Combatting dust can feel like a never-ending battle. As often as we may feel like we’re dusting, it seems to become dirty again in no time. While some high-traffic areas, such as bedrooms and living rooms, accumulate a significant amount of dust, bathrooms also tend to be popular places for dust to hang out. 

Factors such as increased moisture, lack of proper air ventilation, and hair shedding can all contribute to the collection of dust in bathrooms over time. No matter where it appears in your home, dust not only makes a space look dirty, but can also have significant impacts on indoor air quality and health. For this reason, it’s just as important to keep bathrooms dust-free as it is in other areas of the home. To combat dust more effectively, read on for dust prevention  techniques and general bathroom cleaning tips.

Common Causes of Dust in Bathrooms

So, why does the bathroom collect so much dust? Significant dust accumulation in the bathroom can be tied to factors such as:

• Poor ventilation
• High humidity
• Skin cells and hair shedding
• Fabric and toilet paper shedding
• Residue from soaps and shampoo

To better understand how these contribute to dust accumulation, let’s explore them. 

Poor Ventilation

A Properly functioning vent is key to reducing moisture and dust in bathrooms. If left uncleaned, dander, microbes, and dust will begin to build up within the inner workings of your HVAC system. If there are any leaks present, this dust can make its way through the gaps and into the bathroom. With increased moisture levels as a result of showers, this dust is weighed down and settles quickly on surfaces.

So, while you may be dusting more frequently, a clogged air duct system could be to blame for a consistent dust issue in the bathroom. It’s recommended by the National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA)  to have your air ducts cleaned every three to five years.  If you can’t remember the last time you had your air ducts cleaned, consider scheduling a service with COIT who will not only perform a thorough air duct cleaning,  but also test for leaks and address the potential issue. 

Other ventilation solutions include installing an exhaust fan, which will prevent stale air, remove excess moisture, and assist in mold prevention. 

High Humidity Levels

As previously mentioned, bathrooms have higher humidity levels than other rooms because of shower use. While dust particles will typically float around or remain suspended in the air for some time before landing on surfaces, the added moisture found in bathrooms weighs down these dust particles and causes them to fall and stick to surrounding surfaces. 

For this reason, moisture control in bathrooms is essential to limiting the amount of dust. Additionally, a combination of poor ventilation and high humidity is a recipe for increased dust accumulation in the bathroom. While step one may be to clean out your air duct system, step two may be installing a dehumidifier to address dampness in bathrooms that experience excess moisture.

Skin Cells and Hair Shedding

Although invisible to the naked eye, dust is primarily made of microscopic particles of dead skin cells, bacteria, pollen, dander, mold, fibers, and bacteria. While hair (dead skin cells) can be found all around the home as a result of natural shedding, it can be found in greater quantities in bathrooms where people shave, wash, blow dry, brush, and style their hair. To avoid further contributing to an excessive amount of dust in bathrooms, be sure to regularly vacuum up any lingering hair. 

Towel and Toilet Paper Lint

Bathroom towels tend to shed tiny bits of lint and fuzz, which contributes to more dust over time. Not to mention, dust settles on surfaces throughout the bathroom, which includes settling on the toilet paper roll. When toilet paper is unrolled, this shakes dust particles loose, sending them airborne where they will settle onto new surfaces. 

Product Residue 

Although specific shampoos and soaps will not cause dust, per se, their residue may be sticky, which could attract and cause dust particles to stick and become more difficult to remove. If you’re noticing an excessive amount of dust, be sure to regularly wipe down surfaces, removing any lingering soap residue or buildup so that dust particles won’t get trapped. 

Contact COIT for a professional cleaning!

Dust’s Impact on Health and Hygiene

Beyond being unsightly, dust has a significant impact on our health and hygiene. For those who are predisposed to asthma and other respiratory issues, it’s imperative to perform routine cleans to ensure homes remain as dust-free as possible. 

