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  • New Year, Fresh Start: How to Reset Your Home or Office for 2026 (A Humboldt County Cleaning Guide)

    1. Start With a Quick New Year Cleaning Audit

    Before diving into deep scrubbing, take 5–10 minutes to walk through your space and make note of:

    • High‑traffic floor areas (carpet traffic lanes, dirt buildup)
    • Bathrooms and restrooms (fixtures, grout, sinks, mirrors)
    • Break rooms or kitchens (leftover grease, fingerprints, appliances)
    • Entryways (mud, pine needles, moisture)
    • Office desks or home workspaces (clutter, dust, cables)
    • Windows and tracks (condensation, dust, fog residue)

    A simple audit keeps you focused and prevents overwhelm.

    2. Deep Clean the Areas You Avoided During the Holidays

    Even the most organized homes and businesses get behind in December. January is ideal for tackling:

    ✔ Carpet & Upholstery

    Holiday gatherings, winter weather, and pet traffic can grind dirt deep into fabrics.
    A professional carpet or upholstery cleaning:

    • Removes allergens
    • Improves air quality
    • Restores freshness to your living or office space

    ✔ Kitchens & Break Rooms

    This is one of the most used areas in any setting. Degreasing, sanitizing, and wiping down appliances makes a huge difference.

    The CDC recommends regular disinfection of high‑touch surfaces to reduce the spread of viruses — making January the perfect time to reset kitchens and bathrooms.

    CDC Cleaning & Disinfecting – https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/cleaning.htm

    ✔ Bathrooms & High‑Moisture Zones

    Winter humidity + heavy traffic = grime.
    A proper reset includes:

    • Scrubbing grout
    • Polishing fixtures
    • Sanitizing high‑touch surfaces
    • Removing soap scum and calcium build‑up

    ✔ Bedrooms & Office Spaces

    Fresh linens, dusted blinds, decluttered surfaces — small steps that improve sleep and productivity.

    3. Businesses: Perform a January Janitorial Reset

    January is the best time to reorganize your cleaning plan for the year.
    A clean office helps reduce sick days, improve morale, and impress clients.

    “OSHA notes that good workplace housekeeping improves productivity, reduces hazards, and boosts employee morale — all ideal goals as your team enters 2026.”

    OSHA Workplace Housekeeping – https://www.osha.gov/housekeeping

    Consider:

    If you’re juggling staff schedules, customers, and deadlines — outsourcing your janitorial routine eliminates stress instantly.

    4. Simplify Your Life With a 20‑Minute Declutter Routine

    January is declutter season. If you don’t know where to begin, use this easy strategy:

    Pick one area per day. Spend 20 minutes. Stop when the timer ends.

    Great spots to start:

    • Entryway drop zone
    • Kitchen pantry or fridge
    • Home office desk
    • Vehicle interior
    • Supply closets
    • Laundry room
    • Office file cabinets

    Small steps, done consistently, create massive momentum.

    5. Improve Your Indoor Air This Winter

    Closed windows and damp weather can make your indoor air stale — especially in coastal areas like Eureka, Arcata, and McKinleyville.

    Winter months can reduce ventilation and trap allergens indoors. According to the EPA’s indoor air quality guidelines, improving airflow and reducing pollutants can significantly improve comfort during colder seasons.

    EPA Indoor Air Quality – https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq

    Improve air quality by:

    • Dusting blinds and vents
    • Vacuuming fabric furniture
    • Replacing HVAC filters
    • Cleaning behind large appliances
    • Scheduling carpet cleaning

    Your lungs will thank you.

    6. Build New Cleaning Habits for a Cleaner 2026

    January is the perfect time to create routines that actually stick.

    Try:

    • A nightly 10‑minute tidy
    • A weekly bathroom reset
    • A once‑a‑week vacuum and mop session
    • A monthly deep clean rotation
    • A quarterly professional cleaning appointment

    If you want to make life even easier, A‑1 Cleaning offers customizable recurring maid and janitorial schedules.

    7. Skip the Stress — Let Professionals Handle the Heavy Work

    Some tasks simply require professional equipment, training, and time:

    That’s where our team steps in.

    With over 30+ years of award‑winning service, certified staff, and proven systems, A‑1 Cleaning Service handles the jobs that take your time and energy — so you can focus on what matters most.

