TThe first thing I noticed when I moved in with my boyfriend was that his apartment was dusty. Dust bunnies huddled behind the couch and TV, and thick, purplish deposits of what I called “greasy dust” covered the windowsills, bookshelves, and even old bottles on the bar cart.
This dust became my nemesis and reappeared quickly after I cleaned. I started to get the feeling it was our third roommate, an entity that resembled Tim Curry’s crazy character from the movie FernGully – tenacious, unhealthy, and sinister.
We’ve all heard that fabric is full of dead skin, hair, and other seemingly benign debris, but the sheer toughness of my greasy fabric made me wonder: what otherwise is it really there, and could it make our homes less healthy?
What is dust made of and is it harmful?
Dust has many components. It contains substances that may be irritating to our skin and respiratory tract, but do not pose any major health risks, such as dead skin cells, hair, pet dander, bacteria and microscopic mites. According to a 2009 study of household dust in the US Midwest, about 40% of the dust in our homes comes from outside, through the air or the bottom of our shoes. This can include soil and other dirt brought in outside through our shoes, and allergens such as pollen.
But dust also contains chemical pollutants with more serious health consequences. “Dust is essentially a storehouse for indoor chemicals released from various products,” says Tasha Stoiber, senior scientist who studies indoor pollutants at the Environmental Working Group. Depending on where we live and what products we have in our homes, these may contain harmful PFAS, chemicals commonly used to stain and waterproof fabrics that have been linked to certain types of cancer and lower birth weight.
Dust can also contain flame retardants, which are typically released from older foam furniture, and phthalates, which are found in air fresheners and plastics; both are linked to hormonal disruptions and neurodevelopmental problems in children, among other health problems. In homes where lead, asbestos and mold are present, these highly hazardous materials are usually also present in dust.
In addition, dust can contain microplastics, small particles of chemicals.
Does house dust end up in our bodies?
We are potentially exposed to harmful components in dust through ingestion, inhalation and skin contact, with researchers now understanding that humans can absorb chemicals from household dust from the environment through our skin.
The authors of a 2023 study from the University of North Carolina found that dust deposited on our food containers, packaging and serving dishes could actually be a more significant source of microplastic intake than our food. While there is currently no threshold for the amount of plastic we can safely ingest, the cumulative effects of long-term exposure to microplastics and the chemicals they contain disadvantageous.
Stoiber says children, who may crawl on the floor and put their hands in their mouths, are at the greatest risk of exposure to the pollutants in dust; studies have found that children eat an average of 60 milligrams of the substance per day, while adults consume half that amount, in addition to exposure through inhalation and absorption through the skin. That’s like taking a small dust pill every day.
What about dust created by forest fires?
Seeing the Northern Hemisphere record breaking After last year’s wildfires, and the average American breathing more harmful wildfire smoke in 2023 than any other year since 2006, an increasing amount of wildfire smoke dust is reaching us, especially if we live on the West Coast or within range of an extreme wildfire. This smoke contains a chemical component (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs), which “can be in the air, but can also deposit on surfaces as particulate matter,” explains researcher Aurélie Laguerre.
Laguerre says that after wildfires, PAHs can enter our homes through our buildings’ air filtration system. PAHs appear as a thin “black layer” of dust on your furniture, bedding and walls and remain dangerous for 40 days, exposing you to toxins even after the smoke in your area clears.
Although the health effects of PAHs vary depending on factors such as the duration, volume and route of exposure, these substances are “very well known for their human toxicity,” says Laguerre.
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Occupational exposure to PAHs is associated with a higher incidence of lung, skin and bladder cancer. They worsen respiratory conditions and researchers think they may contribute to cataracts, kidney and liver damage and jaundice. Some PAHs are known to be mutagens and teratogens, substances that can cause genetic mutations and affect fetal development.
PAHs are not only produced by forest fires. They can be created when we cook and partially burn food, and are also a part of car exhaust and pollution released from the industrial processing of petroleum.
Learning about PAHs made me reassess my fatty substance. Not only am I located on the west coast of Canada, where wildfires are common in the summer, but our building was next to a highway and an industrial area. All those times I idly wiped up a fingerful of window sill gunk, I was probably scooping up PAHs – disgusting.
What is the best way to remove PAH dust?
Fortunately, there are many simple, affordable ways to reduce all types of dust in our homes. In one of Laguerre’s studiesshe and her team found that commercially available cleaning products, such as spray or foam glass cleaner, could remove 62% of PAHs from glass, and that a regular cold wash cycle and stint in the dryer reduced PAHs from bedding by 48%.
Running your kitchen extractor fan while cooking, using a Hepa air purifier and keeping windows closed during bushfires or if you live near a busy road can all reduce the amount of harmful particles in your home.
What is the best and most comprehensive fabric technique?
According to Sharon Garcia, who runs the Los Angeles-based company Next Level Cleaning Services, the most effective way to dust a room is from top to bottom, using an extendable microfiber or lambswool duster to catch buildup. that accumulate on walls and on top of lamps. , fans and high furniture. Then she recommends vacuuming thoroughly with a Hepa filter vacuum cleaner, as these can catch smaller particles than a regular filter (Garcia wears a mask while dusting for extra protection). She is a particular fan of Scrub Daddy Damp Dusters for sun blinds, skirting boards and window sills, because wet materials absorb dust effectively.
In her own home, Garcia washes her fabric curtains and vacuums her upholstered furniture and mattress every three months. She also uses a mattress protector to limit dust accumulation. “If you’ve never cleaned your mattress, I recommend you start now, or hire a professional to do it, and then buy a protector so you don’t have to worry about it,” she advises.
If you want to go a step further, replacing carpet – which both creates dust and can contribute to synthetic microfiber pollution – with wood floors is a big step. But there are plenty of simple habits that go a long way toward limiting dust from entering your home and also your body: Remove outdoor shoes before going indoors, wash your hands before eating, and clean your HVAC filter clean or replace it annually.