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Here are some practical tips for managing the dust.

Start with a cleanup

Start by giving your home a thorough cleaning. Start by dusting all the surfaces, starting at the top of the room and working your way to the floor. For those high places in our home, dusters with extendable handles do the trick. Once you have knocked all the dust to the floor, use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to carefully vacuum all flooring surfaces. Give careful attention to the carpet as dust hides there! Dusting your baseboards with a damp used dryer sheet or a microfiber cloth can be quite effective.

Keep the dust out

1. Seal your perimeter. Sealing gaps around doors and windows with tight-fitting weather-stripping is a must. Don’t forget to include the garage, main door and other doors leading into your home. Sealing not only helps keep the dust down, but it will also help with your utility bills. Look also for other wall penetrations. Some of our ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ have been around long enough to have been retrofitted with wiring for cable TV and satellite installations. Typically, installers thread the necessary wires through a hole drilled from outside to inside. These breaches may seem minor, but they could lead to several penetrations that significantly contribute to dust accumulation in the home.

2. Use an air purifier. A device that is becoming increasingly popular in ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ is a purifying system. There are several types to choose from. They are available in whole-house systems that are installed with your HVAC systems or stand-alone air purifiers for a room. They typically use one of four methods to purify the air: UV light, carbon filter, ionic and electrostatic.

3. Have your ductwork sealed. The ductwork and plenum are key to indoor air quality. Rather than relying on repeat duct cleaning once or twice a year, we would recommend homeowners spend the money to seal the existing ductwork. Once sealed be sure to change the filters monthly. If these practices are followed, the ducts will only need to be cleaned every 7-10 years. These steps will give you cleaner air and save money on the air conditioning portion of your energy bill.

• Cleaning of the duct work should include cleaning of the AC unit and requires a professional — this goes for sealing as well.

Steps to help keep it all clean

Homeowners often find that even after a thorough cleaning, a fine layer of dust can settle within hours. It sneaks through screen doors, gathers in windowsills, and lingers on shelves and electronics. To combat this persistent problem, adopting a few strategic DIY habits can make a significant difference.

1. Keep doors and windows closed on windy days. On days with gorgeous weather, this may present a dilemma. We would exchange some dust cleaning for the fresh air. Most days, though, we have our cooling or heating going. The challenge isn’t so formidable on those days.

2. Reduce clutter. We all have picture frames, art pieces, indoor plants, and a myriad of other things all over our ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ and in every room. Each piece gives dust a place to collect. Occasionally, review all the collected items and decide if they enrich your world or are just gathering dust. In the words of a good friend of ours, “if you don’t love it, don’t keep it.â€�

3. Regularly change HVAC filters. This is an integral step in combating dust buildup. Depending on where you live and the amount of dust in your area, consider changing the filters every 30 to 60 days.

4. Leave your shoes at the door. We carry a lot of dirt and dust on our feet and track it into our ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥. Find a place to change your shoes, either a mud room or a back door rack. Think about changing footwear to interior footwear and leaving the dirty shoes out of the house.

5. Use doormats both inside and outside entryways to help minimize dust intrusion. They are most effective if they are as wide as the door opening. You will, of course, have to clean these regularly, also.

6. Groom your pets. Pet dander is only part of the issue here. Our beloved pets bring all manner of dust and debris in from the outdoors. Brushing them regularly not only reinforces the bond you share, but it also helps keep the dust down.

7. Eliminate dust mites. Our comfortable beds are a favored place for dust mites to hang out. Regular washing with hot water will keep these pests off our sheets, pillowcases and blankets. One tip we learned about the dust mites is that they don’t thrive well with lower humidity levels. We recommend keeping the humidity lower than 40%.

8. Vacuum cloth upholstery. It’s another place for dust, dander and mites to hang out. When you vacuum, don’t neglect the furniture. Oh, and don’t forget to vacuum under the furniture as well.