    Start Your New Year Fresh With A‑1 Cleaning Service

    Kick off 2026 with a cleaner, brighter, healthier home or workplace.

    📍 Serving all of Humboldt County: Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville, Trinidad, Fortuna, and beyond

    🧽 Book online in under 1 minute: A1Clean.com
    📞 Text or Call: (707) 442‑3229

  • It Starts With You: How Keeping Your Room Clean Improves Your Life

    Because of these difficult times, you probably are spending a lot of time in your room. There are two types of people. The first one, those that during the lockdown developed a love for cleaning and have everything nice and tidy. And the second, people who suddenly have a mess around them as if it were magic.

    If you feel like you belong to the second group, then you might be feeling kind of guilty, but at the same time, without energy for cleaning your room. The whole pandemic situation has been a challenge, making us abandon our routines and leaving us with feelings of uncertainty.

    But if you really want to start changing things, you better start by cleaning your room, and I’m serious. Dr. Jordan Peterson, a Canadian psychologist, believes that if you want to make an impact or to jump into bigger challenges, you first need to take care of your immediate environment.

    Start with the fundamentals:

    Make Your Bed

    This is the number one thing when cleaning your room. Yes, I know you’re going to sleep in a few hours again, but think of it that way. Your day begins and ends, and you need to have that same basic logic in mind. Be ready to start your day by waking up early and making your bed right away, so you know it’s time to do all the things you have planned for. Then, at the end of the day, you’ll be ready to rest in a neat, nice bed. Not only that, ensure that the bed of everyone in your home is kept clean and maintained. In case you have a person at home with limited mobility, keeping their bed clean is even more important. If a normal bed is posing challenges, you can consider switching it to a comfortable hospital bed for home use. This is important because keeping the bed clean is the first step in maintaining a healthy home and lifestyle.

    Clean Up Your Clothes

    You may have a mountain of clean clothes, and another pile that’s half-dirty. And honestly, I don’t know which one is worse. Make sure to grab all your dirty clothes and clean them thoroughly. However, before you wash all your clothes together, ensure that you do not put an elastane material with cupro. They are two different fabrics, and washing them together might just damage both of them. Instead, try and understand the needs of each of your fabrics. For instance, you can learn a bit about the fabric–cupro. See if machine washing is preferable. Search for detergents that can help retain the quality of the fabric. Once you are done with all these, then take up the task of washing clothes.

    Also, do not ignore your recently-cleaned clothes. If possible, take your clean clothes and fold or hang them in your closet. When you finish, you’ll probably feel relieved and relaxed.

    Clear The Clutter

    Remember that by cleaning your room you’re also clearing your mind. Maybe you’ve been accumulating stuff without realizing it. If there are things that have been in the same place for ages, take them away or even move them to a storage unit for a specific time period (click here to learn more). Also, don’t forget to wipe the surfaces clean. In some cases, you might notice that you don’t even need much of the stuff that has been cluttering up your room for so long. You may not need to store these at all, which means you can either sell them, donate them, or if they are too old, throw them away. De-cluttering makes you realize how many things you have been hoarding, and that it’s finally time to get rid of a lot of those things. Consider getting in touch with a waste management service to come take what you don’t need.

    Vacuum/Sweep and Mop

    This is the final step. Once you’ve cleaned the mess around you, it’s time to really leave your room spotless. Reach as far under the bed as possible, don’t be lazy!

    Get Motivated; Turn On Your Favorite Music

    Make sure to have a good time while doing these chores. Music can inspire you and maybe you won’t just end with cleaning your room; perhaps you’ll start rearranging things from one place to another or have an easier time getting rid of things you don’t use anymore.

    Keep It Beautiful

    You need to be happy where you are. Your room is your starting point every day, so why not wake up in your perfect happy place? Use your creativity. Think about adding scented candles, placing flowers in your window, or putting houseplants around the room. You name it.

    If you can learn the basics of how to keep your room in order, your mind will be clearer for new ideas, and then you can probably start making more significant changes in your life.

