Dyson reveals the most neglected spots during a deep clean

Did you know that 62 per cent of people globally don't clean their mattresses? And there are other places many of us forget too – skirting boards anyone? The Dyson Global Dust Study reveals the most neglected household cleaning spots along with some top tips for a deep clean by Dennis Mathews, Dyson Lead Research Scientist in Microbiology.

The Global Dust Study reveals that more than half of people clean only when they spot visible dust on their floors. However, fine dust is invisible to the naked eye and collects in most places in the home – areas we don’t even think about cleaning. While dust is seemingly harmless, in reality, it's a complex matrix of organic matter, that includes dead skin cells, hair, dust mites, dust mite faeces, bacteria, mould, small insects and other fibres and particles. Many of these components can trigger allergies and impact our well-being.

“Many of us clean our homes to remove unsightly dust and dirt; but very few people think about what is in our dust, and the negative impact it can have on our health. With most household dust being microscopic in size, it is important to remove the invisible dust from the corners of our home that we often overlook, in order to keep our homes healthier."

Dennis Mathews, Lead Research Scientist in Microbiology at Dyson.

Why proper hard floor cleaning matters

Most hard floors have a protective top layer – from factory coatings on laminate and vinyl to varnish or sealants on wood and stone. When this layer becomes worn, the floor underneath becomes vulnerable to dullness, staining and long‑term wear.

Daily dust and grit slowly abrade the finish as you walk across it. Moisture, when used incorrectly, can seep into seams, lift edges or leave streaks behind. Even the most durable surfaces can be affected by residue buildup or overly strong cleaning chemicals.

A consistent and gentle routine helps protect these coatings, removes the particles that cause micro‑abrasion, and keeps floors looking polished and clean.

How to clean hard floors: a step-by-step guide

1.  Vacuum daily. High‑traffic areas collect dust quickly. A short daily vacuum helps prevent debris from settling into textured surfaces or becoming embedded in the floor’s finish.
2.  Use the right cleaner head. Hard floors and carpets require different approaches. Cleaner heads developed for hard floors are engineered to maintain close, even contact with the surface, capturing fine dust efficiently while supporting the long‑term condition of your flooring.
3.  Use the right accessories. Switching tools mid‑clean can feel like extra effort, but it ensures thorough dust removal. A crevice tool helps reach gaps, corners and tight spaces where dust accumulates.
4.  Vacuum before wet cleaning – unless your machine does both. Removing dust before wet cleaning prevents smearing. However, dedicated wet floor cleaners like the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene combine dry pickup and washing in one pass, removing both wet and dry debris simultaneously while preventing dirt from being spread around the floor.
5.  Keep moisture controlled. Hard floors do not require heavy water application. Dedicated wet floor cleaners use controlled hydration to wash effectively without leaving excess moisture behind – reducing streaks, protecting moisture‑sensitive flooring and helping floors dry quickly.

Machines and products to clean hard floors

A vacuum with soft roller technology helps protect delicate flooring while capturing fine dust. Strong suction and sealed filtration prevent particles from being pushed across the floor or expelled back into the room.

After vacuuming, the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene offers a hygienic, smear‑free approach to maintaining hard floors. A highly absorbent microfibre roller removes everyday dust and debris (including hair) while washing away wet messes using only clean water throughout the clean. Its optimised hydration system reduces water residue for a fast‑drying, streak‑free finish.

For best results, pair it with Dyson 02 Probiotic hard floor cleaning solution, specially formulated to work with the Clean+Wash Hygiene. This non‑foaming, non‑toxic solution deep‑cleans at a microscopic level, lifting dirt and organic matter while remaining gentle on sealed floors and safe for homes with pets and children.

Most neglected cleaning spots

Dennis Mathews, Dyson’s Lead Research Scientist in Microbiology, reveals the places most people forget to clean.

1. Mattresses are neglected by 62% of people globally

Mattresses can be breeding grounds for house dust mites, who thrive in warm, dark and humid places like our beds. Dust mites feed on skin cells, which we shed 2-3g of per day and even more at night owing to the friction from bed linens. There can be millions of dust mites in a single mattress, and each mite produces around 20 faecal pellets a day which harbour an allergenic protein that can trigger allergic reactions.

Vacuuming both sides of your mattress with a dedicated mattress cleaning tool which agitates and removes embedded dust, skin flakes, and allergenic material in your mattress. Wash sheets and blankets on a 60°C or 90°C wash will help to break down and reduce allergens.

2. Windowsills are neglected by 49% of people globally

Windowsills collect far more dust than most people realise. As outdoor particles settle and indoor dust circulates, these flat ledges become a landing zone for pollen, debris and fine dust – yet nearly half of people overlook them in their regular cleaning routine.

A combination tool that integrates both a soft dusting brush and a crevice‑style nozzle is ideal for this space. It lets you switch seamlessly between brushing wider surfaces and reaching into tight edges or window tracks where particles accumulate.

3. Skirting boards are neglected by 51% of people globally

Skirting boards can feel like an arduous deep cleaning task that involves a lot of crouching and scrubbing, but it doesn’t have to be. Use the dusting brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to go over the boards thoroughly. This will quickly and easily suck up the dust in hard-to-reach nooks and crannies without you having to bend over. Once vacuumed, if there is still engrained dirt or marks, use a damp cloth and warm water to gently remove them.

