Dust comes back after a cleaning because particles keep entering the house and keep being made inside it. EPA says indoor particles come from outdoor air and from sources inside the home, and that the best way to cut them is to reduce those sources and keep cleaning. A visit removes what has settled. A Standard visit lists dusting for the fans, shelves, frames, window sills and vent covers, and the table below shows what Deep, Move and Dream Home add.
Where the dust comes from
EPA's page on sources of indoor particulate matter (PM, its shorthand for the particles in indoor air) splits them in two: "PM found indoors includes particles that come from outdoor air and particles that are generated indoors." Outdoor air carries them in when it "enters through windows and doors." Inside, "Many cooking appliances and the process of cooking itself can increase levels of indoor PM," and "Burning or combusting almost anything produces PM." EPA's examples include candles, stoves and fireplaces.
Philadelphia's housing is old. The Economy League reports that "In Philadelphia, 41% of the current housing units were built prior to 1940, while only 15% were built since 1980" (American Community Survey five-year estimates). That says nothing about how much dust an older home makes. Plaster dust, old paint and radiators have their own sections in cleaning a Philadelphia rowhome, which covers what EPA says about them and what a clean does and does not do there.
What cuts it down
EPA's cleaning advice for household dust is one sentence on its indoor air quality page: "Routinely vacuum carpets and fabric-covered furniture, dust hard surfaces with a damp cloth, damp-mop floors, and wash household linens." The rest of what works is about the sources:
- Stop it at the door. The same page says "Using doormats at exterior doors and leaving shoes at the door can reduce tracked-in dust and dirt".
- Run the range hood. EPA says to "use it whenever you are cooking" and to "Leave it on for 10-20 minutes after you are done cooking."
- Cut the sources you can. EPA says "Some sources, such as burning candles, may be possible to stop completely." For a stove or fireplace it says to "Use dry, seasoned wood".
- Vacuum with a HEPA filter. EPA says "Consider using a vacuum with a HEPA filter to reduce dust build-up," and that a HEPA filter "can help keep some vacuumed dust from escaping the vacuum cleaner back into the air."
- Check your system's air filter. "If you decide to upgrade or use a higher efficiency filter," EPA says to choose "at least a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 13 rating, or as high a rating as your system fan and filter slot can accommodate." It adds that you may need an HVAC technician to say what your system takes.
EPA sums it up in two sentences: "Frequent cleaning and ventilation are effective ways to reduce dust and other pollutants," and "Usually, the best way to reduce indoor PM is to reduce its sources." When you do clean, the room-by-room order puts dust before floors, because dust falls, and the shelf before the table under it.
What a visit dusts, line by line
Find the spot you keep wiping, then read across. Deep inherits the Standard column, Move inherits both, and Dream Home inherits Move, so a blank means that level adds no line of its own.
| Dusty spot | Standard | Deep adds | Move and Dream Home add |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ceiling fans | "Ceiling Fans Dusted" | ||
| Shelves, door frames and light fixtures | "Dust Light Fixtures / Door Frames / Shelves (up to 9ft)" | ||
| Picture frames and decorations | "Dust Room Decorations & Picture Frames (up to 9ft)" | ||
| Window sills | "Dust Window Sills / Ledges" | ||
| Vent covers | "Dust Accessible Vent Covers (up to 9ft)" in the bathroom and bedroom, "Dust Kitchen Vent Covers (up to 9ft)" in the kitchen | Dream Home: "Clean Outlets, Switches, And Vents" | |
| Bedroom surfaces | "Dust & Clean Countertop / Bedside Table" and "Spot-Check Common Dust Areas" | ||
| Common areas, a closer pass | "Detailed Dusting Of Common Areas (30-mins)" | ||
| Sofas and chairs | "Vacuum Upholstered Furniture", and in the bedroom "Dust & Clean Upholstered Furniture" | ||
| Floors and under the bed | "Floors Swept / Mopped / Vacuumed" and "Vacuum Under Bedroom Frames" | ||
| Baseboards | No baseboard line | Move: "Spot-Clean Baseboards (30-Mins)". Dream Home inherits it. | |
| Knobs, cracks and crevices | Dream Home: "Clean Knobs, Cracks, and Crevices" |
The shelf, fixture, frame and vent-cover lines are written "up to 9ft". No line on any of the four checklists names an air filter, ducts, a furnace or a radiator. The full line counts by tier are in what each tier adds.
What stays with the household
The doormat, the shoes, the range hood, the candles and the system air filter are yours, and none of them is a checklist line. A visit takes off what has settled and the sources keep running afterward, so a shelf can show dust again soon after a visit. The preparation guide says to clear the surfaces you want cleaned. If a line on the tier you booked was not done, the 48-hour guarantee guide covers what to send and when.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for dust to be back two days after a cleaning?
Some return is expected. EPA says indoor particles come from outdoor air and from sources inside the home, and those keep running after a cleaning. EPA gives no timeline, so there is no number of days to hold your house to.
Does dusting more often help?
EPA says frequent cleaning and ventilation are effective ways to reduce dust. It also says that usually the best way to reduce indoor PM is to reduce its sources, so the doormat and the range hood belong on the list next to the cloth.
Should I buy a HEPA vacuum?
EPA says to consider one to reduce dust build-up. Hometress's published FAQ says "plant-based, low-fragrance products and HEPA-filter equipment are the default on every reset, not an upsell."
Does a Standard clean dust the baseboards?
No Standard line names baseboards. The Move checklist carries "Spot-Clean Baseboards (30-Mins)" and Dream Home inherits it. What a baseboard line means and what your paint finish allows is in the baseboards guide.
If the dusting lines in the table match the spots you keep wiping, start a booking for your Philadelphia home.