Friends who mock your dreams are not qualified to keep dusting your door step with their footprints every time. – Israelmore Ayivor, Author
Clutter, in all its various forms, is not good for any environment. Having clutter attracts negative energy, called sha. Sha from clutter can result in procrastination, difficulty in making choices, health and sexual issues, financial troubles, and a very low self-image. One form of clutter that occurs in nearly every indoor area is dust. Frustratingly, very few people know that they can remove dust with air purifiers!
Here are some tips for dusting away the bad energy:
- What is Dust? The short answer is dust can be anything broken down into minutely small fragments. It varies greatly depending on where and how one lives. It can include, but is not limited to, the following: make-up powder, cigarette ash, flour, chalk, pet dander, human dandruff, soil, pollen, and industrial pollution.
- How it is Bad? In addition to it being a form of clutter, and attracting all of the clutter-induced issues, dust has been scientifically proven to aggravate sinus problems and allergies, damage lung tissue, and prevents the healing of ravaged skin from cold weather or chaffing. These ailments can also lead to further trips to medical professionals, which may result in more money being spent towards these visits (depending on one’s insurance), and time lost.
- How to Dust. Start with the bedroom and kitchen. The bedroom is where one spends most of their time, and the kitchen is the source of nourishment for the home; these should be addressed first followed by the rest of the house. Start with the tops of surfaces, like the top areas of bookcases, tops of picture frames, and the like, then work your way down. Don’t forgot to dust air vents, which may be on the ceiling or high up on the wall.
- No Feather Dusters. Although great for French romantic comedies, feather dusters don’t really pick up dust so much as move it around. There are several products out there that can help with dust removal. I, however, find that old socks make the best dust rags.
- Don’t Forget the Electronics. Computers, televisions, and the like should also be dusted. If you have an elaborate set up, make sure to dust cords and areas near electrical outlets, so as to improve the wear of your items. (Compresses air works wonders for keyboard – just follow all the directions.)
- Windows and Mirrors. These can also accumulate dust. Use a gentle cleaning agent (I use either a mixture of water and white vinegar, or automotive glass cleaner), and use a coffee filter. Yes, a coffee filter. Unlike paper towels or rags, coffee filters will not leave streaks.
- Vacuuming. After everything has been dusted, the final surface needs to be addressed: the floor. If you have a carpeted floor, use Bissell products and vacuum the area thoroughly. If you have a wood, laminate or tile, mop the area with a non-toxic floor cleaner (my favorite – water and white vinegar). If you have rugs scattered about, beat the dust out of them and vacuum them as best as possible. The occasional washing wouldn’t hurt, either. If you have an Oriental rug, hand washing delicate fabrics is probably a better solution; you may even want to get help from the likes of Key Biscayne Oriental Rug Pros to get your Oriental rug back into a good condition.
- Get on a Schedule. Dusting is tedious work, but it has to be done. I dust about once a month, and that keeps my modest apartment in tip-top shape. (I have found great music can help one tackle annoying tasks.) I prefer do to most of my own dusting, but some do not. Cleaning companies can be good for this, although this can be challenging if there are pets or children in the home.
In short, dust is bad, and should be eliminated as soon as possible. If you experience any of the above mentioned clutter-induced issues, I encourage you to act promptly and dust your environment. I believe it was Rumi who said, “When someone beats a rug, the blows are not against the rug, but against the dust in it.”
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