4. Walls are neglected by 54% of people globally

Dust on certain wall types can contribute towards the growth of mould. Using a vacuum with advanced filtration with a soft dusting brush and extension wand attached to reach ceilings and upper walls with ease.

If you're vacuuming both the ceiling and the walls, start with the ceiling followed by the walls so that you capture any airborne dust that may land on the walls or on furniture or the floor below. Cleaning from the top down ensures that you pick up any fallen airborne dust as you go.

5. Pet baskets are neglected by 39% of people globally

Just like mattresses, pet baskets can harbour dust mites, who feast on pet dander shed by animals. If possible, launder any removable covers on a 60°C or 90°C wash. Where that isn’t feasible, use the mini-motorised tool on a vacuum cleaner in handheld mode to agitate and “peel off” any unwanted pet hair, dander and allergens.

6. Lamps and lampshades are neglected by 48% of people globally

Dust can gather in lampshades and light fittings which can then burn on hot bulbs producing VOCs and odour or be moved around the room by the production of warm air around the bulbs. Using the soft brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner with an up-top adaptor will help reach high lampshades – avoid using damp cloths near sources of electricity.

7. Curtains and blinds are neglected by 59% of people globally

A lot of dust can gather in curtains and blinds and dust mites can thrive in textiles. Make sure you vacuum them with a soft brush tool or launder them if possible and practical.

8. Shelves are neglected by 46% of people globally

For a deeper clean, start by carefully removing the contents of your shelves. Vacuum the top shelves first so that you don’t miss any airborne dust that might settle further down. Use the soft brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner with an up-top adapter to remove dust from high-up areas. Using a damp cloth, gently remove and marks or stains and allow time to dry before putting the contents of the shelves back. If possible, don’t forget to pull out the shelves from the wall and vacuum underneath furniture – if you can see dust, it’s likely that bacteria, moulds and colonies of dust mites could already be thriving there.

9.  Under rugs are neglected by 46% of people globally

The areas beneath rugs often go untouched – nearly half of people never lift them during routine cleaning. But these spots trap far more dust than open floor surfaces. As people walk across rugs, fine particles, skin flakes and allergens are pushed down through the fibres and accumulate underneath, where they remain undisturbed for months.

Lifting rugs periodically and vacuuming the floor beneath helps remove this compressed layer of dust before it spreads back into the room. A vacuum with strong suction and a dedicated hard floor cleaner head like the Fluffy Optic which even illuminates invisible dust, so you never miss a spot – makes the job quick and thorough.

10. Television screens are neglected by 34% of people globally

Television screens are one of the most overlooked surfaces in the home – partly because dust on a screen is subtle, and partly because many people worry about damaging the delicate coating. But screens attract fine dust easily through static charge, and that layer can build up faster than expected.

To clean safely, use a Scratch-free dusting brush, engineered with ultra-fine and ultra‑soft bristles that lift dust without scratching the screen. It helps remove fine particles evenly without leaving streaks, while the brush’s design prevents hard edges from coming into contact with sensitive display surfaces.

Top tips for a deep clean

Clean regularly

Dust electrostatically ‘sticks’ to hard floors and the longer it sits on the floor, the more effort is required to ‘peel’ (or dislodge) it off the surface. Cleaning regularly makes it easier to remove dust, which applies to whole house and not just your floors. Cleaning two of the ten spots (listed above) every week means you can achieve a whole house deep clean every month. This is a highly recommended frequency to maintain a clean home without getting overwhelmed by the daunting task of trying to deep clean your entire home at once.

Clean the right way

Some people only vacuum and never mop; but vacuuming alone cannot remove stuck‑on grime, spill residue or the thin film of moisture‑borne particles that settles over time. Others do the opposite – they mop without vacuuming first – which simply spreads dust and debris across the surface, creating streaks and making floors look duller.

Dyson engineers say effective hard‑floor care comes down to two things: using the right tools and cleaning in the right order. Vacuuming first removes abrasive fine dust, while controlled wet cleaning then lifts marks and residues without compromising the finish. For an even simpler routine, use a two-in-one machine like the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene, which is engineered to vacuum and wash simultaneously, removing fine dust and tackling wet debris in a single pass.

Use vacuums with advanced filtration

The main purpose of vacuuming is to remove the dust and dirt from your home. A vacuum with advanced filtration is essential to ensure that all the nasties in your vacuum, stay within your vacuum, rather than being expelled back into your home.

The Dyson V16 Piston Animal is engineered with fully sealed HEPA filtration that captures 99.99% of particles down to 0.1 microns, ensuring the dust you remove stays trapped in your vacuum, and only cleaner air is expelled back into your home.

Use the right tools

There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to cleaning your home. From the size of your home to whichever part you’re cleaning, being equipped with the right vacuum and tools is key. Dyson has a large range of vacuums of varied sizes that have been engineered to solve every kind of cleaning need. Each vacuum comes with a variety of tools to clean the different places and spaces.

From the Hair screw tool that transforms your stick vacuum into a handheld vacuum and the Mattress tool, designed to remove dust and allergens from mattresses and upholstery, to the Awkward gap tool that rotates to reach awkward narrow spaces where dust settles around your home and car. For more details on the range of accessories available, see here.