There’s no avoiding dust inside the home. It just accumulates and it seems to appear out of nowhere. One day, you might wipe your shelf, only to be horrified by the clean streak and a disgusting mound of gray/brown gunk on your fingertip. Such is life, and such is dust, but you don’t have to clean those shelves or other wood furniture every day with harmful cleaning products.
What Is Dust?
Did you ever think that you would hear the answer to this question? Despite what you may think, dust is a very interesting topic for scientists, and they regularly study it to better understand chemicals and surroundings. House dust is more than just dirt or grime that builds up on surfaces. Experts say that house dust is a combination of dead skin cells, hair, clothing fibers, bits of dead bugs, soil particles, pollen, dust mites, and microscopic pieces of plastic. The dust in a person’s home can reveal a lot about their lifestyle, and it can also hold a series of harmful pollutants, endocrine disruptors, heavy metals, and more.
If you want to clean dust off wooden furniture in your home, all you need is a few natural ingredients. Some argue that a microfiber towel and water does the job, but this doesn’t really clean the surface. If you fall into that way of thinking, that’s perfectly fine, but please understand that using a DIY dusting spray can help repel dust for a lot longer. You’ll also notice that your wood furniture pops with more shine when you use a natural dust-repellent spray.
Vinegar
While this natural cleaner has not proven effective against COVID-19, it does a great job at cutting through regular dirt. You don’t even need to scrub the surface to wipe away grime! The smell can be quite pungent, but you can use essential oils or even citrus peels to calm the calm the scent. Speaking of essential oils…
Essential Oils
These go well with vinegar because they are: a) oils; and b) they smell fantastic. Essential oils like lemon and cedarwood also have antiseptic, anti-fungal, antibacterial, and cleaning properties. Additionally, these oils help to nourish, protect, and add additional shine to the wood furniture.
DIY Natural Dusting Spray
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
- 12-15 drops lemon essential oil
- 5 drops cedarwood essential oil
Instructions:
- Add the water and vinegar to a spray bottle. It’s best if you use an amber glass bottle because this keeps the essential oils from damaging the bottle.
- Carefully pour in the oils and then screw the top on the bottle. Give the bottle a good shake.
- Your dusting spray is ready to use!
How To Use:
- Mist a piece of furniture with the spray and use a soft cloth to give the entire piece a wipe down. You’ll notice that the dust and grime disappear and end up on your towel.
- Store the spray in a dark place and shake before each use.
- Do not spray this on unfinished wood or fine antiques.
