7 Popular Home Items That Collect Way More Dust Than You Think

Dust is one of those unavoidable things in life, akin to taxes and laundry. No matter how often you clean, more of it is going to build up. And cleaning is important, because dust is actually a pretty nasty mixture of dead skin cells (did you know the average person sheds more than a pound of these a year?), fibers that fall from clothing, soot, dust mites, pet dander, pollen, and hair. Now that you’re sufficiently grossed out, you’re probably ready to go on a huge dusting campaign in your home, but before you do, take note of those little things you’re probably forgetting. Yes, it’s important to dust your window sills and baseboards, but some of the dustiest things in your home are actually those little decorative items you wouldn’t suspect. Read on, then get that microfiber towel out.

Curtains and Drapes

It’s no surprise that these are dust enemy number one. After all, they often drag on the floor and they’re hanging beside your windows, so as air flows through your home, they’re trapping dust particles that pass by. They’re also magnets for pet hair and dander, especially heavier fabrics like velvet, which tend to trap dust more easily than a smooth surface would. We’re not telling you to toss your window treatments, but this is your sign to clean them more often. Experts suggest cleaning curtains every one to two months if you have allergies.

Fake Plants

You probably thought that these required no maintenance, and you’re mostly correct. But since faux plants are plastic or fabric and they don’t get rinsed off like the real things do, they’re likely to sit around and collect debris. If you’re going to invest in faux foliage, set a reminder on your phone once a month to go over the leaves with a dry microfiber cloth.

Throw Pillows

We remember to clean our bedding and regular pillow shams, but for some reason, these decorative pillows often get skipped over. Sure, we’re not spending quite as much time lounging on them, but they can still gather a whole lot of dust and grime, just like any fabric can. You should be vacuuming and dusting these at least once a month.

Books

A lovely book collection on some mid-century shelves: chic. A pile of texts covered in dust: less so. Books are actually susceptible to a whole bunch of gross stuff. Because they’re made of paper, fabric, and organic materials, they attract dust, and dust, in turn, can stain the books. Books can also retain moisture, which means they can grow mold and mildew (ew), so you’ll want to stay on top of these.

Lampshades

Especially the pleated ones! Those little grooves are chic, but it’s almost like they were made to trap dust particles. The fabric or paper portions are particularly good at attracting those gross particles. You’ll want to dust these regularly, and for pleated shades, use a small paintbrush or cleaning brush to get in between the folds.

Tapestries and Wall Hangings

Now that we’re seeing tapestries pop up as a major decor trend, this one seems more important than ever. Use a microfiber cloth or small brush to clean your tapestries once a week (yes, that often!). Make sure you’re using a dry cloth or dry brush, because adding moisture to these can, again, lead them to grow mold and mildew.

Wicker Baskets

By now, you’ve probably figured out that anything with nooks and crevices is a fun hideout for dust. Woven baskets, while super helpful for storage and organization, fit this bill. They’ll need to be wiped down monthly with a microfiber cloth.