Extremely dusty house, got any tips? Pet owners?

MrsMOM1129

Ok ladies, I have a bit of a problem. My home is SO dusty! I have two dogs and two cats so we also have quite a bit of pet hair. I know to change the air filter and and brush the animals more often. But, any other tips that could help? I'd like to get something figured out before the baby comes. WDYT?

katie4253

What kind of vacuum do you have?

 

lolliM

A good vacuum makes a huge difference.  We use a dyson and LOVE it!  We have a pug and she sheds like crazy.  For your animals, I don't know if it's an option, but like for the pugs I've heard shaving them in the summer time can help cut down on the shedding!  Also, when you dust, don't use a feather duster...you want some kind of cloth and you want it dampened with wood cleaner or dust cleaner stuff...dry dusters just push that stuff around.  Changing those a/c filters every 3 months is important...just bought new ones the other day!

Rita092010

Our big purchase that helped with the hair from our two corgis was getting the dyson animal ball.  It picks up so much more than my old vac ever did.  Other than that, just dusting and cleaning more often.  I haven't figured out too many tricks!

KleanFreak

Haha! DH and I had this conversation today. He asked: Should we get the house professionally cleaned before LO arrives? My response: Honey, if I am 40 weeks pregnant, you better find someone else to clean. We probably won't pay for that though, I imagine my mom and sister will help out.

So I share in your misery and have little advice to offer.

google123

I don't really have any advice.  My house gets dusty too.  I just dust more often, maybe every 2 weeks, and I use a wet-wipe rather than a duster.  I find if I use a feather duster, the dust just comes back after a couple of days.  It's annoying.

MrsMOM1129

Thanks ladies. I use the swiffer handle duster (I spray it with pledge) aslo, we have a kirby. But, the only carpet we have in our home anymore is our area rugs, the rest of our flooring is laminate.

KleanFreak

MrsMOM1129:

Thanks ladies. I use the swiffer handle duster (I spray it with pledge) aslo, we have a kirby. But, the only carpet we have in our home anymore is our area rugs, the rest of our flooring is laminate.

Sometimes area rugs help to collect the hair. Otherwise the pet hair just blows around like tumbleweeds.  We are needing an area rug in our room for this exact reason. I find the rooms that don't have carpets or rugs tend to be dustier. In reality, they aren't, but the carpet collects a lot of that and then the vacuum picks it up.

lolliM

KleanFreak:

MrsMOM1129:

Thanks ladies. I use the swiffer handle duster (I spray it with pledge) aslo, we have a kirby. But, the only carpet we have in our home anymore is our area rugs, the rest of our flooring is laminate.

Sometimes area rugs help to collect the hair. Otherwise the pet hair just blows around like tumbleweeds.  We are needing an area rug in our room for this exact reason. I find the rooms that don't have carpets or rugs tend to be dustier. In reality, they aren't, but the carpet collects a lot of that and then the vacuum picks it up.

I LOVE that you used this analogy!!!!  We have wood laminate with rugs in the living room and our pugs fur collects against the walls and under the couch...well when someone opens the front door---if it's breezy outside out blows an entire pug that has collected under the couch...just blows across the floor like a tumbleweed LOL!!!!

MFAinNYC

Dyson Animal.

I also wash the dogs pretty often, which cuts down a bit on shedding and dander (I have dust allergies and this can aggravate it).  Currently, my dogs are rarely allowed on the second floor because the stairs are the most difficult to vacuum.  We spend most of our time in the family room and kitchen and they are always there with us... unless it's bed time.  OR a lazy weekend when I let the puppies come snuggle in bed.

caraleeb

I use my dyson LOVE it but it still gets dusty! try to dust with a swiffer but im assuming this is a never ending problem and im only just learning to be a better housekeeper!

glmorgan03

Same issue here... I have a Dyson animal too and it works great, but my house is still dusty.  I also started using the Swiffer duster sprayed with pledge, but it seems  to make very little difference.  We also started changing our air filter more frequently to try and keep the air circulating.

I have pretty bad pregnancy rhinitis, and nothing I do seems to get the house dust-free enough. 

meg211

I have a golden retriever who sheds like the bejeesus and hardwood floors.  The previous comment about tumbleweeds is too true with that combo!  We finally decided to invest in a Roomba (with the pet upgrade), and I let that run every other day while I'm at work.  I follow up with a regular sweep & vacuum just once on the weekends.  Its been a big help!

katie4253

I dust, THEN vacuum (which is good only if you have a good vacuum).  I never use a swiffer, I just vacuum the hair up.  Swiffers still throw hair around when I've used them.  Also, change your furnace filters more often than every 3 months. It makes a big difference. 

Once the baby comes I have a feeling we are going to have to vacuum daily and we are considering getting a 2nd vacuum for upstairs so we don't have to haul the vacuum up and down the stairs each day.  We'll probably not get a 2nd dyson though.  We love that vacuum, but I think we'll do something like the Shark Navigator. 

graceb15

What kind of food are you feeding the cats and dogs? Sometimes a better quality food will help control the shedding. The Furminator also works wonders!

jkcbaby

To clarify the purpose of the filters in a house:  There are two sets of ducts in a house.  Those leading to the heat exchanger (via vents in the ceiling you put the filters in), and those leading from the heat exchanger (what the air/heat blows from).  The filters keep the dust from accumulating in the exchanger, not so much the living space.  That being said, I suppose over time, if enough dust gets through to the exchanger, it can make its way back to the living area. Food for thought.

My house is less than two years old and I change the filters frequently... I feel like I dust and 1 week later... dust everywhere.  It's winter, the windows are closed.  It's a mystery to me.  Now that I thing about it, it is worse in the carpeted rooms, where the cat is not even allowed.  Maybe I'm not vacuuming often enough.  Hmmm.  I like the Roomba vacuum idea.

molly wuppy

I'm considering a Roomba.  I like to think of it as a multi-function tool.  Dust / hair collector and cat entertainment!

My mutt sheds like crazy.  We sweep daily with a soft broom, then suck up the debris with a hand vac.  The kitten likes to play with the broom so it keeps her entertained also.  Area rugs get vacuumed every two days.  But we live in an apartment so we're not talking huge areas.