Dust Like A Pro
I finally figured it out. I mentioned before that no matter how hard I tried, dusting was one of the hardest things to tackle in my house. It was dusty all the time!
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| Public Enemy #1 when it comes to cleaning. |
Part of the problem was due to the the dogs tracking in dirt from their run. Little did I know, we were equally to blame.
Notice I said my house was dusty. Several things have changed since last year.
• I got new floors. Well, not new, but refinished. The workers sanded and buffed the floors, vacuuming with a vacuum that could probably suck out your tonsils. Now I have a nice sealed surface where dust can't collect.
• We replaced all the filters to our air and furnace.
• We thoroughly cleaned the filter to our Roomba.
• The Roomba vacuums EVERY day, 7 days a week.
• I vacuumed all my shades and cleaned my windows.
• We removed or replaced our throw rugs.
• I washed all our bedding, including the guest rooms.
• The dogs have to go through two dirt traps before they can traipse through the rest of the house. Their doggie door is attached to my studio which I have sacrificed as the main dirt collector. As they enter from their doggie door, there's a piece of indoor/outdoor carpeting that traps the loose dirt, and a second rough coir mat they have to walk on before stepping onto the refinished wood floors. It works!
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| Iko is the clean one in the family... when he's not chasing chickens. |
• THE BIGGIE: We no longer come into the house with shoes on. We are a shoe-free house.
• SECOND BIGGIE: I have a lot of solid wood furniture. Maybe out of laziness but I stopped polishing it with a good oil polish long ago.
Well, I started doing it again and I can't believe the difference. Yes, I still dust the furniture, but I can go weeks without wiping down furniture with no visible dust buildup.
I use Scott's Liquid Gold. I prefer the pour-on type, but for some reason that can be hard to find. The aerosol works just as good though.
My house has never been cleaner. It smells better too. Another bonus: We've definitely had less trouble with allergies.
I wish I had done this years ago. These few steps have dramatically changed the cleanliness of my house and our health. It doesn't take me as long to clean anymore either. Boo Yah!
Do you use any special cleaner for dusting? I've tried several, but Scott's Liquid Gold has been my favorite so far. And I can't say enough about my Roomba. I was hesitant to spend that kind of dough, but it was money well spent. Not to mention it gave me back the time I would've spent vacuuming by hand.
Comments
Get a Roomba though. I love it. The cheaper ones work just as well from what my friends say, but the one I bought (the 880) doesn't need much maintenance other than making sure filters and rollers are free of debris.
We keep the amount of dirt our dogs track in under control by reseeding and returfing the lawn when necessary, and only walking them on the road side or grassy paths. If there are no dirt patches for them to traipse through, they can't bring it into the house.
Dog hair is an ongoing headache for me, but that's what I get for having Shelties. :)
I loved Samoyeds. They were such agreeable and good-natured dogs, but their thick fur keeps them high maintenance.
re: turf
I keep trying to grow turf, but Iko is a digger. He doesn't tunnel, but he likes to dig himself a nice soft patch of dirt to sleep in. I finally gave up and let him keep his dirt bed. At least he's good about shaking himself off once he gets up.
betty