The bane of any uber-clean homemaker’s existence, dust will settle on every surface and in every crevice throughout your household no matter the size.
Though daily hoovering and dusting isn’t exactly possible for most nine-to-fivers – or more importantly, desirable – getting home to speckled surfaces that you seem to recall thoroughly cleaning just two days prior is an incredibly deflating experience.
We find ourselves dreaming about the pristine surfaces and fresh, crisp linens which adorn the rooms in a cushy luxury hotel. Though many of us tend to chalk up excessive dust to living in the city – The Ritz certainly doesn’t seem to have any issues.
*CSI: Miami voice* Can we get a close-up of that duster? Adorned with naturally dust-repelling ostrich feathers, those fancy vintage-looking dusters do far more than just look the part. Even if, the luxurious duster seems to barely be touching the crystals hanging from that beautiful chandelier.
The first feather duster was created in a broom factory in Iowa all the way back in 1870 when a local farmer asked if his spare turkey feathers could be made into a brush. In 1874, the Hoag Duster Company was born. However, the most popular type of feather used for dusters to this day – and by the Ritz – is ostrich. This came into being in 1903 as Johannesburg-based Harry S. Beckner felt that ostrich feathers would be a more convenient tool for cleaning machines at the factory. A simple solution that has continued to reign supreme over a century later.
But why are ostrich feathers considered so brilliant for dusting? Remarkably, ostrich feathers are able to both attract and hold dust better than any other material because they are naturally imbued with an innate static charge. Other, inexpensive options often just move dust from one place to another, without ever really getting rid of it. They’re also easy to clean by giving them a quick shake outside or washing them in warm soapy water.
Modern synthetic feather dusters, however, offer a far cheaper and often more sustainable dust-ridding solution. Otherwise known as electrostatic dusters, these models use synthetic fibres such as polyester, nylon and microfibre that can trap dust easily. These are popular not only due to their wallet-friendly price, but also because they can often be thrown in the washing machine for an easier clean than ever.
Keep scrolling to make your daily dusting chores an absolute breeze.
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Feather and wool dusters
Andrée Jardin Long Handled Beechwood Ostrich Feather Duster
Length: 110cm
Starting off with a luxury option that even Buckingham Palace would approve of, Andrée Jardin is an artisan French brush maker founded in Nantes in 1947. Renowned for the production of beautiful yet functional home accessories, this beechwood ostrich feather duster is certainly no exception. Complete with a bountiful plume of ostrich feathers and a leather loop for hanging, this is truly the platinum standard of feather dusters.
Buy now £54.00, Liberty
ProCook Wool Duster
Length: 51cm
Crafted from wonderfully absorbent wool which attracts and collects dust, this non-feather duster is ideal for even the most delicate surfaces. Functional and incredibly chic, this duster is finished with an attractive bamboo handle which brings the total length of the duster to 51cm.
Buy now £9.00, ProCook
KitchenCraft Living Nostalgia Genuine Ostrich Feather Duster with Telescopic Handle
Length: 102-152cm
A vintage-inspired ostrich feather duster with a modern, extendable twist -the KitchenCraft duster has been fabricated from 100 per cent genuine ostrich feathers and is designed to last years if not decades. Combining the age-old luxuriously efficacious ostrich feather with a telescopic handle for those hard-to-reach areas, it’s the best of both worlds.
Buy now £18.99, Amazon
Haysland Ostrich Feather Duster
Length: 33.4cm
Because of the bargain price of this feather duster, we can assume that the ostrich feathers have been sourced from either younger birds or male ones – as female ostrich feathers tend to be the most expensive. Though not as effective as the ostrich feather dusters on the upper end of the price scale, inexpensive ostrich feather dusters still have better attracting and trapping abilities than any other feathers. Lightweight, stylish and finished with a delicate wooden handle this option from Haysland will do the trick.
Buy now £9.89, Amazon
Synthetic dusters
Flash Duster Dust Magnet Starter Kit
Length: 20.8cm
Though on the shorter side, the Flash Dust Magnet is fan-favourite for a reason. This is because, though made from synthetic fibres, the brand has managed to imbue these fluffy tendrils with superior dust-trapping abilities. Though brush heads are made from 33 per cent recycled synthetic fibres, the only downside to this option is the fact that you have to replace the brush heads after pretty much every use – which isn’t a very sustainable cleaning solution in the long term.
Buy now £10.17, Amazon
Scrub Daddy Damp Duster
Length: 15cm
Powered by nothing but water, the Scrub Daddy Damp Duster is an innovative dusting marvel. It is preferred by many Scrub Daddy fans due to the sheer visibility of its effectiveness. The ridged sponge-like material picks up and traps dust before your very eyes, rather than hiding it in between plumes before releasing it back into the room which you just cleaned. Affordable, reusable and a brilliant option for allergy sufferers, this is the sustainable, chemical-free synthetic dusting solution we’ve been waiting for.
Buy now £3.49, Amazon
OXO Good Grips Extendable Duster
Length: 137cm
Extra-long and fantastically versatile, the OXO Good Grips duster is made from dust-trapping microfibre and lightweight aluminium. With a quick-twist function, the duster is able to rotate up to 270 degrees and can be locked in at various angles – depending on where you’re cleaning. Now that’s functionality.
Buy now £17.50, John Lewis
Elliott Extendable Electrostatic Duster
Length: up to 1.2m
An absolute classic and as inexpensive as it gets, the Elliott electrostatic duster has been imbued with a static charge to attract dust, dirt and other unwanted airborne particles. Reusable and therefore a more eco-friendly option than most synthetic dusters, simply give this product a wash with warm soapy water to clean.
Buy now £0.99, Amazon
Tonkita Cobweb Brush with Telescopic Handle
Length: 110cm
For tough, dense cobweb-banishing bristles, look no further than this duster from Tonkita. Complete with a telescoping handle for sweeping away even the most difficult-to-reach cobwebs, this is a great product to use separately from your general feather duster.
Buy now £11.79, Amazon
