This Common Household ‘Dust Trap’ Is Worsening Your Allergies – But an $11 Vacuum Accessory Can Easily Fix It

Banishing dust and allergens that have built up in your home is a never-ending cycle, especially with pollen counts rising sharply. But there's one secret dust trap that most householders forget to clean: Fabric headboards.

These headboards can act as magnets for airborne particles. Much like carpets, sofas, and pet beds, the soft, fibrous surface of your headboard collects dust, dander, and pollen daily, and if left uncleaned, will expose you to allergens while you sleep.

Fortunately, the fix is simple. Use the correct attachment for your vacuum cleaner, and the accumulated dust and pollen will be cleared with ease in seconds this spring.

How to Clean This Common Household 'Dust Trap' This Month

Scott Levene, air quality expert and VP of Levco, recommends the right tools for cleaning the dust trap that is your fabric headboard: 'Smaller handheld vacuums with soft brush attachments work the best.'

This $11.59 set of universal soft brush attachments at Amazon is perfect for the task, with an adjustable nozzle to fit different vacuum models.

'However, it’s ideal to use a crevice tool for cleaning tufted buttons, seams, and decorative crevices where dust and debris accumulate the most,' he adds.

The process of vacuuming a fabric headboard is easy, as Rhonda Wilson, quality lead cleaner at FreshSpace Cleaning, recommends. She says, 'Always move from top to bottom, in slow and overlapping strokes.'

This is important when cleaning upholstery, as vacuuming from top to bottom captures dust that floats down below from higher areas.

Alternatively, a lint roller, such as this $12.99 pack of six rollers at Amazon, will capture micro-sized particles on your headboard, but they won't be able to reach into crevices or around buttons.

Why It's Important to Clean Your Headboard In Spring

'Fabric collects dust and allergens and is harder to clean than a wooden headboard because it is like magnets for dead skin cells, pet dander, and body oils,' says Scott. 'Without routine cleaning, they can harbor allergens.'

Rhonda also explains how certain fabrics and designs can worsen the allergen buildup: 'If you have a tufted headboard, the piping along the edges acts like a ridge collecting dust.'

'As for the fabric, anything heavier in texture, like chenille or tweed style, poses a problem, as thicker yarns and a more pronounced weave trap dust. And if you run your hand over velvet, the upright fibers are where the dust will cling,' she continues.

This accumulation, which can grow exponentially in spring when your windows are more likely to be open for extended periods before the haze of summer humidity hits, makes your headboard prime for catching the allergens that will end up setting you off overnight.

Removing this as part of your weekly cleaning routine will help you sleep better and avoid seasonal allergy flares. Adding a good air purifier to your sleep space, such as the Shark NeverChange Max we reviewed and rated highly, will also capture rogue floating particles, maximizing your comfort further during the spring season of pollen spikes.

What to Shop

To be able to deep clean your headboard of any dust, pollen, and household allergens, you'll need a few tools in your cleaning toolkit: A soft brush attachment and crevice tool for your vacuum cleaner, a lint roller for quick cleans, and a microfiber cloth for removing any visible marks. Here is a selection recommended by our product experts.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Next, learn the surprising things making your allergies worse, and how a steam cleaner could be your next solution to allergies.

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