The right way to dust all comes down to one cloth choice

9honey Living’s The Wash Up: Your 30-day spring cleaning guide is a month-long series aimed at making your annual house clean easier with hacks and expert advice.
Dusting doesn’t really seem like the kind of topic there’d be much debate around given it’s mainly about wiping surfaces with a cloth.
But there is one very important decision you need to make before you dust anything with a cloth and that’s whether you use a dry cloth or a damp one.
There are benefits to both and reasons why you might choose one over the other, but ultimately there is one way that comes out on top because of how much easier it makes the process.
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Fans of damp dusting prefer it as a way of trapping all the dust in and under the cloth instead of it billowing up into the air. So anyone who has allergies or asthma might prefer this option.
It can also help shift stubborn stuck on dust more easily than a dry cloth, though dry dusting and then using a cleaning product will give you just as good, if not better results.
If you ask the professionals, though, dry dusting is the way to go so that you avoid an even bigger mess.
“We dust with a dry cloth first for the simple reason that it’s easier. When using a wet cloth you’ll mix the clumps of dirt and dust, which causes streaking. In essence, this means you’ll have to clean it twice,” Delah Gomasi, Maid for You, director tells 9honey Living.
Simone Tsiglois, founder of cleaning company Jetlag Remedy agrees, “I prefer starting with a dry cloth to remove loose dust and debris. This prevents the dust from turning into a muddy mess when wiped with a wet cloth. Afterward, I use a damp cloth to capture any remaining particles and give the surface a polished finish.”
Alternatively you can skip the cloth for dusting altogether according to Clean Like a Pro owner Kate Croukamp. She makes the process easier by using a vacuum first.
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“I actually prefer vacuuming with a brush head as many areas as possible before dusting. It helps contain the dust better and helps to avoid it spreading around the room and resettling on the same surface,” she says.
“Once I have vacuumed surfaces I will then follow up with a damp cloth to pick up any remaining particles and give surfaces a polished finish. This method ensures that dust is removed, not just spread around.”
So that’s one cleaning debate settled. Whether you use a cloth or vacuum, dry dusting first is the best option and then follow with a damp cloth for a perfect finish.
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