Dust Bunnies or Dust Bears?

This winter was “a bear”! We’ve been cooped-up in our cozy cubbies all season. Now each sunny day feels more like springtime and we begin to exhibit post-hibernation behavior. We begin to dig. But we’re not digging for grubs and roots.

We dig into boxes and store away papers. We dig in the closet for clothes that were lost. We dig through the shed and pull out the rakes. We dig through the panty. We dig through the attic. We dig through the storeroom. We dig through the basement. All of this digging leaves us breathless. But it’s not from the work, it’s from the dust!

Many seasons of dusts have piled up and are easily sent airborne with the slightest disturbance. With all of this stuff-moving we do, we stir up an indoor dust storm. It’s a storm of mold, pollen, dander, dust mites, fibers, sawdust, drywall dust, lead dust, and asbestos dust. You’d be astounded if you could see the dust cloud that you’re filling your lungs with. It’s a monstrous amount… surely more than a bunny’s worth.

When dusty tasks begin it might just knock you off your feet. You might have the hardest sneezing fit you’ve had all winter. You might have to grab for the inhaler. You might be sick for several days after dust-stirring activities.

If dust is a problem to your healthiness then take precautions against dusts:

• Be mindful of dust-stirring activities that you are about to begin (indoors and outdoors).
• Wear a snug-fitting “rubber” mouth-and-nose respirator when doing dusty tasks. They fit better to the muzzle than a paper mask does. Find them at the hardware store for $35 or so.
• Do dust-producing tasks outside if you can.
• Seal-off doors to other rooms with plastic and painter’s tape if dusts will be stirred up inside.

Plastic-and-painter’s-tape a fan into the room’s window to blow lots of the dust to outside.

• HEPA vacuum or damp “swipe” to collect dusts more frequently if you need to. Know the difference between wiping and “swiping”.
•  Collect-up dusts from places that don’t get cleaned very often: behind and under big furniture pieces, behind and under drawers inside cabinets, detail trim on walls and furnishings, duct air filter grills, refrigerator tubing, fan blades, rugs and carpets, drapes and blinds, books and boxes.
• Minimize interior surface area since dusts settle on all surfaces. Do your best to reduce clutter. Seal groups of things into plastic boxes. Drape a sheet over piles of stored items.
• Determine if you need: better filters, duct cleaning, humidity control, crawl space work, or mold control. There are so many more dust control measures that would be more helpful to do at one house vs. another.

Protect your lungs from excessive dustiness. Take the right precautions now so that you won’t find yourself saying later that this allergy season was “a bear”.