Dust Busters!
If there’s something gross
On your windowsill
Who you gonna call?
(Dustbusters)
If there’s something dusty
And it don’t look good
Who you gonna call?
(Dustbusters)
I ain’t afraid of no Dust
I ain’t afraid of no Dust
If you’re seeing (dirty) things
All around your house
Who can you call?
(Dustbusters)
Story time:
I will never forget the first time I heard my granny swear. It was August and she was hosting a Church-auntie tea party in her home on the farm in Limpopo.
I was 7 at the time and staying with her for the weekend. I had watched as she set the table with her finest crisp white linen and arranged her best porcelain teacups and side plates. One for each auntie. Little teaspoon, cake fork, and flowery napkin included. That night Gran went to bed with a smile on her face. Tomorrow, she’d be ready for the party, koeksisters and sugar cookies on hand.
The next morning, as I was drinking my tea and eating a giant rusk at the kitchen counter, Granny went to check on her table. “Oh my #$%^!” yelled Gran in a high-pitched screech. My world froze…Something horrible must have happened. Nothing short of death in the family could make my proper, neat as a pin, elegant Gran swear like a pirate.
The culprit?
A thin red layer of dust had settled over everything. The tablecloth was no longer white, the teacups were coated in it, the napkins, side plates and teaspoons were all gritty from the red dust.
From that day on, I hated dust. Something in my granny’s distressed wail settled this hatred in my soul and the lifelong fight against dust was initiated.
It’s thirty years later and although I don’t live on a farm with dusty red soil, I do live in a coal mining town, so my local dust is just as pervasive, and black as tar.
I have become a bit of a dust busting expert over the years.
Let’s discuss the merits of various dust busting devices.
Vacuum cleaners
Initially just intended for carpets, more and more vacuum cleaners are now also geared towards cleaning hard floors such as tiles, laminates, and screed flooring.
Opinion: My Gran obviously did not have a vacuum cleaner, but believe me, I live for mine. I have one of the vacuums on the list below, and I vacuum everything from windowsills and bookshelves to floors and upholstery. A proper, durable vacuum with enough suction will aid you in your dust busting.
Get the Robo-vacuum version if you want, but just remember to pick up toys and shoes for the best possible clean.
Comparative list of best vacuum cleaners in South Africa
Dust cloths
This is a very low-tech solution to dust busting but it is still one of my favourite tools. A plain, dry dust cloth can do so much! Buy yourself a pack of those orange clothes from your local grocery shop and get in the habit of keeping them around the house. Their texture picks up even the finest dust particles, including pollen and pet hair. I have one in each bathroom, in my bedroom, and in my home office. It’s simple – wipe, and wash. Obviously, you can use the neon-coloured micro-fibre kind as well, but personally nothing gives me the heebie-jeebies quite like picking up one of those with dry hands. Ick.
Feather dusters
Another old school tool, but once again a classic for a reason. Here, however, innovation has made it so much better. Instead of the ostrich feather and bamboo duster my Gran had (even though they are perfectly fine, biodegradable and locally made), you now get synthetic ones, which can be washed in soapy water, and are much more durable.
Buy yourself a nice long or extendable one, and ensure that the corners of your room, under the bed and behind your bookshelves are dust, bug and spiderweb free from now on.
Doors closed, shoes off!
Another way of waging war on dust is to make sure your windows and doors seal well, which means August gusts won’t bring indoor dust. Declaring your home a shoe-free zone and keeping pets mostly outdoors are also good ideas.
Any combination of dust busting tools can work for your home, just remember that buying the tool isn’t enough. You have to pick up the lappie, plug in the vacuum and start cleaning!
The freedom of choice
Whether you go fully automatic with robo-vacs and microfiber cloths and plastic rainbow dusters, or stick to a push vacuum, an orange dust cloth and an ostrich feather duster, it is up to you, as long as you promise not to give up on busting dust! Together we can overcome!
