Dusting Tricks

Im very particular when it comes to cleaning the house. As much as possible I always want everything to be clean, especially when it comes to cleaning dusty area. I know everyone would agree that its time consuming but heres some tricks for timesaving and efficient way to dust your home clean.

Baby Wipes

Believe it or not, some brands of baby wipes -- Huggies, for instance -- can be laundered and reused as dust cloths and cleaning rags for when you straighten up. It probably goes without saying, but only "mildly" soiled wipes should be considered candidates for laundering.


Periodically shaking out your PC's keyboard is a good way to get rid of the dust and debris that gathers underneath and in between the keys. But that's just half the job. Use a baby wipe to remove the dirt, dried spills, and unspecified gunk that builds up on the keys themselves. Make sure to turn off the computer or unplug the keyboard before you wipe the keys.

Fabric Softener

• Are you frustrated to see dust fly back onto your television screen, or other plastic surfaces, right after cleaning them? To eliminate the static cling that attracts dust, simply dampen your dust cloth with fabric softener straight from the bottle and dust as usual.


• Clean glass tables, shower doors, and other hard surfaces, and repel dust with liquid fabric softener. Mix 1 part softener into 4 parts water and store in a squirt bottle, such as an empty dishwashing liquid bottle. Apply a little solution to a clean cloth, wipe the surface, and then polish with a dry cloth.
  

Fabric Softener Sheets

• Because television and PC screens are electrically charged, they actually attract dust, making dusting them a never-ending chore, but not if you dust them with used dryer softener sheets. These sheets are designed to reduce static cling, so they remove the dust, and keep it from resettling for several days or more.


• Cleaning venetian blinds is a tedious chore, so make the results last by wiping them down with a used dryer fabric softener sheet to repel dust. Wipe them with another sheet whenever the effect wears off.
  

Gloves

Need to dust that collection of glass animals or other delicate items? Put on some fabric gloves -- the softer the better -- to clean your bric-a-brac thoroughly.


If your chandelier has become a haven for spiderwebs and dust, try this surefire dusting tip. Soak some old fabric gloves in window cleaner. Slip them on and wipe off the lighting fixture. You'll beam at the gleaming results.

Oven Mitts

Although oven mitts are typically confined to kitchen duty, they're actually great for dusting and polishing around your house. Use one side of the mitt to apply wax or polish to your furniture, and the other side to buff it up. It's a great way to use old mitts or all those extra ones you've collected.

Paintbrushes

• Are your window screens screaming out for a good cleaning? Use a large, clean paintbrush to give them a good dusting. Then shake off the brush, dip it into a small dish of kerosene, and "paint" both sides of your screens. Dry off the mesh with a clean cloth.


• A feather duster or dust rag is fine for cleaning shelves and such, but neither one is much good when you need to get into the tiny cracks and crevices of chandeliers, wicker furniture or baskets, and all sorts of knickknacks. That's when a small natural-bristle paintbrush can be indispensable. The soft bristles are perfect for cleaning out areas that are otherwise impossible to reach. It's also excellent for dusting delicate items such as porcelain or carved-wood figurines.
  

Pantyhose

• Looking for a simple way to dust baking pans and surfaces with exactly the right amount of flour? Just cut the foot section off a clean old pantyhose leg, fill it with flour, tie a knot in it, and keep it in your flour jar. Give your new flour dispenser a few gentle shakes whenever you need to dust flour onto a baking pan or prepare a surface for rolling out dough for breads or pastries.


• Having trouble catching those dust bunnies residing underneath and alongside your refrigerator? Round them up by balling up a pair of old pantyhose and attaching it with a rubber band to a coat hanger or yardstick. The dust and dirt will cling to the nylon, which can easily be washed off before being called back for dusting duty.
  

Pillowcases

Have you ever seen dust bunnies careening off your ceiling fan when you turn it on for the first time in weeks? Grab an old pillowcase and place it over one of the ceiling fan blades. Slowly pull off the pillowcase. The blades get dusted and the dust bunnies stay in the pillowcase, instead of parachuting to the floor.

Socks

Forget wasting money on those expensive gadgets and gizmos for cleaning venetian blind slats. Just slip a sock over your hand and gently rub the dust off. You can use some dusting spray on the sock, if you like.

Squirt Bottles

A clean, empty squeeze bottle may be just the cleaning tool you need to get the dust out of the corners of your picture frames and other tight spaces. Use it to give a good blast of air to blow out the dirt you can't otherwise reach.

Toothpicks

To get rid of dirt, grime, and cobwebs in hard-to-reach cracks or crevices, dip an ordinary toothpick in some alcohol and run it through the affected area. Also try this to clean around the buttons of your phone.

Umbrellas

The next time you climb up there to clean the chandelier or ceiling fan, bring an old umbrella with you. Open the umbrella and hook its handle on the fixture so that it hangs upside down to catch any drips or dust.