The climate and location of Okinawa leads to some interesting cleaning conundrums that puzzles even the neatest of folks. In this series we take a look at Okinawa’s unique issues in regards to housekeeping and how to fix them.

Today’s topic is one we are asked about quite often and that is DUST! Despite being a tropical island in the middle of the ocean, Okinawan homes are plagued by dust that can trigger sneezes, hives, and headaches and make even the cleanest house look like Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Let’s take a look at why dust is so bad here and what you can do to keep it under control!

I’m sure you heard the myth that the majority of dust is human skin cells. While they do make a percentage of the total, dust is actually pretty unique to each home. Factors such as location, lifestyle, age of building, and number of occupants can all contribute to each home’s dust mixture and accumulation. Specific dust issues for Okinawa come from an unexpected place: the ocean.

While the beach and sea bring joy, oceanic winds carry salt and fine coral sand from the beach back to your home. These sea breezes also carry dust from faraway exotic locations such as the infamous yellow dust from China’s Gobi desert and distant volcanic eruptions that spread fine ash over our island. Due to these unique conditions the dust in Okinawa is particularly difficult to control.

Dust can be found anywhere in the home. Though flat surfaces such as shelves and TV stands are the most obvious and unsightly areas, the biggest dust magnets are carpets and fans and baseboards. Static electricity causes dust to accumulate quickly and be difficult to remove from these areas. Ions carried from the ocean add to this effect which is why dust builds up so quickly in Okinawa.

The best way to reduce dust is to regularly clean top to bottom with a damp cloth. Start at ceiling fans with an extendable duster and work your way down wiping all surfaces and vacuuming furniture.  Finish with wiping floor boards and vacuuming and mopping floors.  Ideally you should dust and vacuum at least once a week. Other ways to reduce dust is to have your air conditioning unit serviced once a year, have pets regularly groomed, and wash bedding at least once a week.

Leave a comment below if you’ve had trouble with dusting here in Okinawa.  What helped? Are you still struggling?

Looking for some help with dusting?  Get in touch with us!  Submit a quote from our pricing calculator, email us directly  at kccleaningokinawa@gmail.com, or message us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kccleaningokinawa and talk with us today!  Looking forward to hearing from you.