    Alejandra Aguilera

  • How to Keep the House Clean with Little Ones Around

    How to Keep the House Clean with Little Ones AroundThe need to clean our homes doesn’t really rely upon a specific time of the year, so we often need to address the issue regardless of what else we have to deal with. There are many ways we can get lazy, allowing the filth to pile up and that happens even more often than we’d like to admit when we have kids to take care of. We also tend to forget one of the simplest facts concerning dust – the fact that it happens to be made of dander, hair and worse. If you want to deal with it and you have kids to deal with as well, then you will need some help after all. On the bright side of things, they may even help you out if you handle things right and you can turn things into a lot of fun, so you can move ahead with this in mind while making sure your home is clean and flawless:

    • Using teamwork

    It would be a pretty lonesome thing to work in a bathroom by yourself, especially if you can find a fun way to clean together with your kids. You can have your kids helping you out with the smaller stuff, such as scrubbing the sink, helping you with polishing things and other things that may need to be done. You must always choose tasks that are suited to the kids themselves however, as this will be a necessary step toward finishing the job. This will also help the kids learn to deal with teamwork efforts in a friendly environment.

    • Keeping kids focused

    In most cases kids will be amazing at tuning out what they need to do when they get bored, so you will need to figure out ways to keep them focused and happy at the same time. You will need to offer the tasks with suitable presentation if you want to make them interested in what you must do. You can organize things with a small board with tasks meant for you and your kids, offering rewards for helping you out in one form or another. If you handle things right your kids will be more than happy to help out and they will learn something from the experience while they help out. If, on the other hand, you wish to keep your kids quiet and seated while you are doing the toughest cleaning tasks, then you must provide them with something that can keep them occupied and focused. For instance, while you are trying to clean the ceiling fan, allowing them to watch cartoons online (perhaps by using the best streaming vpn that can unblock certain cartoons restricted in your area) could be a good idea since you will not need to keep an eye on them at all times while you are already doing a tough task.

    • The importance of music

    There is a great way to inspire minds and bodies when you need to focus on a job and that is by listening to music. You can really up the mood by using some nice, upbeat tunes to help you and your kids, enjoying a good time while working with less hassle involved in the process. You could also use various methods to keep children completely preoccupied (so that you work with little or no obstruction). It is seen that children tend to stay focused when their favorite tunes or cartoons are on for them. Cable tv has tended to be the favorite way for mums to keep their little ones occupied often. If you’re interested, you could read up on more cable tv statistics and know more about this domain!

    • Give tougher jobs to teens

    As kids grow, they will have the ability to do more to help you out, with the greater skill involved. It could be anything you need, from basic repairs and organizing to cleaning. However, note that basic repairs and cleaning do not include kids repairing or cleaning roofs. Tasks like these should better be left to a roofing contractor. Here basic repairs and cleaning refer to fixing a broken table or dusting the windows. Do not give them jobs that might lead to accidents.

    Anyway, if you have been handling your kids right so far, they will not mind helping out even during the tougher and more emotionally difficult moments of their teen years. In some cases, teens may dislike the tasks you give them, but they can really deal with them in a favorable way if you handle things the right way.

    Visit our website for more cleaning ideas.

  • Guest Blog: Getting Out from Under Clutter

    Getting Out from Under Clutter

    One day I just woke up and seemed to be buried in clutter. I do not know how it happened or when it happened but it did. I do know what happened though. Life happened.

    It was several years ago now when we moved to this home. It came about through a series of catastrophic events in my life at the time. My spouse left, I got into a terrible automobile accident, and we had to move. My mother was living with us along with my thirteen-year-old son. My daughter was off at college at the time but rushed back to help us out. She was a godsend at the time. She helped me to find this home, which was about a third of the size of the home we were living in. She contacted a relocation company to move our things and also found CarsRelo, who moved our vehicles for us. She did all the organising with for that, as I’m not always great at that sort of thing. She then moved in with us to help out because I could not walk. So between my stuff, mom’s stuff, and my daughter’s stuff we were jam-packed.

    The garage was full of furniture and boxes and the house was crammed with too much furniture. I thought about getting a Roll off dumpster but at the time, we barely had any money. Our belongings were piling up quickly so I had to think of a solution. We had not planned on living here long and my daughter wanted to eventually get back to her life as she knew it. Like I said above, life happens and things do not always work out the way you plan. With my daughter trying to finish college, my son going into high school, and me taking forever to recover, not only physically but emotionally, we ended up being here a lot longer than we expected.

    We tried for the longest time to pick up and move stuff around to clean underneath to keep the mess at bay. My mom was really good at this and she was the one doing most of the work because of my inability to get around. A few years went by and even though we were still surrounded with stuff it was not overwhelming. Then more life happened and after college my girl got a full-time job which kept her away. At the same time, mom started to get sick. We found out she needed carotid artery surgery and a triple bypass. Up until this time she was out cutting down trees with the chain saw we had gotten her for Christmas and she was seventy-seven.

