Why Is There So Much Dust in My House?

Dust particles can be composed of a mixture of different components and materials that are found in a home – with the most prominent of these being human skin. When these dust particles collect and accumulate in a home it can lead to the disruption of indoor air quality in the indoor space and potentially contribute to health issues for those exposed to this allergen including allergies and asthma. For those individuals who face adverse reactions to this dust exposure, there are solutions that can be implemented into the indoor environment of a home to combat these allergens from both the surfaces and most importantly from the air.

In this article we are going to discuss the reasons behind why there is so much dust in a house and what solutions can be placed in the indoor space to remove these allergens from the air.

What Causes Dust

Dust is created from an amalgam of particles and debris that are found within a home’s interior, this can include from the occupants of the home and from the furniture and materials in the indoor space. It may surprise you to learn of the many different culprits of dust creation in your home and others will be no surprise at all. However, the development of dust in a home can be stirred by several different factors inside of your home and the condition of the space. Additionally, other external factors like where you live, the current season outdoors, how many people live in the home, the number of pets that occupy the space, and even the cleanliness of the environment can all play a drastic role in the build-up of dust particles in the space.

According to the Washington Post, about one-third of household dust is created inside of your home and the components of this dust can vary depending on the environment. The structure of the home, the age of the home, the climate, the cleanliness, and the habits of the occupants will all impact the components of dust within an indoor environment.

How Does Dust Form

The formation of dust in a home, as we discussed earlier, can vary from home to home as each environment is different and filled with an array of various components and pollutants that can collect within the household dust. The occupants in the home can be a major source of dust creation and formation in a home. Humans and pets will produce and shed skin – human skin and pet dander, which are two pollutants that dust mites feed on in the environment. In addition, dust can also be formed from decomposed insects, food debris, fibers from carpeting, bedding, clothes, and particulate matter from smoking and/or cooking in the indoor space.

Although humans and animals are two of the main culprits behind the formation of dust in a home, especially hair, skin, clothing, and belongings that are utilized will help to form dust. There is another culprit other than people that will lead to the creation of dust in the space, and these are dust mites, according to the Allergy Store. Dust mites are allergens in a home that feed off of skin that is shed from the occupants of the space. These microscopic creatures collect in environments that are warm, dark, and slightly damp – like a bed. Dust mites will eat the skin and produce feces which will act as another component of dust in a house. And once these dust mites die their bodies will form into dust.

How Often Should You Dust

Dusting your home is something that you may not do as often as you should, which can ultimately lead to a buildup of dust in the space overtime. Whether you are dusting every week or every other week, the sad fact is that this is often not enough when it comes to the development and removal of dust from the surfaces of your home. A layer of thick dust can develop on the many surfaces in your home, especially electronics like game consoles, tv’s, cable boxes, etc. As these dust particles collect in the environment it will ultimately lead to the adverse reactions and health problems for those who suffer from asthma/allergies.

Therefore, performing regular maintenance in the environment of your home is important to reducing the amount of dust in the space and helping to alleviate/reduce allergy and asthma symptoms. When it comes to removing dust off of the surfaces in the home it is best to use microfiber cloths or electrostatic cloths and dusters – rather than using the traditional feather dusters that really only scatter dust back into the air of your home.

Where Does House Dust Come From

Dust can seem to appear from nowhere and spread thoroughly throughout your environment leaving you with a large assortment of dust inside of your home. When dust is present most people will turn to vacuums and cleaning cloths to remove the excess dust from the space. However, what can be done to remove these sources and where exactly does house dust come from in this indoor environment? Most cases dust can come from the outdoors, from pets and occupants, from furnishings, and even from heating and air systems.

• Dust from Outdoors: When an inside environment is exposed to outdoor conditions it will lead to the invitation of outdoor dust to wander into the airspace of this environment. It has been said that the biggest sources of house dust are from outdoor air debris that has found its way into the indoor space. This air can come in through seal cracks in doors and window frames, walls, crawlspaces, and weather-stripping.
• Dust from Pets & Occupants: As we have talked about previously, pets and occupants are two big culprits of dust in an indoor environment. Dead skin flakes will spread throughout the environment and will ultimately contribute to the development of dust.
• Dust from Furnishings: The carpeting, bedding, upholstery, rugs, and other furniture in a home can slowly contribute to the release of fibers in the environment that will lead to the development of dust accumulation. When these items are used, they will release tiny and larger particles into the airspace. The best way to remove these dust producers is to vacuum the flooring and upholstery as often as possible.
• Dust from Heating and Air Systems; Those air systems in a home that are older or poorly maintained will contribute to dust in the house. If your home air system hasn’t been cleaned or maintained it will push out and spread pollutants into the air that will contribute to dust collection.

How to Measure Dust in the Air

If you are trying to determine the levels of dust in the air of your home to get a gauge on how severe the allergen levels are, the best thing to do is to use a dust measuring device. A dust measuring device is a useful tool for monitoring indoor air quality (IAQ) in indoor environments, dust measuring device will measure the size and concentrations of particles in the air. While these devices will not give a specific detailed record of the kind of dust in the environment it will identify how many airborne particles of a certain size are present in the environment. These devices can be extremely helpful for those households who have been experiencing adverse health symptoms that want to track if dust and other pollutants are a problem in their indoor air.

Dust in the Air

The formation and spreading of dust in the air of a home is another major issue that people face when dealing with indoor household dust. When dust becomes airborne in the air it can lead to aggravation of the air passages and can further lead to other problems in those individuals that are exposed to the airborne dust. Cleaning the air of your home is something that requires a lot different of steps than that of cleaning the surfaces in your home – and thus many people are unsure of where to turn to in accomplishing this indoor air cleaning of the space.

What Takes Dust Out of the Air?

When it comes to removing dust out of the air of your home, the most efficient and effective solution is to utilize an air purifier. An air purifier is a device that works by cleaning the indoor air by capturing and containing airborne pollutants and pushing out clean filtered air back into the indoor space. There are a variety of different types of air purifiers that each work in a specific manner using a specific technology to work against a broad spectrum of noxious and toxic odors, and even particulate matter like dust and other allergens. However, it is important that before you make any air purifier purchases that you find one that will work specifically against fine particulate matter like dust.

Does Air Purifiers Remove Dust?

The EnviroKlenz Air Purifier is a highly-efficient air purifier that works to remove an array of pollutants from the indoor air using a proprietary earth mineral technology for neutralization of these pollutants. The two-stage EnviroKlenz Air Purifier contains its earth mineral technology contained in an air cartridge called the EnviroKlenz Air Cartridge for noxious and toxic chemical and odor neutralization and the second is a hospital-grade HEPA filter for fine particulate removal larger than 0.3 microns in size like dust.

The HEPA filter has an efficiency rate of 99.99 percent allowing to work thoroughly to remove any small traces of particulate matter from the air that is larger than 0.3 microns in size. Thus, having both the capability of capturing a wide array of these fine particulate matter with the added ability to capture, contain, and neutralize noxious and toxic odors and chemicals, makes the EnviroKlenz Air Purifier the best selection for your dusty home!

Article Sources:

1. The Washington Post: How the Dust in Your Home May Affect Your Health (link)
2. The Allergy Store: Where Does All the Dust in Your House Come From? (link)