DESIGNING A DUST-FREE CLOSET

Many clients come to me wondering, what is the best way to keep the items in their closet visible and easily accessible, while minimizing dust?! Household dust can be a major nuisance, especially if you live in a more metropolitan city, and is only exacerbated by any windows or high-traffic areas adjacent to the closet. While we love to see our beautiful pieces properly displayed in the closet, and it simplifies the dressing process, clients are often afraid that over time dust may damage the items that aren’t being used as frequently. Today, I want to offer up a few pro tips we like to implement in closets where dust is a concern, to keep your closet and your clothes looking their best for years to come!

GLASS DOORS

Perhaps the biggest investment you can make in an effort to eliminate dust, doors on the closet go a long way toward keeping your clothes protected! If you opt for glass fronts, you’ll still be able to see what you have, and for many clients, this offers piece of mind that their clothes and accessories have an added layer of protection from snagging, sun damage, and dust. If your closet isn’t always tidy, you might prefer solid doors in a few parts of the closet, to cover the clothes and keep the room looking tidy! Doors do a lot to minimize the amount of maintenance required cleaning your closet.

PURSE CUBBIES

Cubbies and glass dividers are a great tool to protect bags, not only minimizing dust, but also against color transfers and unsightly scuffs. For another layer of protection, you can also opt to keep bags in their dust covers, so any amount of dust that does make it into a cubby isn’t falling directly on your bags. It’s also always a good idea to wipe down your shoes and bags before returning them to the shelf! You never want to track any additional dust or debris into the closet when it can be avoided.

BOOT BOXES

If you haven’t already, you should see my full boot guide here on CLOSETPHILE! Boots and shoes are very often a culprit of a lot of the dust that makes its way into the closet, just given the nature of how and when they are usually worn. Not only do you want to avoid tracking dust in on your boots, it’s also important to store them in a way that extends the life of each pair. I like to use decorative boxes to stow away seasonal items like these, so that they are still looking great when you revisit them in 6 months to a year! If you need a visual cue, you can always label the boxes on the bottom, or add a picture on the front to help you remember what’s inside!

SUNGLASS STORAGE

No one likes scratches or dust on their sunglass lenses, so it’s important to keep these properly tucked away. My preferred method is to store them in an enclosed drawer, lined with soft suede inserts to avoid unsightly marks. It’s much harder for dust to make its way into a drawer than onto an open shelf! If you want to display your collection of shades, I recommend instead designing a custom glass display top, so the items in the top drawer of your island or bureau are visible, but still protected.

AIR PURIFIER

Finally, it never hurts to have a little help from modern technology in eliminated dust in the home. An air purifier can do wonders in the closet (or even in a cabinet where you have an outlet), to keep the air moving, and eliminate dust particles before they reach your precious shoes and bags! This is a great passive strategy for anyone, regardless of the layout or design of your closet. This one is good for your home, and your overall health!