DUST

Typical Causes   Where to Look     What to do

Typical causes of dust problems...

Carpet

• The deeper the pile and the older the carpet, the more dust has been collected. Dust gets ground up into smaller and smaller particles and gets deep into carpets
• Standard vacuums and standard vacuum practices do not remove fine or deep dust.
• Walking and playing on carpets release dust back into the air

Furniture

• Old couches, chairs and pillows hold millions of dust particles

Pets

• Cats and dogs add lots of skin flakes (dander), hair, dried urine, dried saliva, etc. to the air (All potential allergens)

Heating A/C systems

• Air leaks in the ducts from dusty areas such as the attic, basement or crawl space

Inadequate cleaning

• Most vacuums do not capture very fine dust
• Thorough weekly cleaning is a must
• Many IAQ problems are caused by a lack of good regular cleaning practices

Excess clutter

• It is hard to effectively clean a cluttered home
• Dried flowers and stuffed animals are hard to clean and are dust collectors

Lack of ventilation

• Dust particles build up in the home just like moisture, gases and mold spores

Lack of filtration

• Typical low-cost furnace filters capture only large particles and objects, such as adult dust bunnies
• Remodeling often generates excessive dust
• People have become ill from the large amounts of dust generated from remodeling

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Where to look for dust in your home...

Carpet

• How old?
• How thick is the pile?
• What kind of vacuum has been used?
• How often and how is the carpet vacuumed?
• What does the backing look like? Crumbling?
• What does the pad look like? Dusty or dirty?
• Have pets lived on them? For how long?

Furniture

• How old is it?
• What kind of cleaning has been done?
• Have pets been allowed to spend time on it?  How long?

Pets

• How many live in the house?
• For how long? Percent of time in the house?
• Is there a litter box in the house?  Where is it located?

Heating A/C system

• Duct leaks can be seen as dark streaks on exterior fiberglass insulation
• Very dirty, cheap fiberglass or poorly fitting filters
• Excessive dirt, debris, dust in ducts or heating system

Inadequate cleaning

• Wipe your finger over the following surfaces: top of refrigerator, shelves in living room behind knick knacks, behind TV, back of night stand or on closet shelf in bedroom
• Did you collect a slight bit of dust (good) or a moderate amount (potential problem) or a thick coating (definite dust problem)?
• Look at a shaft of bright light coming in a bedroom window… How much dust is visible?  There are more than 100 invisible particles for every one you can see
• Look under the bed
• Look at the leaves of the house plants

Excessive clutter

• How many things are on all the horizontal surfaces of your home?
• What percent of the floor space is covered with stuff?
• Are there piles of papers, magazines and clothes lying around?

Lack of ventilation

• Are there any windows open right now?
• What percent of the time are windows open? Winter too?
• How many exhaust fans are in the house?
• What percent of the time are the fans on?
• How long after cooking fish can you smell it?
• Is there a mechanical ventilation system in the house?

Remodeling

• Are there opened or unfinished walls, ceilings or floors?
• Is there sanding, sawing or drywall finishing going on?

Crawl space

• Is the ground soil completely covered with poly (plastic vapor barrier)?
• Are there holes or cracks (air leaks) around plumbing, wiring penetrations or where the heat vents are attached to the floor?
• Are there or have there been rodents or animals in the crawl space?  For how long?
• Are there vents on all four sides?

Attic

• Is there blown-in loose insulation or are fiberglass batts exposed?
• Is there any evidence of rodents, birds or bats in the attic?

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What to do about the dust...

Carpet

• Replace very old or dirty carpets
• Use a good quality true HEPA vacuum
• Open all windows when cleaning
• Have the carpets professionally cleaned using HEPA vacuums and steam

Furniture

• Replace very old or dusty furniture
• Have the furniture professionally cleaned using HEPA vacuums and steam
• Cover or reupholster

Pets

• Best to keep outdoors
• Always keep out of bedrooms
• Locate litter box on back porch or in rooms that can be vented to the outside

Heating

• Switch to highest efficiency pleated filter
• Find and seal furnace and ducting air leaks

Click here for publications you can purchase to help you solve many dust problems.

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Click below for detailed information.

DUST
Symptoms
Common Causes
Where to Look
Solutions

MOLD
Symptoms
Common Causes
Where to Look
Solutions

RADIATION
Symptoms
Common Causes
Where to Look
Solutions