Your home is full of hard to reach places, high and low, where dust and allergens like to accumulate.
The truth is that dust is dangerous for your health, primarily because it provokes allergies.
So, what can you do to ensure you remove all the dust when cleaning?
There are special tools that can help you reach those tight spots you tend to overlook.
To help you out, I will review the top 10 tools to dust hard to reach places and tell you exactly why you need each one and how to use it for optimal and effortless cleaning.
After all, you don’t want to spend all day dusting.
Get ready to read about some innovative tools you’ve probably never even heard of!
In this post we'll cover:
- Best choice dusting tool for hard to reach places
- Why is it important to dust hard to reach places?
- Best Dusting Tools Reviewed
- Overall best dusting tool for hard to reach places: O-Cedar Dual-Action Microfiber Duster Set with Telescopic Handle
- Best DIY tool for multi-surface dusting: Buff Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
- Best for dusting crevices and upholstery: Eureka WhirlWind Bagless Canister Cleaner
- Best for trapping tiny airborne particles: Electrostatic Duster / Dust Wand
- Best natural duster for shelves & ceilings: Lambswool Duster Casabella
- Best for dusting tight spaces & objects: Natural-Bristle Paintbrushes
- Best tool for dusting blinds & awnings: Blind Cleaner Brush
- Best tool for cleaning under & behind appliances & coils: Long Vent Cleaner Brush
- Best tool for window & sliding door tracks: Window or Door Track Cleaning Brush
- Best dusting tool for electronic gadgets: Pixel RB-20 Strong Cleaning Air Blower
- Hard to Reach Areas You Need to Dust Now
Best choice dusting tool for hard to reach places
The best overall dusting tool is the dual-action microfiber dusting set with a telescopic handle that lets you reach up high to clean ceilings, fans, and light fixtures without using ladders and stepping stools.
The two bendable cleaning heads remove cobwebs too and help you reach objects up high at different angles, so you don’t miss a spot while dusting.
You can also clean stairs and paneling, so this tool is ideal for cleaning high & low, wherever there is dust!
If you just want a simple DIY dusting aid, I recommend this Buff Microfiber Cleaning Cloth.
It is truly the best dust cleaner if you want to remove all the stuck-on dust from a variety of surfaces without using harsh chemicals.
But of course, there are other options, and I’ll show you my favorites.
Best Dusting Tools | Images |
Overall best dusting tool for hard to reach places: O-Cedar Dual-Action Microfiber Duster Set with Telescopic Handle | |
Best DIY tool for multi-surface dusting: Buff Microfiber Cleaning Cloth | |
Best for dusting crevices and upholstery: Eureka WhirlWind Bagless Canister Cleaner | |
Best for trapping tiny airborne particles: Electrostatic Duster / Dust Wand | |
Best natural duster for shelves & ceilings: Lambswool Duster Casabella | |
Best for dusting tight spaces & objects: Natural-Bristle Paintbrushes | |
Best tool for dusting blinds & awnings: Blind Cleaner Brush | |
Best tool for cleaning under & behind appliances & coils: Long Vent Cleaner Brush | |
Best tool for window & sliding door tracks: Window or Door Track Cleaning Brush | |
Best dusting tool for electronic gadgets: Pixel RB-20 Strong Cleaning Air Blower |
Why is it important to dust hard to reach places?
Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there.
Dust clings to any surface, and it floats around in the air, making your home full of allergens.
Dust mites can also carry bacteria and viruses and sit in tight spaces. I wrote about dust mites and how to get rid of them before.
After all, a clean home is a safer home for all inhabitants.
Dust is known to induce mild allergy symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, runny nose, and itching.
To avoid these symptoms, you need to remove the dust in your house with the best dusting tools.
As well, you need to make sure you clean every tiny spot, even if you can’t see all the dust because it’s lurking there for sure.
Best Dusting Tools Reviewed
So, let’s take an in-depth look at the best tools for getting rid of dust in your house, especially in those hard to reach places.
Overall best dusting tool for hard to reach places: O-Cedar Dual-Action Microfiber Duster Set with Telescopic Handle
Why is it hard to reach certain places? Because they are too high up, and you need to climb up onto stools or ladders.
This is dangerous and inconvenient. It discourages many people from dusting places that are too high.
That’s where this handy microfiber dusting tool comes in handy. It is a duster set with two different heads and a telescopic (extendable) handle.
