Ostrich Feather Dusters – The Best Feather Dusters on the Market
THE BEST FEATHER DUSTERS
Unfortunately, when people see cheap feather dusters, they assume that they are buying the real deal. Unfortunately, not all feather dusters are created equal. Like any cleaning product, there is the good and the bad.
First things first – cheap feather dusters you see in most shops are most likely to be poor quality domestic bird dusters, made of probably goose or chicken feathers. Why is this a bad thing? Simply put, those domestic poultry feathers don’t have the same qualities as genuine Ostrich Feather dusters.
Chicken feather dusters for example, simply dislodge and move the dust around – and as such aren’t the right feathers to use for dusting duties.
QUALITIES OF A GENUINE OSTRICH FEATHER DUSTER
Genuine Ostrich down has a number of qualities that make them ideal for furniture dusting:
- They really pick up dust
- They are easy to ply and bend
- They hold the dust together till you actually shake the duster
TIPS ON BUYING A GOOD OSTRICH FEATHER DUSTER
There are two types of Ostrich dusters – black and gray. Why the difference? Well the gray feathers are usually from female ostriches, while the black feathers are from male ostriches. If you can afford it, aim for black feathered ostrich feather dusters – the male feathers are of a much better quality, softer and pick up dust much better than the gray ones.
Don’t buy really long dusters for daily use – although they are great for hard to reach places, you may struggle to use on closer surfaces.
Interesting: The reason why black ostrich feather dusters are more expensive than their gray counterparts is because the male to female ratio is usually one male for every four females – making the black feathers rarer and thus more expensive.
WHAT IS THE COST OF A GOOD OSTRICH FEATHER DUSTER?
Typically they range between the $8 to $30 mark. The price is dependent on the a number of features:
- Quality of feathers
- Handle material (from plastic to hand carved wood)
- Fastening type (cheap ones tend not to be secured too well)
- Length of duster (longer feathers cost a bit more)
HOW TO DUST USING AN OSTRICH FEATHER DUSTER
Ostrich feather dusters have the same effect as dust collecting static cloths – however, unlike these cheap cloths, the duster can be cleaned and used again and again.
The simplest way to use one is by perfecting the easy technique below:
- Use very gently – there is no need to press down hard.
- Keep a steady motion – gliding over the dusty surface
- As the static builds and collects the dust, tap the duster gently to release dust before the next set of strokes.
- Keep a container handy to shake the dust into if you don’t want it on the floor
- Do not use the duster if et – it doesn’t work when damp – allow to dry.
Note: if you don’t dust regularly and have a lot of collected dust, then your feather duster alone won’t be enough. Feather dusters are for regular dusting, not the occasional big clean.
CLEANING YOUR OSTRICH FEATHER DUSTER
For those of you who are lazy like I am, the good news is a simple vigorous shake is good enough for a regular clean.
However after prolonged periods of use, the duster may require a bit more effort, but again, not too much. The simple steps below cover it all:
- Use a container filled with warm soapy water )most cleaning experts recommend baby shampoo)
- Soak your duster for 30-60 seconds In the container full of soapy water, swish the duster very slowly around to loosen the dirt.
- If the water is really dirty, then replace with a fresh batch of warm soapy water and repeat process.
- Rinse the duster in clean fresh water once you think it’s clean enough.
- Shake out any water (squeeze if you have to)
- Hang upside down in a dry place
- Once dry fluff the feathers and separate them – and now it’s ready for use!
