Vacuuming takes enough time as it is, but there is one spot you have to add to your to-do list: Vacuuming the tops of books.
According to professional cleaners, this unassuming spot is one of the most commonly missed areas in the home, and it's a magnet for dust mites, pollen, and grime.
Whether you’re a proud bookshelf curator or just have a few tomes scattered around, professional cleaners have shared their top cleaning tips for your books to help minimize allergies and protect your paperbacks.
Why you should vacuum the tops of books
Neglecting this overlooked spot you’re forgetting to dust is one of the worst dusting mistakes, making your home dirtier.
Armando Calderon, cleaning expert and owner of Joy’s Cleaning Services explains, ‘When dust settles on the tops of books, it doesn't just look bad over time - it can trigger allergies for staff and clients. Over weeks or months, the buildup contributes to that musty, stale smell that you sometimes notice in older libraries or offices. Dust can also slowly damage the books themselves. It works its way into the pages and bindings, drying them out or making them brittle over time.
‘One thing we always make sure to do in the law offices we clean is dust and vacuum the tops of books on shelves. It's a simple step that often gets overlooked, but it makes a big difference.’
How to dust books
Neglecting your bookshelves allows dust mites to thrive.
You have two options to remove dust properly from the tops of your books: A microfiber cloth, available from Walmart, or one of the best multi-surface vacuum cleaners.
- Using a cloth: Jessica Gonzalez, COO of Sparkly Maid San Antonio, explains, ‘When dusting books, always move from the spine out to the edge, and never use a damp cloth or wet your books. Personally, if I were always opening and closing windows and had pets, I would do this every month liberally. For low-traffic areas, every couple of months is just fine.’
- Using a vacuum: Dan Fauzi, Solved’s home tech expert, suggests, ‘When vacuuming books, use the soft brush attachment on the vacuum's hose. Opting for one of the best lightweight vacuum cleaners will make this task easier on your arms – I highly recommend the Dyson V15 Detect Cordless Vacuum, available at Amazon, which comes with crevice and brush vacuum attachments to make light work of small detail areas such as the tops of books.
‘To dust open shelving without damaging your belongings, move from the spine to the ends of the pages, using very light pressure so that the dust is sucked up, but your pages are not creased. Don’t forget to vacuum the areas around the books, too, such as the exposed shelf sections, to thoroughly eliminate allergens.’
What to shop
Four replacement heads
Electrostatic dusters cling to dust, lifting it away from surfaces gently without spreading it around ot throwing it into the air.
The shark cyclone pet handheld vacuum provides powerful hypervelocity suction while weighing only 1.6 lbs making it easy for on-the-go cleaning and quick dusting.
PuroAir is proven to filter pollutants such as dust straight from your home’s air. This large room air purifier cleans rooms up to 1,000 sq ft in one hour to prevent dust from settling on surfaces.
FAQs
How do you keep books dust-free?
It is hard to prevent dust in a home, especially on books. Regular cleaning can prevent dust buildup for cleaner shelves. Otherwise, consider using closed-in shelving for books, using cabinets with glass doors to protect books from dust and debris while keeping them on display.
Meet the experts
Joy's Cleaning Service specializes in commercial, post-renovation, and post-demolition cleaning, with a team of cleaning professionals with a combined period of over ten years.
Jessica Gonzalez is a cleaning expert and the Chief Operating Officer at Sparkly Maid San Antonio, a locally owned, Latina-owned cleaning company serving San Antonio, TX since 2014. She leads daily operations with a focus on eco-friendly practices, exceptional quality, and reliable, top-rated home cleaning services.
Dan is the home tech editor for Homes & Gardens, covering and testing everything from floorcare and cleaning products to air purifiers, sound, and smart home. They've always been passionate about the latest tech but their writing on homes products started back in 2021 on brands like BBC Science Focus, YourHomeStyle and Gardens Illustrated.
While you're dusting off your collection, consider some of the ways to declutter books to help cut back on unread volumes and make some extra storage space. It comes with the added benefit of being easier to clean, too.
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