    After her surgery she stopped eating, was very weak, and was riddled with urinary tract infections. She could barely get up to use the restroom let alone do anything else. She ended up losing thirty-five pounds. So needless to say she was not cleaning. My daughter was working all the time and my son was busy being a teenager. It only took a short while before there was a noticeable change in the house. The dust was mounting and things started to pile up.

    Since I was limited in what I could do it began to get out of hand very quickly. Not only was the house out of hand but I was also taking care of mom and we were going to the doctors at least once a week. I was exhausted and found myself in tears most days. My daughter did her best to help out when she could but no matter how fast or hard she worked it did not seem to make a dent in the clutter. We needed to get rid of a whole lot of things and there just was not enough time in the day for all that needed to be done. We were drowning in our own home under a sea of clutter.

    It’s definitely not a nice feeling. It almost makes me feel and look messy, even though I know deep down that I’m not. I just don’t know where all this clutter has come from, and why we can’t seem to get rid of any of it. I broke down to my friend one day because it was all starting to get too much. She reassured me and said that it will get sorted one day, and even recommended using something like these Pueblo storage units if I wanted to store it away until I could do something about it. Now, this wasn’t a bad idea at all, so I might have to do some research into this. In the meantime though, I guess we’ll just have to keep digging our way through the clutter to try and make the house look cleaner.

    The only time I get out of the house much anymore is to go to church and a Bible study every Tuesday evening. These times are precious to me and I have made some wonderful friends. I am thankful that the Lord allowed me to have the opportunity to meet the wonderful women I have met.

    In the past few weeks I have felt so overwhelmed and have been praying and asking the Lord to help me with this house. It is hard to find rest in a home that is overrun with stuff. One Tuesday night I was so overwhelmed with it all that when the ladies asked how I was I finally had the courage to let them know what I was dealing with. It is so embarrassing to think of others seeing how we live that I had kept it to myself. I was surprised by the love and encouragement I received from my friends. I should not have been because I knew what loving women they are but so often it is hard to admit situations like we are in to others.

    Several of the women said that they would be more than happy to come over and help us out. It was so encouraging but at the same time I did not know how I was going to feel when they saw the inside of my home. They asked me to call but I could not bring myself to do it. One lady kept calling me and asking when we were going to get started. I confessed to her that I was ashamed and she assured me that she cared about me and nothing could change that. So I told her to come and take a look.

    When she came over I took her from room to room and all she kept saying was, “That’s doable!” I just looked at her and cried and kept hugging her over and over. She told me that we would just take on one thing at a time, for as long as I could handle it, if that was only thirty minutes that was fine. She assured me that it was not impossible and she did not run away screaming. This particular woman has the most beautifully decorated, immaculate home I have been in for a long time. I thought for sure she would flee the scene and never return.

    She has since been here in my home working side by side with me and my daughter when possible. I have never seen anyone work so fast and with the ability to make decisions about what to keep and what to discard. And the whole time she is working she is chatting and making everyone feel at ease. I know the Lord sent her to us because I was asking Him for help. What a blessing.

    Not only has she been helping with getting our home in order but in doing that she has encouraged us beyond measure. I am the type of person that sees the overwhelming mess; she has shown me that if you do not look at it as a whole but as separate little projects it is actually manageable. “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to catch fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” (Chinese Proverb)

    You may be wondering what the point of this story is. There is a threefold reason I shared this with you. Life does happen and things sometimes get out of hand, that does not mean you are a bad person. We need other people in our lives and we can not stay shut off away from the world around us when we get overwhelmed. We need to trust in the love and kindness of others and give our pride to the Lord and let Him handle it. Just make sure the people you are trusting in are trustworthy. There are all kinds of supportive groups of people around that can help you. If someone hurts you then get away from them and seek out friends who are loving and kind.

    It only took one person to come in and help us, not a team of people, just one loving person. If you find yourself in a situation like I am in then seek help from someone you trust. A family member or friend who is really organized can help more than you know. The most important thing I have learned is to look at it in small areas not on the whole and not to overdo it until I am too tired and want to give up on all of it. I just keep hearing my friend say, “It is doable.”

