Chaotic dust bunnies are inevitable in every home, but have you ever noticed that dust is more common in some spaces than others? Turns out, it’s not just your imagination; there’s a reason behind those rampant dust bunnies. So what’s the deal? What’s causing these dust bunnies? Better yet, how can you make dust bunnies disappear? Keep reading for the lesser-known causes—and tips on defeating dust bunnies for good.
What Causes Dust Bunnies?
“The primary reason dust bunnies occur in some homes or parts of homes more frequently than others is because of the house’s air filters,” says Justin Carpenter, owner of Modern Maids in Dallas, Texas. “As a homeowner, you should frequently check your air filters and clean them if necessary. If it has been unusually long since your last cleaning, this could signal the filters are not doing their job of picking up the particles as they pass by.” Believe it or not, you don’t have to wait until dust bunnies emerge to replace your air filter. The frequency is dependent on many different factors—such as whether or not you have pets and what type of filter you have. However, people should change their air filters anywhere from every 30 days to every few months to improve their indoor air quality and minimize dust bunnies. So that’s it? Case closed? Well, not quite. While your air filters are a major factor, there are other underlying causes of dust bunnies that might be out of your control. According to Abe Navas, general manager of Emily’s Maids in Dallas, Texas, how much time you spend in a room and the space’s overall layout can contribute to your invasion of dust bunnies.
How to Reduce Dust Bunnies
There’s more to those big clumps than small dust particles that stealthily slip through your air filter. As cringe-worthy as it sounds, our skin and hair also shed. You might not be able to quarantine sections of your home, but it is possible to reduce the dust that accumulates. Here’s how.
Keep shoes out of the house.
“Leave your shoes at the entrance; dust comes in your shoes at a high quantity,” Navas says. “If you leave them at the entrance of your home, you reduce the area where it spreads, and cleaning the mess that you could make is much easier in a closed environment.”
Fill gaps between furniture.
As for your room’s layout? Don’t worry, there’s a solution for that, too. “Don’t leave gaps in your furniture: Here is where dust bunnies are made, and they reproduce pretty fast,” Navas says. Think underneath a bed, behind a door, or in an unoccupied corner. “Try to fill every gap of your furniture with stylish solutions and clean them regularly, because they are critical parts in your home.”
How to Prevent Dust Bunnies
While vacuuming your space on a regular basis will get rid of dust bunnies temporarily, there’s a good chance they’ll only come back with a vengeance sooner rather than later. If you want to get rid of dust bunnies once and for all, consider adding these steps to your cleaning routine.
Wash the floor regularly.
As Jeneva Aaron from The House Wire puts it, static electricity is ultimately the reason dust particles clump together and form bonafide bunnies. If you want to get rid of dust bunnies, you need to keep static electricity at bay. “The only way to prevent them is to wash your floor with water on a regular basis,” Aaron says. “A damp cloth won’t just remove dust from the floor, but water prevents static electricity from building up so there won’t be enough of a charge to hold the dust together. This is why we don’t see bust bunnies on the kitchen floor and other areas that get mopped regularly.”
Keep linens laundered.
Of course, the previous tip doesn’t only apply to your floors; it’s equally important to wash your linens regularly. “Fabric tends to collect skin cells and dust, but once those things fall down, they form dust bunnies on the floor,” Aaron says. “By keeping your fabrics clean, you’ll prevent dust from accumulating around your house.”
Run a humidifier.
Another way to reduce the static electricity in your home? Pick up a humidifier to add moisture to dry, static-prone air. Humidifiers come as standalone units or attach directly to your furnace. These units help regulate humidity levels during the winter when heating tends to dry out the air. To prevent dust bunnies caused by excessive static electricity, keep your humidity levels between 30 to 50 percent.
