where exactly does dust come from?

Question

i rarely open the windows because i have the air conditioner on a lot lately.it has a dust filter.i vacuum and wipe the dust in my home all the time but the dust just keeps accumulating.the next day i check around...and more dust!!! where/how exactly does these dust particles come from? is there such a thing as dust repellant? what is the most effective way to clean/get rid of/prevent dust? if you don't know/don't care,then don't answer.otherwise,if you have insightful theories/opinions,feel free to add your answer.no links or outside sources.dust experts:explain in your own words:)

re:dead skin cells?! but i apply moisturizing lotion.it's not working properly:(

so it is true when they say you are your worst enemy.in this case,our own dead skin cells is floating amongst the air and we're breathing some of it into our lungs.bleh!this is grosser than fear factor^__^ i'll have to ask the store clerk to point me to the aisle where they sell 'dead skin cell' cleaners lol

Answer 1

Try getting your air ducts/heat ducts cleaned...a little costly but should help with dust. Dust truly is dead skin cells....so moisturize, moisturize! You can get dust repellent sprays.......we used to use an awesome one from Amway cant remember the name though....it worked really well.......... dusting can be a pain...how about decluttering to save you time....look around and put anything away that you truly dont need out on a daily basis. Change your ornaments every month or so...put most away and only keep a few out. Good luck... oh by the way an excellent vacuum would also help with dust...the Dyson vacuum gets up dirt you never knew you had....scarry!! Good luck............ L. Butler

Answer 2

You really don't want to know what it is: house dust is sloughed skin cells mixed with atmospheric dust. And dust mites eat the organic matter in the dust and leave behind their feces, which is more dust and which many of us are allergic to. (I watch WAY to much TV!!!) Oh, and if you cook, there is all that dust from flour, packaged mixes, etc., of course, that floats around -- bath powder, whatever else you use in a solid form.

Also, even with a dust filter, you are getting atmospheric dust in, through that and through all the cracks and crevices in the house. If you don't think they are there, wait until the winter, then see where all your heat goes!!

Static will repel dust, but there is no way to put a static charge on everthing in the house to make it repel the dust. My husband says we should get a ionic breeze machine -- the ionization also traps dust particles. But it would take a lot of them to do the job!

So, it is, unfortunately, an endless cycle. Sorry. If someone comes up with a better answer here, I'll be thrilled -- I hate to dust, too!

Answer 3

The dust in your house is made up of particles of your own skin, dust generated outside, bits of animal dander and a variety of other not so pleasant things. You may want to check the filter of your air conditioner and replace it with a better one. To clean up dust, I use one of those dry cloths from Swiffer that grabs the dust up. If you simply wipe the dust away it stays in your house and eventually gets back on whatever you dusted. I don't think that there's such a thing as dust repellant but an air cleaner/purifier may help you eliminate some of the dust.

Check your vacuum cleaner too, some of them just spew dust back into the air.

Answer 4

I asked this same question a few months ago. Check out the answers I got. Dust is mostly particles of matter like dead skin, animal dander, tiny mites, pollen, and lint from clothes that float on air currents even in a closed room. The dust will eventually settle down. You won't stop dust no matter what you do.

Answer 5

Most of it is dead skin cells. Some of it is created by dust mites that feed off of dead skin cells.

Try getting an air cleaner. Also, check the filters in your air conditioner, and in your vacuum cleaner: Just today I rinsed a bunch of dust out of the filters in my vacuum after running it.

Now, there is a product called Endust that is supposed to be able to deal effectively with dust. I've never used it, so I can't vouch for how effective it is. But it is worth checking into.

Good luck!

Answer 6

Most of dust comes from dead human skin cells, believe it or not. I think the rest is just dirt, small pieces of lint, and possibly carpet mite waste..

I don't think there's any sure way of keeping dust off of your furniture permanently.. regular vaccuuming will help - also products like Pledge (for wooden furniture) and Swiffer (for dusting around the house) work well. Swiffer's got a lot of neat little products.. like the handle that attaches to the pad so you can use it like a mop. I often have to clean off dust because I'm allergic to it.. that and mold.. and pollen. Air purifiers (dehumidifiers) also work well to help with "contaminants" in the air. You can get one of these at your nearby Home Depot or Wal-Mart.

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Unfortunately, all the lotion in the world won't help with the skin cells. Even if you scratch your hand momentarily, you're removing skin cells from the surface. Something as simple as putting a t-shirt on will also remove skin cells from the surface. That's how forensic scientists can figure out who dunnit. :)

Answer 7

your body sheds its skin every7 days, these particles are the main foundation for dust, as well as everytime you open the door, go to work, get in/out of your car, etc...there is no way to have a completely dust free house,

Answer 8

This is gross, but I read somewhere that dust is mostly made up of our flaked off dead skin cells, so it is always being produced.

Answer 9

seriously - about 90% of dust is dead skin. it comes from you.
the only way to not get dust in your house is to stop living there.

Answer 10

dead skin cells