Escaping a natural disaster such as a sand storm is inevitable especially the sand that seeps in from under doors and any open little corner around the house it can find. Sand is sticky and could be a threat to your health because it can cause choking and allergies due to the dust particles that may block the airway in your nose and mouth every time you breathe it in. Lungs can also be particularly damaged due to the dust that reaches inside your airways through your sacs which may then lead to high fevers or even infectious diseases.
Not only this but, sand storms can cause a lot of harm to your household furniture and utensils destroying their overall look and covering them with dust particles altogether. Our household furniture, especially those made of wood and cloth are dust reservoirs consisting of fibers constantly attracting and releasing dust. Unfortunately, there is no way to ensure that no sand enters your home after a sand storm but there absolutely are certain measures you can take right after the storm has ended in order to clean up. Here’s a helpful list of things to do:
1. Dust inside the house. Use a clean cloth and dust away tables, decorative pieces, television sets, anything that you can find covered with dust.
2. Vacuum inside the house thoroughly. Whether or not your floor is carpeted, use a vacuum to suck away all the dust stored in every corner of the house.
3. Use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attached to clean tops and creases of any window blinds.
4. For carpeted floors, sprinkle a bit of unprocessed wheat bran before vacuuming because it will act as an abrasive and attract maximum amount of dust as possible.
5. For wooden floors, attach a bit of damp teabags with your broom. This will ensure all dust mites and bugs are dead and dusted will off your furniture for days. Also, the tannic acid in tea creates a beautiful shine for hardwood floors.
6. Shake away any mats, cushions, pillows and rugs OUT side the house. Enclose any clothes that you rarely wear with polythene clothing bags. Smaller rugs and upholstery furniture can be taken out and beaten thoroughly by draping them over a fence or a clothesline. Use a tennis racket or a broom for the beating as this is the best known traditional way to remove much more dust than vacuuming.
7. Dust off windows and any glass made pieces in the house with methylated spirits or white vinegar.
8. Containers made of clear plastic are best for use inside the kitchen because they lock the dust out and store fibers in so when you dust they’re easy to wipe clean and pull off the shelves.
9. The sand may also seep in to your wardrobe from under its opening so to make sure your clothes are sand-free, dust them outside the house as well. Also, you must keep closet floors clean since uncluttered floors are always easier to vacuum.
10. Invest in a good and better filter upgrade. A standard fiberglass filter is good but a pleated electrostatic filter system is best and cost-effective for a noticeable reduction in dust.
Some people may be terribly allergic to sand and dust, therefore, to avoid any serious allergies or breathing problems it is best to wear a mask to cover your nose and mouth before you get to cleaning. Post sand storm cleaning could be a challenge because it surely is impossible to avoid any sand from entering the house but there is no way you can’t win the fight against it!These essential tools will not only save your time in cleaning up but will act as frustration dampeners next time around a sand storm hits your vicinity.