The chenille is bendable, which means that you can bend the duster’s top to clean all kinds of objects.
A lot of the objects in your home are at a weird angle, and even with a classic duster, they may still be hard to reach. That’s why you really need bendable and extendable dusting tools.
Just think about the top of ceiling fans. You can bend the duster at the top to reach even those tiny nooks and crannies in lighting fixtures.
Here’s are several ways you can use the tool to clean hard to reach places:
- For cleaning above and around microwaves: dampen the hand duster and slide it in the space between the microwave and cabinet (if possible). Also, reach behind and on the sides of the oven.
- Use the flexible chenille to reach up to the ceiling fan or light fixture and gently brush back and forth.
- Use the telescopic wand and extend it to reach window sills in shops or commercial and office buildings.
- Clean the bookcases: Use the microfiber duster (dry) and sweep the tops of bookcases. You can also clean the tops of the books.
- With the chenille, wipe down all your walls to remove dust and cobwebs.
- Clean pet hair and dust on your stairs: bend the microfiber duster into an ‘L’ shape and start ‘sweeping’ the stairs and the edges. The cloth can get in-between the stairs to pick up fine dust you can’t really see.
The handle extends from 24 to 49 inches, which is long enough to reach ceilings, cobwebs in ceiling corners, the top of ceiling fans, and light fixtures.
As I mentioned above, the set includes two heads.
The first is a microfiber that traps dust and moisture and works both wet and dry. The second is a classic fluffy duster for grabbing larger dust particles.
As well, this tool comes with a bendable chenille so you can reach all angles.
Best DIY tool for multi-surface dusting: Buff Microfiber Cleaning Cloth
Our top DIY choice is a microfiber cleaning cloth because it attracts more dust than other cleaning cloths.
It’s also environmentally friendly because it can be used over and over again and it allows you to clean without expensive solutions and cleaners.
You can use the cloth on surfaces up high or down low to clean anything from window sills to kitchen cabinets and lampshades.
Wondering how to use a microfiber cloth to clean under your fridge or kitchen furniture?
All you have to do is drape the cloth over your Swiffer mop and tie it on both sides using rubber bands to keep it in place.
Then, you can get into the tight space and pick up more dust.
Alternatively, you can grab a yardstick or a broomstick and wrap the microfiber cloth around the end and tie it with a couple of rubber bands.
Then, use the stick to get the dust and dirt behind the fridge without moving it! Genius hack, right?
This microfiber cloth is made of thick material, so it’s durable, strong, and efficient.
It is an all-purpose cloth, and it works on almost all surfaces, so you don’t need to use chemicals to wipe off dust and mites.
The microfiber material attracts more dust than paper towels or regular cleaning rags.
Compared to other microfiber cloths, the Buff is thicker, softer, and more absorbent, which means it traps more dust mites and reduces allergy symptoms.
If you want to make sure you pick up all dust, damped the microfiber cloth.
Check prices and availability here
Best for dusting crevices and upholstery: Eureka WhirlWind Bagless Canister Cleaner
There’s no doubt the vacuum cleaner is your best ally when it comes to tackling tough messes like dust.
It can pull out the gunk from carpets, floors, upholstery, and almost any type of surface, actually and contain it.
But, to clean effectively, you need a vacuum cleaner with a dust-brush attachment and a crevice tool to help you get into tight spaces.
An upright vacuum just won’t cut it when it comes to dust because it likes to hide in all the places you can’t see it.
Additionally, upright vacuums are heavy to lug around, so a canister is easier to pull. Thus, it’s often unreachable with a large brush.
Therefore, you need to use a canister vacuum with a HEPA filter, like the Eureka WhirlWind Bagless Canister Cleaner.
This vacuum cleaner has controllable airflow for three surfaces: hard floors, carpet, and upholstery.
With a weight of 8 lbs, this vacuum is very lightweight. Therefore, it’s easy to maneuver it to reach places like under the stairs, under furniture, and you can even swivel the telescopic wand to reach those edges.
The top feature of this vacuum is its 2-in-1 Integrated crevice tool. The crevice tool is already inside the hose handle, so you don’t need to keep switching between tools when cleaning those crevices.
You can attract the dust from small floor cracks, baseboards, crevices, ceilings, and soft surfaces where dust mites like to hide.
