts can clean away mold spores, bacteria, yeast, and odors.

From there, set up a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual cleaning schedule to keep your home as dust-free as possible.

Combining the tips above with other measures like changing out those HVAC filters and keeping indoor humidity8 between 35-50% will help ensure you’re surrounded by clean air and not breathing in all sorts of harmful matter. Your home will also look and feel better!