How to Keep Dust from Collecting Under Your Bed

Dust-Proofing Your Bedroom

Keep your floor clear of clutter. Stuffed animals, clothes, rugs, and other soft objects can collect dust and transfer it to the floor under your bed. Try to keep your floor clear as much as you can to remove the threat of dust and keep your floor clean. Try putting a laundry hamper in your room to collect your dirty clothes throughout the week.

Put shoes away in your closet. Shoes track dust, dirt, and other allergens into the room that can accumulate under your bed. Take your shoes off before you go into your bedroom and put them away in your closet or mudroom as soon as you get home. Taking your shoes off before you come inside will also help avoid tracking dirt or mud into the rest of your house.

Attach a bed skirt to your bed to deter dust. Bed skirts are long sheets that fit around the lower part of your bed frame and touch the top of the floor. They provide a barrier to discourage dust from collecting underneath the bed, making it easier for you to clean up the dust that does accumulate. Put one of these on your bed to keep the dust out as it collects in your room. Make sure you wash your bed skirt every week along with your other bedding.

Install an air filter on your furnace and air conditioning unit. Air filters can help collect dust before it reaches your room, making it easier to keep out from underneath your bed. Put a certified allergy and asthma friendly filter on your furnace and air conditioner to collect dust before it can circulate around your home. Avoid filters that use heat or electrostatic, as those can make dust worse. You can also buy a free-standing air filter to place in the room without hooking it up to a furnace or air conditioner.

Air out your room as often as possible. Whenever you can, open up the doors and windows in your bedrooms to let the air circulate. This will discourage dust from accumulating under your bed, and it can freshen up your home as well! Consider putting bug screens on your windows if you’re going to be keeping them open for a long time.

Use a fan to circulate the air. Set up a box or standing fan in your room and keep it on low to move the air around in your room. This can also help keep your room cool in the summer months and leave your room smelling fresh. If you have a ceiling fan, you can turn that on instead.

Cleaning and Dusting the Room

Dust the room with a wet rag once a week. Run a rag under warm water and wring out the excess. Dust any flat surfaces in your room with the wet rag to get rid of the dust before it has the chance to migrate under your bed. If you have allergies, wear a dust mask as you clean to avoid irritating your sinuses. A wet rag will pick up the dust much better than a dry one. You can instead use a microfiber cloth since it catches the dust rather than knocking it into the air. If you have hardwood floors, put the wet rag on the ground and push it under the bed with a broom handle.

Wash your bedding once a week. Your sheets, pillowcases, and comforters all collect a lot of dust throughout the week and can transfer it under your bed. Try to wash your bedding at least once a week in water that's 130 °F (54 °C), or at least change your sheets and pillowcases every week. If your pet sleeps in their own bed in your room, wash their bedding once a week as well.

Vacuum your carpet or rugs once a week. If you have rugs or carpet in your room, run a vacuum over them at least once a week. Make sure your vacuum has a high-quality dust filter on it so it can collect and trap all of the dust particles from your room. Carpets and rugs are huge dust collectors. If you have the option, try to leave your floor bare so dust can’t stick to it. If you have any plush furniture in your bedroom, you can also use your vacuum on that once a week.

Clean your curtains or blinds once a week. If you have curtains in your room, take them down and wash them in water that’s at least 130 °F (54 °C). If you have blinds, use a damp cloth to wipe them down once a week and get rid of the dust. If you have the option, consider putting in roller shades to deter dust. You can even use a brush attachment on a vacuum to clean the dust on blinds and curtains.

Wash your rugs with hot water once a week. Throw your rugs in a hot water wash cycle that’s at least 130 °F (54 °C). This will kill the dust mites in the rug, leaving it dust and allergen-free. To keep your room even more dust-free, try not using rugs at all so dust can’t accumulate.