It has a 2.5 Liter dust can, which is large enough for lots of uninterrupted cleaning.
So, if dust mites are a concern in your household, a crevice tool can help you reach those areas that normally get overlooked.
And, since this is an affordable vacuum cleaner, you can clean the entire home and keep it allergen-free on a budget.
Also check out these 14 best air purifiers reviewed for allergies, smoke, pets & more.
Best for trapping tiny airborne particles: Electrostatic Duster / Dust Wand
The challenge of dusting is to pick up even the tiniest airborne particles without stirring them and spreading them around the room.
These particles are the most significant source of allergies, so you must get rid of them ASAP.
The solution to your problem is to use an electrostatic duster, like the Eurow Electrostatic Duster.
Also known as a dust wand, this type of duster has an extensible handle so you can reach up high.
The longer the handle, the better because you don’t need to use a footstool or ladder to reach ceilings and the tops of windows, ceiling fans, light fixtures, etc.
An electrostatically charged material attracts much more dust without the use of water.
The charged particles attract the dust particles, which are no longer airborne; thus, you can get rid of more dirt.
Many handheld dusters only pick up surface dust and leave many particles behind. This electrostatic duster attracts ALL the airborne particles using static electricity.
You don’t have to dampen the cloth anymore; simply use this duster dry to create static electricity.
The duster doesn’t kick up the dust particles into the air. Thus, they are no longer airborne and no longer cause allergies.
It also attracts and picks up lint so that you can use it as a lint roller for your couch and upholstered furniture.
You can use it with an extension pole to reach cobwebs, ceiling fans, blinds, and other high places, or you can use it standalone for easy to reach surfaces.
If you are after a mess-free cleaning process, you can use an electrostatic duster because it doesn’t stir the particles and keeps them stuck to the duster material.
Best natural duster for shelves & ceilings: Lambswool Duster Casabella
A lambswool duster is similar to the classic dust wand, except it contains natural lanolin oils.
These, in combination with electrostatic energy, can attract more dust and hold it in for longer because the fibers and lanolin always create reactions that attract the particles.
Thus it’s the best tool to clean hard to reach places when you need to clean a large volume of dust at once.
I know how time-consuming using classic duster wands can be, especially if you have to keep shaking them out. But this wool wand can pick up more dust.
It also works very well on wood surfaces so that you can pick up all the dust from wooden furniture and even the dining room table.
In Australia, they manufacture the Casabella lambswool duster from natural wool.
It is a clean material and safe to use at home. It’s effortless to clean by hand washing.
The wool is more efficient at trapping small particles and holding them in than other dusters.
It has a 24-inch long handle, so you can use it to reach up and remove all dust from ceilings, fans, blinds, and bookshelves.
If you want to use natural materials to clean your home, a lambswool dust want is the best option. It will help you pick up fine particles and dust mites with one swipe.
Check pricing and availability here
Best for dusting tight spaces & objects: Natural-Bristle Paintbrushes
When you need to clean delicate items, fragile objects, or reach into tight spaces, the best tools are paintbrushes because you can control your movement with them, and they are delicate.
Think about how easily you can clean the tops of books, decorative objects, souvenirs, and even glass.
But not just any paintbrush will do for dusting: you need one that’s made of natural bristles.
It helps you reach the inside of a lamp, dust artworks, decorative objects, crevices, and more. You can imagine how much dust gets trapped in tiny spaces, especially all those decorative knick-knacks.
Make sure to use paintbrushes with natural bristles so that you don’t scratch surfaces or special objects.
These natural bristles are also more gentle and attract more dust than plastic materials.
Best tool for dusting blinds & awnings: Blind Cleaner Brush
Sometimes, you don’t even realize that your blinds and awnings are full of dust. But, these places can become a thriving dust mite colony in no time, and you need to tackle it quickly.
Therefore, you need to use a quick and easy solution like a handheld blind cleaner brush.
This quirky blind cleaner tool has seven cotton slats, which let you clean six blinds at once. Talk about a time-saver, right?
Well, the good news is the brush is made with a sturdy plastic handle and cotton rollers, and you can wash them in the sink with some soap and warm water.
As well, this tool is not just for cleaning blinds (both vertical and horizontal). You can also clean awnings, air conditioning vents, and even the car fan.
