Homemade dusters: the key to spending less cleaning your home

Dust accumulates in every home, but it's easy and cost-effective to get rid of it by creating a duster out of household materials.

Dusting is a necessary part of keeping a household clean. However, it is not necessary to purchase a store-bought feather duster to effectively get rid of dust. In reality, it's possible to create an effective duster at home with items you most likely already have. Want to get rid of dust in your home? Check out the list below.

Consider using an ordinary dryer sheet used from the laundry. Dryer sheets are a great way to dust the surfaces your home, and they are particularly effective for oddly-shaped or hard-to-reach spots. Dryer sheets are extremely effective at attracting dust and keeping it stuck to the sheet. Try using them for floors, table tops, counters, baseboards and even computer keyboards.

In order to ensure that you do not scratch surfaces when you dust, you want to use something extremely soft. A great soft item that can be very effective for dusting is an old t-shirt made out of soft, cotton jersey material. Use a dusting spray with the t-shirt to add a little extra shine when you dust. To make your own dusting spray, mix one cup of vinegar with half a teaspoon of olive oil and three cups of water.

If you need to dust things that are extremely fragile, consider dusting with soft, fabric gloves like the ones you wear during the winter. Some good examples of items that can be dusted with gloves are chandeliers, china or glass vases. Simply hold the delicate object in your hands and gently rub it. This will ensure that you do not accidentally knock into the object and break it while cleaning.

If you have an empty squirt bottle around your house, you can use it as an effective tool for dusting. Consider thoroughly rinsing empty condiment containers, shampoo bottles, or plastic water bottles with a squirt top. When the bottle is completely empty, squeeze a puff of air at hard-to-reach places like the corners of picture frames, inside of computer keyboards or in crevices between decorative items. The blast of air will clear dust out without requiring you to actually touch it with a duster.