    Since getting our home back in shape, we have even been inspired to start some renovation work. We would love to add value to our property by updating some of our fixtures and fittings, but it can be difficult to find the money to begin projects of this size. Loans can often be a useful way to pay for any home renovation projects. One of our friends recently had some renovation work completed on her property after using an online logbook loans calculator to workout home much money she could borrow based on the value of her car. If you are thinking of taking out a loan, just remember to do your research first.

    Always curious, Ashley Hardway is constantly learning and passionate about sharing what she learns with others. Based in Houston, Texas, she loves to help families grow stronger, help their environments and communities, and keep moving forward! Check out @NannyLady on Twitter to connect and find out more

  • Guest Blog: Teaching Children to Clean

    Teaching Children to Clean

    So many times parents wait to give chores to their children when they are much older. The best way to train your children to clean house is to start from the time they learn to walk. And even before they can walk you can talk to them about the work you are doing and what is the best way to get it done. Many studies show that children can learn to read or learn a foreign language in their infancy. It is never too early to start teaching them how to clean house as well!

    I know that when I was very small my own mother would sit me near her as she was cooking or baking in the kitchen and she shared each step with me. She would also take all of us from room to room with her as she cleaned and she talked about everything she was doing. Now even though I do not recall these conversations as they took place at the time I know that I these experiences are stored in my mind. I have always known, almost instinctively, the best way to dust furniture, bake a cake, to clean a tub, etc.

    Starting from the time your child can walk you can find chores that they can do. Picking up their own toys and putting them back into the toy box for example. Putting away their own clothes in the dresser or helping you to carry a few dirty clothes to the laundry room. These are things that babies can easily achieve. If you wait until they get older and more responsible, they will most likely at this point rebel against the idea of cleaning. Starting them out early making it just another natural part of life (and it is) will give them the skills they need in their adult years. It will also ensure that you as the parents will not have the entire responsibility of cleaning the home. I personally know families with teenagers and adult children that take no responsibility for the home and the parents are working and have the entire responsibility for the home as well. This should never be the case, it is not fair, but if you wait to train your children when you think they are old enough then you may find yourself in the same situation.

    There are some really clever charts I have seen in several different posts lately about age appropriate chores for children. You could search the internet for these charts or just sit down and write down all the chores that need to be done in the house from the smallest on up. Write down your child’s or children’s names and start writing age appropriate chores under their names. Yes, you will need to spend a little more time in the beginning supervising and teaching but it will be well worth your time when you witness the results. Start them off small and work your way up to bigger and bigger challenges as they age. In the beginning you can work side by side with the children to train them and encourage them but as they advance in skill they can be left to work on their own.

    Some people say that they have charts with stars and rewards for chores. Some children get allowances if they do their chores. Even though I do believe in giving children allowances I have never believed in giving it to them for doing their chores. I feel like everyone who lives in the home should be responsible for it and that their reward is a clean and nurturing environment. In my opinion the allowance should not be for doing the chores but instead for personal responsibility for their lives. Not just doing their chores but doing them with a good attitude. Being responsible for their homework and doing their best in school (which of course is different for each individual). One child may be an A student while the other brings home a B in a few subjects but you know they are doing their best.

    And children should not just be taught to do their chores. They should also be taught to see a need and meet it. How many times have we all seen a child or even an adult for that matter walk right over something that needs to be picked up and put away or thrown away? Or you may be carrying in a lot of groceries and no one offers to help. This type of instruction is so very important for children to get early in life. We are only hurting our children when we do not give them proper training in thinking of others and noticing small things that need to be done and doing them. When they enter the workforce they will have a hard time adapting to being a team member and working with others if they do not receive the proper training at home.

    Cleanliness is a big part of life and something that can not be ignored. As parents we need to look at it for what it is, a life skill, something that our children need to become successful independent adults. We only make it easier for them by starting them out from the beginning. Chores are not a punishment but a very important part of life.

    Rachael Cherry is a wife, mother, and writer who is passionate about helping connect families in need with high quality caregivers. She has taken that passion and put it to work through NannyPro, a respected online nanny referral service. Learn more by visiting @NannyPro on Twitter.

  • Making Spring Cleaning Easier for You

    A Guide to Spring Cleaningspring cleaning tips

    Though there are many newer products that make cleaning easy, you might want to consider a more old-school alternative. Here are some household supplies you can use.

