You don’t want to know how much dust lurks in carpeting and rugs. Even if you vacuum and shake out rugs frequently, dust gets trapped in there until someone walks or rolls around on them, and then that dust becomes airborne. Some will resettle in the carpet while some will end up on your horizontal surfaces. If you must buy an area rug, be warned that wool rugs shed like crazy.

Clean Dusty Vent Grilles

Exhaust vent grilles, especially those in bathrooms, collect lots of dust. One slick way to clean them, if they pop out easily, is to place them on the top rack and run them through your dishwasher or use a homemade dusting spray. If you can’t easily remove that dusty grille, use a damp cloth and cotton-tipped swaps to clean off the dust. Vacuuming works, too, but be sure your vacuum isn’t spewing the dirt right back into the air.

Wash Bed Linens More Often Than You Think You Need To