Allergies and Respiratory Issues

Allergies and dust go hand in hand. For many, inhaling dust triggers allergic reactions such as sneezing, a runny nose, and coughing. Dust mites, the microscopic bugs that feast on the dead skin cells found in dust, prefer to live in warm, humid environments where they can absorb water through the atmosphere. This makes bathrooms an ideal place for mites to thrive. 

When inhaled, dust causes our bodies to react by sneezing and coughing in an attempt to expel the foreign particles, which are harmful to our lungs. Over time, especially for children and young adults, breathing in dust can lead to more serious health issues, such as asthma and sinus infections.

Symptoms of dust-related allergies include:

• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Runny nose
• Congestion
• Itchy eyes
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain
• Trouble sleeping

Because we spend 90% of our time indoors, limiting the amount of dust within your home is an essential step in ensuring the indoor air quality remains clean.  

Mold and Mildew Growth

Dust particles can contain mold spurs, and while in some cases these spores wouldn’t be in optimal conditions to grow, moist bathrooms offer a perfect environment for mold and mildew to thrive. 

Because of this, when dust is neglected and left to collect, it has the potential to create an even greater issue—mold. Mold is not only harmful to your home’s interior, but is also harmful to breathe in. For these reasons, limiting the amount of dust will not only support healthy indoor air quality, but also limit the possibility of dust-related mold growth in the bathroom. 

Home Maintenance Tips to Reduce Bathroom Dust

Although it’s impossible to eliminate dust entirely, there are practical, preventative measures you can take to reduce the amount of dust in the bathroom. Improving ventilation, using air purifiers, cleaning regularly, and storing items properly are just a few ways you can keep your bathroom from getting too dusty.  

Improve Ventilation

Proper ventilation is key to reducing dust, and there are a few ways you can achieve this. If your bathroom currently has vents, be sure to have them cleaned out to ensure air is circulating freely, otherwise, this could be causing more dust in the bathroom. 

While some sources suggest opening the bathroom window to reduce the amount of dust, this also invites other unwanted particles inside such as pollen and dirt. Although cracking the window is a great way to limit the amount of moisture in the air, we do not recommend keeping the bathroom window open 24/7 as a way to reduce dust levels. 

Use Air Purifiers 

Air purifiers work by pulling in air and pushing it through a filter. If you’re noticing an excessive amount of dust in the bathroom, you may want to consider installing an air purifier, which will help to keep the space ventilated and remove pollutants and allergens from the air. 

Regular Cleaning Routines

One of the best ways to limit dust levels is by performing routine cleans. Dust collects quickly, and it’s important to keep up with cleaning to avoid bigger issues down the line. We recommend dusting your bathroom on a weekly basis, and wiping down all surfaces, mirrors, and items to ensure dust doesn’t have time to accumulate. 

Keeping Bathroom Items Stored Properly

More clutter means more surfaces for dust to land on. When counters are full of products and other items, they tend to appear more dusty and, as a result, become more tedious to clean. To avoid this, consider moving and organizing your items into cabinets or any place where they are covered. This will not only help to keep counters dust-free, but will also make the weekly cleaning process easier when all you need to do is wipe down surfaces. 

Benefits of Professional Cleaning Services

Sometimes, it can be hard to get to the root of an issue. When it comes to excessive amounts of dust, there are a variety of reasons why it might be happening. While it’s possible to solve the issue on your own through trial and error, it might be worth your time (and money) to go straight to the experts. 

Professional cleaners like COIT can assess the situation with an expert eye and offer you the best solution. Beyond offering general bathroom cleaning services, COIT technicians can inspect your current HVAC system, checking for potential leaks and removing anything preventing the air from circulating freely. By going to the professionals, you’re ensuring the problem gets solved and not just temporarily fixed. 

Final Thoughts

Beating dust is tough, but it’s not impossible. With a proper ventilation system and regular cleaning routine, you can limit the amount of dust in your bathroom all while maintaining a clean, hygienic, and healthy living space. 

To assist you on your journey to a dust-free home, contact COIT for professional cleaning and restoration services. 

Contact COIT for a professional cleaning!