Dust bunnies are not as a fluffy and adorable as they sound; they are in fact clumps of dust and dirt that hide in corners and under your furniture! Dust can also trigger allergies and be bad for your family’s health so make sure these unwanted ‘pets’ don’t take over your home, with our article on what causes dust bunnies, where do dust bunnies come from, and how do you get rid of them?
Even a dust bunny weighing just one gram can host up to 200 dust mites! Dust mites create waste products which can set off common allergies such as asthma, so when tackling dust, wear a mask in order to prevent breathing in any particles.
What are Dust Bunnies Made Of?
Dust is a mixture of human and animal skin cells and hair, soil and clothing fibres. Dust bunnies form when dust particles are attracted to each other by static electricity, until they become large balls of dust.
Want to know why are they called dust bunnies? Because they look a little like fuzzy creatures lurking under your bed!
However, dust bunnies can also collect things like dead insects and mould spores, and crucially, provide attractive feeding grounds for dust mites. Not so cute, and not so good for your health.
How to Get Rid of Dust Bunnies
Let’s look at where dust bunnies come from first. They collect in areas that aren’t used, typically underneath beds, behind sofas and heavy appliances that don’t get moved very often, such as refrigerators and washing machines. The best way to tackle them, therefore, is to clean!
Get a HEPA filter. Look for a vacuum cleaner with a high-efficiency particulate air filter, which catches even tiny dust particles.
Vacuum thoroughly. Pull out furniture when you vacuum. Take off the vacuum head and use the hose for any corners or hard-to-reach areas and use the smaller attachments to clean upholstery, paying particular attention to places that usually get missed, like the sofa cushions and down the sides of soft chairs.
Use a damp cloth to dust. Dusting surfaces with a dry cloth or rag can simply stir the dust up and release it into the air. Use some furniture polish or surface spray such as Jif Multipurpose. Microfibre cloths are even better for picking up dust rather than spreading it around.
Wash your bedding at a high temperature – ideally over 60 °C/140 °F – to kill off any dust mites.
Now that you know how to get rid of dust bunnies, keeping your home clean and tidy should be a little easier. Remember: you can find more advice on routine and deep cleaning methods right here on Cleanipedia: just search for your cleaning problem and we can help on anything from removing stains on clothing to tips on making your bathroom shine.
Keep up a regular cleaning routine to stop dust bunnies colonising your home again, and try to do a more thorough dust and ‘deep clean’ every month or two.
Consider getting a de-humidifier. Regulating the humidity in your home can reduce the static that helps dust bunnies to collect. Ideally, you should aim for between 40% – 50% humidity levels.
Swap your soft furnishings if someone in your family suffers with allergies. Wooden blinds are easier to dust than curtains. Similarly, wood or vinyl floors are easier to keep clean than carpets and rugs.