Sometimes, the areas of your home you can’t see are the ones you need to worry about most. These are those ‘out of sight, out of mind’ areas that aren’t on show, but are silently building up layers upon layers of dust.
And while I’ve always prided myself on having an efficient kitchen cleaning routine, I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve neglected to dust above my kitchen cabinets. My 5-foot-nothing size means that: 1) I can’t see the space between my cabinets and my ceiling anyway, and 2) I can’t reach it. And my previous attempts to climb onto my worktops left me this close to having a broken ankle.
But cleaning this area is essential to a safe and spotless home, which is why I was over the moon to discover the Joseph Joseph CleanTech Adjustable High Zone Duster (£29 on Amazon). This is how it works.
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Joseph Joseph
Joseph Joseph Cleantech Adjustable Microfibre High Reach Duster
The microfibre head is machine-washable, so you can just pop it in the washing machine to refresh it after cleaning.
This duster is such a simple idea, but it’s genius. It’s a long-handled duster for high areas of the home that are normally out of reach, with a fluffy, fully adjustable microfibre head that turns 208º to reach the most awkward, hard-to-reach spots. The pole also reaches 1.12m (or 3.7ft).
For me, this seems like it was made for cleaning the tops of kitchen cabinets. After all, there are always hacks to clean underneath cabinets and appliances, but never any to clean areas that are just way too high to do yourself naturally (and safely). And it’s important to do this, too.
For a healthy home – and kitchen – it’s essential to get rid of dust, and not just from an air quality point of view. Dust particles can irritate your nose and throat and trigger allergy symptoms, but they also provide the perfect sticking ground for grease and grime to settle, which can lead to pests and odours in your kitchen. Not to mention the increased fire risk.
But, of course, I wouldn’t be doing a very good job as Ideal Home’s Cleaning Editor if I didn’t try out products for myself – which is why I did just that. And let’s just say that the Joseph Joseph CleanTech Adjustable High Zone Duster won me over.
I twisted the handle to adjust the head angle, then swept the duster over the tops of my kitchen cabinets to catch the dust. It’s surprising how much gets up there, even with a small gap between the cabinets and the ceiling, but it collected a whole host of grime while I stood firmly on solid ground.
Impressed with its cleaning power, I then took the high-reach duster to arguably the most irritating area of my house: the conservatory. The inside of the conservatory roof is a magnet for spiders – especially at this time of year – and the cobwebs were on another level. My friends Joseph and Joseph removed them in seconds, though. And just look at the state of it afterwards.
What I love about this duster is that it requires very little physical effort, which is perfect if you have limited mobility or just don’t want your cleaning routine to take hours. If you want to give the lower areas of your house the same treatment, you can also buy the high-reach duster as part of a set with a low-reach floor duster – which I tested, too.
You can buy the CleanTech Adjustable High Zone & Floor Duster Set (£54 at Joseph Joseph) together – or, if you’re not fussed about the high-reach duster, you can buy the low-reach floor duster option on its own for £25 at Amazon.
I’ve really enjoyed using the floor duster to get right into the grooves and edges of my skirting boards, and I must admit that they’re also weirdly fun and satisfying to use. However, as with all Joseph Joseph products, they do come at a slightly premium price compared to regular dusters.
But as I already have (and love) my CleanTech set, it makes sense to keep adding to my collection. Especially as they fit neatly on my extender pole for easy storage.
There are similar options on the market, though, so you can still clean this awkward area of your home without risking breaking a limb.
Alternatives to consider
OXO
Good Grips Microfibre Duster With Telescopic Handle
This is a very similar expandable duster, and it actually extends further than the Joseph Joseph version. However, I haven’t tried this one, so I can’t comment on the quality or cleaning ability.
Lakeland
Ultra Reach Flexi Chenille Duster
If you want to switch up your cleaning techniques, this extendable duster is dual-sided. One side has a short-fibre head for polishing, while the other side uses longer chenille fibres to catch dust.
Flash
Dust Magnet Starter Kit With 2 Refills
If you have a tighter budget, this is another option. I’ve used Flash Dust Magnets before and really rate them for catching dust – I just don’t like how wasteful the whole concept is, as the heads are not washable.
When was the last time you dusted the top of your kitchen cabinets?
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