    White Vinegar: Vinegar helps prevent the growth of mildew and mold, so use it to wipe down counter tops. If you mix it with warm water it can also be used to clean windows and mirrors.

    Baking Soda: For baking soda, you can make a paste to clean spots from washable wallpaper, or you can mix it with water to clean dirty grout.

    Hydrogen Peroxide: It’s a great disinfectant that you can use on many surfaces, but did you know you can mix a tablespoon of it with ¼ cup of water and spray it on fruits and vegetables to kill bacteria? Just make sure to rinse well after you apply it.

    __________

    Here are some tips and tricks for your spring cleaning to-dos.

    Clearing Clutter and Organizing During Spring Cleaning
    Getting rid of clutter is one of the key points of spring cleaning. So box up items you don’t need. Get rid of clothes you haven’t worn for a year. Plan a garage sale, or donate items to a second hand store. Then you get your steam mop out similar and start cleaning with fewer obstacles in your way. This will make the rest of the cleaning process a lot easier. Having a reliable vacuum cleaner will help. I hear Vacuum cleaners in India are reliable and worth reading about.

    Cleaning Windows
    It’s safe to say window tinting Mishawaka is one of the most popular home improvement searches on Google at the moment. With that in mind, it’s important to keep those beautifully tinted windows sparklingly clean. Window cleaning is much easier when you use a rubber-edged squeegee, and they are much more effective than a cloth or paper towel. First, put a few drops of a mild soap into a bucket of warm water and wet your sponge. (You can also add a bit of vinegar to the mix for an extra clean.) Rub away dirt, then dampen the squeegee and, starting at an upper corner, draw it down the pane from top to bottom. Repeat, making sure to overlap strokes and wipe the rubber edge with the sponge after each stroke. Dry window sills with a cloth. It is best to clean your windows on a cloudy day, or else the cleaner dries too fast and leaves streaks.

    Wash Your Blinds
    You should wash your blinds once or twice a year. For wooden blinds, a few drops of wood cleaner on a nearly dry sponge will work. Aluminum blinds can be washed outdoors. Place them on a slanted surface and scrub with water and a noncorrosive cleaner. Rinse well with a hose and then dry thoroughly with a towel to prevent rust. Fortunately, the blinds offered at shuttercraft-worcestershire.co.uk are extremely durable.

    Refreshing Window Treatments
    Typically, curtains and drapes don’t get dirty enough to launder. Instead, use the upholstery attachment on your vacuum to remove dust and dirt. You can also have them steam or dry-cleaned. If you are replacing heavy curtains with lighter ones for the warmer weather, then it is especially important to make sure they are clean before storing them away. For removing dust from sheer curtains, put them in the dryer on low with a fabric-softener sheet.

    Cleaning Out the Refrigerator
    This task may seem daunting, but it will seem more manageable if you break it down. You should wipe up spills immediately so the surface doesn’t become stained. Make it a habit to check your fridge once a week for old food. Wash the interior with a solution of 2tbsp of baking soda for every quart of warm water. Wash the removable shelves in this solution (But let the glass shelves come to room temperature first to prevent cracking.) Loosen hard spills with the solution, allowing the residue to soften. Scrub the crannies with a toothbrush. Also, vacuum or brush the dust from the condenser coils to keep the system from overheating.

    Sanitize the Sink
    Did you know that your dirty kitchen sink has more bacteria than your toilet seat? To disinfect, clean your sink with soap and water first, then spray a mist of vinegar followed by a mist of hydrogen peroxide, then let air dry. (Do not mix the vinegar and H2O2 together, spray one and then the other.) If your sink is stainless steel, make it sparkle afterward by putting a few drops of mineral oil on a soft cloth and buffing. This prevents water build up, which deters mold and keeps the sink looking clean.

    Dusting Tips
    Always go from top to bottom to prevent having to go over surfaces more than once. Sometimes you will have to wet dust after dry dusting, but always dry dust first.

    When dusting, don’t overdo the polish. When using a furniture oil or polish, be sure not to overuse the product; it can lead to a buildup on your furniture or clouding of the wood surfaces. Using just a dry microfiber cloth will actually pick up more dust and keep your furniture looking nice. You could also use fabric softener sheets as a substitute for more expensive electrostatic cloths. For ceiling fans, slip a pillowcase around the blade to keep the dust from going anywhere. For light fixtures and lightbulbs that are grimy, dampen your cloth with vinegar.