Removing Dust

1. FURNACE DUCTS--Before I turn the furnace on for the first time in the fall I cover each heat register with a wet towel. I cycle the furnace twice before removing the towels. If your heat registers are near the ceiling you can and cover them with paper towels-- using masking tape to hold them in place --and then lightly mist the towels with water before turning the furnace on. It is amazing how much dust gets trapped in the duct work of a furnace while they are not on in the warm months.
   
   
2. COUCH AND CHAIR CUSHIONS--(I learned this years ago but recently saw Martha Stewart teach this on her television show.) Cushions get very dusty and vacuuming them is good, it helps, but it does not get all of the dust from deep in the foam. Place your cushion in a large garbage bag---couch cushions may need to be placed in a plastic lawn and leaf bag. Draw up the open end in your hand. Place your vacuum hose nozzle into the drawn up open end and squeeze the bag tightly around it making sure you don't cover the open end of the nozzle. Then turn on your vacuum and watch the cushion shrink to nothing as the air is sucked out of the bag...and the dust from the cushion with it! When you open the bag it puffs back up...dust free!
   
   
3. THROW PILLOWS COMFORTERS AND AFGHANS--These get dusty faster than they get dirty enough to require laundering. I put bed pillows and throw pillows in my dryer and put the setting to air fluff. With the pillows I put in the dryer a clean old tennis shoe...yes, tennis shoe. Remarkably the shoe beats the dust out and reshapes the pillows! The comforters and afghans I just put in an air fluff dryer with a dryer sheet.
   
   
4. BASKETS AND SILK FLOWERS--Both baskets and silk flowers can get very dusty. I take them and my hair dryer outside and blow the dust off with my hair dryer. Baskets can also be sprayed clean with a hose or sink sprayer without ruining them. I have always had good results from swishing my silk flowers in a sink full of water and drying them on a bath towel.
   
   
5. ORRRRRRRR...IF YOU PREFER NOT TO DUST ANYMORE HERE IS A TIP:
   DON'T DUST!!! --Let all of the dust and all of the cobwebs accumulate all year. Then, just before the holidays, invest in some gold or silver glitter spray paint. Spray the dust and cobwebs and guess what? YOU WILL HAVE THE MOST BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!! A TRUE WONDERLAND!!! You will be the envy of all of the women who know you!Your home will look a story book fairy land! Your will just glisten your way through the Holiday Season and make Martha Stewart jealous!!!

~~Sharon

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