Bookshelves are a common source of dust in the home, but a simple trick loved by interior designers can help keep them cleaner for longer. According to interior designer Ellie Brown at Oak&More, the solution isn't reducing how often you clean — it's adding light maintenance into your regular routine.
Brown explained: "Bookshelves are one of those areas that quietly collect dust because they have so many surfaces where it can settle. It's not just the shelves themselves either. Book spines, the tops of pages and the small gaps between books all trap dust over time." She added: "Because the dust builds gradually, many people don't notice how much has accumulated until they come to rearrange their shelves or take a book down."
The Best Tool for Dusting Bookshelves
While many people instinctively grab a feather duster or vacuum cleaner to tackle dust, Brown suggests one cheap decorating tool actually works far better. She said: "One of my favourite cleaning tools isn't actually a cleaning product at all. It's actually a soft paintbrush. It gently lifts the dust from the tops of the books, around decorative objects and into corners where a cloth struggles to reach. It's particularly useful for older books because it removes dust without pulling at delicate pages or covers."
Additional Tips for Cleaning Bookshelves
Brown also advises against cramming shelves too full, despite the temptation to fill every available space with books, explaining: "It protects book covers and bindings, airflow improves, and cleaning becomes far simpler because you're not trying to force a cloth into tiny gaps." While it's not necessary to entirely empty your shelves each time you clean, certain spots may look dustier than others — so it's wise to keep a microfibre cloth nearby for particularly grimy sections.
When tackling wooden shelving, Brown says it's crucial to always apply your cleaning solution onto the cloth instead of straight onto the shelf. This stops moisture from getting to books, where it can lead to pages warping over time. She added: "It's always safer to spray your cleaning product onto your cloth rather than directly onto the shelf. Spraying furniture polish or cleaning products straight onto a bookshelf increases the risk of moisture reaching the books, particularly if they're packed closely together. Books naturally absorb moisture, and over time can cause pages to ripple, covers to warp or even encourage mould if the conditions are right."
