Dusting Tip #1: Pick Your Tools
Before you start dusting, you will want to be armed with the right tools to get the job done. For 99% of dusting jobs, all you will need is a microfiber or soft cloth, a little water, and a fiber duster. If you dust your home on a regular basis, a fiber duster will likely be your best bet to pick up that thin layer of dust that accumulates on every surface. You can continue to use that one duster until it starts leaving little trails of dust on the surfaces. Even then, you can still get a little more use out of it by flipping it around on the duster handle. This will often give you a cleaner side of the duster to finish up a little more of the job.

If the dust has gotten away from you, a soft cloth or microfiber cloth and a sprinkle of water may be your better bet. When the layer of dust is slightly thicker, it can clog up a fiber duster quickly. Using a slightly damp cloth will allow you to get the dust a little wet and collect it into the cloth so it doesn’t fly into the air (only to descend on some other unsuspecting surface).

If you like to polish your finished wood, you may also want to have a can of furniture polish and another clean rag handy. As I kid, it was my job to walk around the house with a can of Pledge and a scrap of an old t-shirt each week to dust all the shelves. As an adult, I no longer carry around the polish, but some people like to have the added shine that the polish can add. Just don’t use the polish on glossy wood, like on grand pianos. It can add a film that is a pain to get off, so only use a dry or slightly damp cloth on any wood that has a high gloss finish.

If you want to do a very detailed dusting, you may also want to keep a few Q-Tips, a small clean paint brush, and even a butter knife handy. Why?