Dusting is a necessary part of home maintenance. Undusted furniture can make even the tidiest home look dirty and neglected.

Dustbunnies aren’t the only hazard of a home overrun with dust. Too much, and a person with allergies won’t stand a chance in your home. Maybe that’s you. Maybe it’s a visitor. Either way, you’ll feel much better about having unexpected company if you have furniture that looks well-cared for and clean.

Kitchens need dusting too

However, what about the rest of the dust? Furniture pieces aren’t the only dust-collecting surfaces in your home. Dust collects everywhere, on your furniture, in your carpets, on your floors—and on your walls and cabinet doors.

Often forgotten, most people have wood cabinets in their kitchens that need dusting as frequently as their coffee table. More often, in fact, because the grease floating around in a kitchen can turn minor dust into a major mess.

So, dust your kitchen cabinets as often as you dust the rest of your household furniture. Use a cloth that’s been dampened with Murphy’s Oil Soap and water, or use Pledge or Endust wipes. Whatever you choose to dust with, do it frequently and thoroughly. You don’t have to spend all day scrubbing your kitchen cabinets to make a huge difference in how they look. [Buy some Murphy Oil Soap spray now]

Stop dust before it makes it into the air

When you’re done with your kitchen, use a Swiffer duster on your furnace/heat-pump/air conditioner vents and registers. Dust will stick to the duster and you’ll cut down on the amount of allergens that make it back into your recirculated air. The air currents in a home are the single biggest carrier of dust. Stop the dust before it’s put back into the air. [Buy yourself a Swiffer duster now]

What you don’t see, someone else will

Finally, remember that carpets and rugs collect as much dust as that which ends up on your hard floors. It might not be as easy to notice, but what you don’t see, others will. Dust free floors make carpeted rooms look larger and cleaner. Vacuum regularly, daily if time permits, and wash your washable rugs at least once every three weeks.

Dusting is about more than wiping a cloth across a piece of furniture. Remember to look around your rooms as if you were a visitor. You’ll be surprised at the dust you notice when you aren’t you.

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Where do YOU dust?

Washing the laundry is about more than cleaning your clothes. Your wardrobe is a significant expense for most families, and if you want your clothes to look good for as long as possible, you’ll want to follow the tips outlined below.

1. Turn your clothing inside out

Turning your clothing inside out will protect it from pilling and prevent colors from transferring as easily onto other pieces. Every time you put clothes into the washing machine or dryer, your clothing beats against the drum of each. All that friction can be tough on delicate surfaces and will eventually wear your clothes out. By turning your pieces inside out, you give them longer life. Turn them all out, including jeans and slacks. They’ll last longer and look better.

2. Wash like colors together

Always wash like colors together. Dark colors may not leave an obvious transfer of color onto your lighter clothes, but over time, the lighter pieces will dull and you’ll wonder what happened to them. [Buy some Shout Color Catcher Dye-Trapping cloths now]

3. Don’t use fabric softener on your kitchen toweling

Dryer sheets are great for making fabrics soft and fluffy. If you want absorbent towels, though, you’ll need to leave the dryer sheets out of the dryer. The same goes for liquid fabric softener. The agents used to soften your fabrics interfere with the natural absorbency of cloth. [Buy some fabric softener sheets now]

4. Treat stains immediately

Don’t wait to treat stains on clothing. Set in stains are must harder for your detergent to remove. Treating a stain is as easy as rubbing some detergent on it or rinsing it with water and spraying with a stain treater like Spray-’N-Wash or Shout. [Buy some stain remover now]

5. Avoid bleach

Chlorine bleach is a great whitener and can take out some really hard to remove stains on white clothing. Sheets smell and feel fresher when bleached, as do white towels and wash cloths. However, using bleach with every white wash will lead to weak clothing fibers. Your fabrics will tend to rip and tear easier and will thin much sooner than with natural wear and tear. So, avoid using bleach when it’s not needed.

6. Wash cold and dry low

Finally, wash your clothes in cold water whenever possible. Always dry on the low setting. Both of these tips will help you save your colors and make it easier to get out any overlooked stains. [Buy some cold water laundry detergent now]

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6 Quick Laundry Tips