

How ‘Deep Dust’ affects Home Cleanliness & Air Quality

How ‘Deep Dust’ affects Home Cleanliness & Air Quality

carpet cleaning AtlantaDust is a very common – and very annoying – part of daily living. Even though we encounter dust virtually every day of our lives, most of us don’t give it much thought. But, what exactly is Dust? And more importantly, what is Deep Dust?

What is Dust?
Dust is a generic term for the powdery dry particles that float around in the air and accumulate on surfaces. The most common type of dust we encounter – household dust – is actually a conglomeration of a variety of substances. In fact, if you were to have the dust in your home analyzed, it would likely consist of the following components…

  1. Dirt and Silt
    • this makes its way into our homes through doors, windows, air vents and other openings. We also track in tiny particles on our shoes every time we step indoors.
  2. Dead Skin Cells
    • dead skin is continually shed by all the inhabitants of a home. Thousands of cells per day slough off of each person and into the living environment. In addition to skin, humans shed lots of hair daily. Of course, our furry pets also shed lots of hair and skin.
  3. Fibers and Lint
    • our clothing, towels, bed linens, carpets and rugs, and even some paper goods cast off fibers and minute particles.
  4. Pollen, Spores and other Plant Particles
    • trees, plants, weeds, and grasses all release organic matter into the environment. Some of this matter, like pollen, is very fine and can travel great distances in the wind. When we open a door or window, these uninvited particles enter and take up residence.
  5. Insect Remains
    • all the tiny and not-so-tiny crawling and flying pests that invade our living space eventually die. In time, the wings, legs, exoskeletons and antennae dry out and fragment into bits.
  6. Residue from Tobacco Use
    • smoke particles and ashes become airborne easily, allowing them to drift throughout the entire home.
  7. Construction Debris
    • this includes sawdust, drywall dust, fiberglass strands, paint overspray and other tiny particles generated during the process of home repairs and improvements.
  8. Bacteria, Viruses and other Toxins
    • Our homes can be havens to harmful organisms that make their way inside. They arrive through the air, via our pets or even hitch a ride on us. Residue from common household products, such as cleaning supplies and pesticides, also generate harmful indoor pollutants.

What is Deep Dust?
Deep Dust refers to the dust that a homeowner is unable to see and remove thoroughly. Unlike Surface Dust, which is highly visible and thus easy to clean, Deep Dust resides in parts of the home that the homeowner cannot typically access with normal cleaning methods.

Most people don’t even think about what they can’t see. But if not addressed, Deep Dust continues to accumulate over time. Deep Dust compounds allergies and breathing issues, harbors foul odors and smells, and creates an unhealthy living environment for the entire family.

In most homes, Deep Dust can be found in three main areas…

  1. Air Ducts
    • the air ducts extend to every living space within your home. They circulate high volumes of air to and from your heating and cooling system to help maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. Because they transport massive amounts of air upward, downward, around bends and over long distances, there is probably no other place in a typical home that contains as much dust as the air ducts.

      A homeowner can vacuum the dust off the grates and registers in each room. They can even remove the grates and registers to vacuum a foot or so into the duct itself. But this is about the extent of the “cleaning” a typical homeowner can do. To thoroughly remove all the dust collected deep within a home’s air ducts requires the attention of an expert. After all, the ducts likely contain all of the aforementioned dust particles…and if the air ducts have never been cleaned, these particles have been accumulating ever since the home was first built.

  2. Carpeting
    • it’s no secret that gravity makes dust settle. And the lowest lying surface in your living space is the floor. The floor is also the largest horizontal surface within your home, so naturally a carpeted floor collects and traps an enormous amount of dust.

      Unlike rugs, which can be gathered up, shook out and washed, wall-to-wall carpeting must remain fixed on the floor while it is being cleaned. Consequently, the embedded dust particles must be pulled upward, against gravity. But most household vacuums aren’t powerful enough to draw out the dust located deep within the carpet fibers and pad. That’s why the deep dust must be extracted by a professional using specialized carpet cleaning equipment.

  3. Upholstered Furniture
    • Almost all upholstered sofas, sectionals, chairs, recliners, ottomans and similar pieces are porous enough to allow the deep penetration of dust. This is true whether the upholstery fabric is made from a natural or synthetic fiber.

      Despite a thorough going over with a household vacuum, a cloud of dust will still be expelled when you thump the cushions or padding with your hand. Why? Because a household vacuum just can’t do a thorough enough job of removing deeply embedded dust from upholstery. Nor does it freshen or disinfect.

Fortunately, Zerorez Atlanta offers all the services you need to remove deep dust from your air ducts, carpeting, and upholstery. We not only remove years of dust, soil and grime, our eco-friendly Powered Water also sanitizes and disinfects.

The dust you can see is bad, but the dust you can’t see is even worse. Contact Zerorez at (770) 242-1313 and let our specialized technicians help get your home as clean as it can be.

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