Everyone has that one cleaning job they avoid, but know they should do more often.
For some people, it’s cleaning appliances like the washing machine or dishwasher, while for others, it’s folding laundry or getting on top of your gardening tasks for the month.
Another cleaning job many often overlook or avoid completely is dusting off bookshelves.
Whether you’ve collected books all your life and have your own home library, or just have a few piles of novels dotted around your home, regular maintenance is important to avoid damage from dust and mould.
You won’t need expensive cleaning products or supplies, as one TikTok account has shared a simple three-ingredient solution that will help ward off dust.
Posting to the social media platform, @reviewed demonstrated how to create the mixture, writing: “How to clean your bookshelf.
“Make a DIY dusting spray with one cup water, one quarter cup distilled white vinegar and two tablespoons of olive oil.”
They continued: “Pour this mixture into a spray bottle. Make sure to clear any loose items off the shelves first.
“Then spray the dusting spray and wipe with a microfibre cloth.”
They recommended following these steps for your entire bookshelf whenever it starts looking dusty.
That’s not the only bookshelf cleaning hack out there, with other TikTok users recommending their own go-to methods and products.
One suggested clearing all the books off the shelves before wiping them down with disinfectant wipes, while another left everything in its place and simply blew the dust away with a small leaf blower before vacuuming up the mess.
Cleaning and organisation expert Marie Kondo has also shared her own approach to deep cleans, urging people to first remove all items from the shelves before wiping down the empty bookshelf.
Use a clean all-purpose cloth and a gentle cleaner and allow it to air dry while you dust your books.
Use a dry cloth to wipe down the outside of each book, as well as the tops, bottoms, and sides of the pages as needed.
Dust can cause damage to books over time, leaving them become fragile and at risk of falling apart.
To prevent this, make sure to dust your books roughly once a month to keep your collection in good scondition.