Best tool for cleaning under & behind appliances & coils: Long Vent Cleaner Brush
Cleaning those tight spaces between, behind, and under appliances is a nightmare. Then, of course, there are those coils that are full of dust and dirt.
But, with a skinny long-shaped vent brush, you can remove all traces of dust and clean the places you never even thought you could reach with ordinary tools.
It looks like a pipe cleaner, yet it’s very efficient at trapping dust and lint.
Of course, you can use the brush as a pipe cleaner, but I recommend it for getting in under the fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, dryer, and oven.
Then once you’ve removed all the dust underneath appliances, you can use the pipe cleaning brush to clean behind them too.
You can even use it to clean radiators because the long slim shape of this tool makes it a versatile tool.
Best tool for window & sliding door tracks: Window or Door Track Cleaning Brush
If you’ve ever tried to clean window and sliding door tracks, then you know the struggle.
Maybe you use a paper towel or even a knife to try to get the dust, dirt, and grime out. But, there is a simple way to clean the tracks.
This tool is a triangular-shaped brush with a sturdy plastic handle.
To dust, you place the brush and pull it along the tracks. It effectively traps and picks up all the dirt particles.
Therefore, the sliding door tracks won’t be full of brown gunk and dust mites.
This is excellent news, considering that it’s one of those random tight spaces everyone struggles to keep clean.
Compared to other similar products that have brush bristles, this has pipe cleaner bristles and a unique shape that fits into tracks perfectly.
The bristles are easy to clean, and the tool is quite small, so it’s easy to store. If you need to clean any other gaps, you can use this tool because it is truly multifunctional.
Best dusting tool for electronic gadgets: Pixel RB-20 Strong Cleaning Air Blower
Electronic devices and screens are hard to dust because you always risk scratching them.
A home is full of LCD screens, phone screens, tv screens, tablets, stereo equipment, and more. Thus, these gadgets are dust-attractors.
I consider them hard to reach places because these gadgets have tiny holes and crevices that are hard to clean. The risk of scratches and damage is quite high if you don’t use specialized tools.
This manual hand pump blows air onto your electronic devices and blows the dust off, leaving behind a clean surface.
It’s excellent for cleaning photographic equipment like cameras too so that you can use it for every gadget in your home.
This tool’s advantage is that it doesn’t touch the surface you clean, so it’s a complete touch and scratch-free process.
It works by blowing air when you squeeze the pump. It gives a strong gust of air so it can blow off even stuck-on dust.
Hard to Reach Areas You Need to Dust Now
Now that you’ve seen which tools to use, it’s time to dust those hard to reach places.
I list all of the dusty spaces that often get overlooked when cleaning, so make sure you don’t miss them when you dust.
- Computers and keyboards, laptops, televisions, and other electronic devices. Make sure to get into all the little nooks and crannies and between the keys.
- Heating and air conditioning vents are full of stuck-on dust and even grease from the kitchen.
- The refrigerator, and all the areas around it, including the coils and back area. You can remove the dust with your vacuum cleaner’s crevice tool.
- Your bathroom is full of dust even if you can’t see it. The area behind the toilet and spaces under your cabinets can be a dust trap.
- Windows are always full of small dust particles. Check the window sills and the spaces where your sliding doors and shower doors move.
- The window blinds also attract tons of dust mites, so use a duster wand to remove the allergens.
- Kitchen cabinets are also magnets for dust. Clean the tops, the front doors of the cabinets, and spaces at the bottom if you have some. You can use paintbrushes for small nooks.
- Don’t forget about ceilings and crown moldings. Clean them regularly and remove spider webs as well.
- Light fixtures, ceiling fans, and lampshades are notoriously dusty. But, you can remove the dirt and mites with a microfiber cloth or dusting wands.
- Upholstery and soft materials are major dust catchers, but it’s hard to see the dust with the naked eye. A lint roller and vacuum cleaner can get rid of dust.
Now that you’ve read about our top picks for dusting hard to reach places, you no longer need to worry about a dusty home.
If you want to keep the allergens away, make sure you use your vacuum cleaner on a regular basis and use microfiber cloths and duster wands to attract, trap, and remove dust.
Read next: the ULTIMATE upright vacuums guide: what to buy & 14 best cleaners.
I'm Joost Nusselder, the founder of Tools Doctor, content marketer, and dad. I love trying out new equipment, and together with my team I've been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with tools & crafting tips.