You Actually Can Repel Dust

Much like the constantly replenishing piles of laundry and dirty dishes in your home, dust is an ongoing battle. But it’s one thing to remove dust from your surfaces routinely and another thing entirely to keep from collecting in the first place — at least for as long as possible. We’re all about removal methods around here, but now it’s time to step forward into Phase 2: repelling it once it’s gone.

As it turns out, there is a simple way to repel dust from household surfaces and, like most good cleaning hacks, it’s been around for generations. You just need a little oil. There are a few recipes for DIY dusting sprays floating around, but they all call for similar things. According to Apartment Therapy, you need just four ingredients:

• Vinegar
• Olive oil
• A little soap
• Water

These combine to create a kind of coating that keeps dust from sticking to your tables, your shelves, your entertainment centre — whatever. You can also add a few drops of essential oil if you want your new mixture to leave a nice scent behind.

How to make a dust-repelling spray

Combine two cups of water, one cup of vinegar, and two tablespoons of olive oil, plus a drop or two of dish soap. Mix it all together.

The vinegar and soap will cut through any existing dust with ease, so you can — and definitely should — use your new concoction to not only coat your surfaces, but clean them when they are dirty. The oil will help repel dust and keep them cleaner longer. Use this like you would any dusting spray, by spritzing it on a rag or directly onto your hard surfaces, then wiping.

Put your mixture into a spray bottle and keep it on hand for dusting sessions. For extra repellant, per Apartment Therapy, use a dryer sheet to wipe dust away, too. The fabric softener also acts to keep dust from settling.