The Dirty Truth About Dust and Its Impact on Office Air Quality

office air quality

If you ran a paper towel over your office blinds or bookshelves, what would you find? If you don’t schedule regular janitorial services, you’ll probably see a thick layer of dust. Because dust accumulates slowly over time, we often don’t notice its presence or assume it’s nothing more than an eyesore. Read on to learn the dirty truth about dust and its impact on office air quality.

What Exactly Is Dust?

By the time dust becomes visible to the naked eye, it tends to look like one uniform substance. You know it when you see it, but do you know what it actually is?

Dust is made up of fine particulate matter from a variety of sources. For example, any pollen that employees track into your office on their shoes or clothing will eventually become dust. The same goes for soil, leaf litter, and animal dander. Outdoor organic matter makes up only about 40% of indoor dust. The rest originates indoors and includes sources like mold, paint, paper fibers, human hair, and dead skin cells.

Does Dust Attract Dust Mites?

Unlike dust bunnies, dust mites are real, living creatures with a close biological resemblance to spiders and ticks. The biggest difference is that dust mites are so small, you can’t see them, so you never know when you’re sharing your office space with them.

The reality is that dust mites can live just about anywhere, but the right environment allows them to thrive in huge quantities. Their name comes from their diet, which happens to consist of just about every particle we mentioned above. In turn, the proteins in their fecal matter and decaying bodies create more dust. In other words, dust not only attracts dust mites, but gets worse when you have a dust mite problem.

Does Dust Worsen Indoor Air Quality?

Dust doesn’t just settle on solid surfaces and remain there until you wipe it away. It can also become airborne, meaning that you and your employees may be inhaling particulate matter. While this already has a negative impact on your office air quality, the bigger issue is often the presence of dust mites.

Dust mites can trigger allergies, asthma symptoms, and other respiratory issues. While air purifiers and ventilation can help, it’s also important to make your office a less appealing home for dust mites, and that starts with dust removal.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Office Dust Removal

You’re ready to ditch the dust, but there are a few things to know to get started. The first is that your typical feather duster isn’t helping as much as you think. In fact, it’s probably stirring up the dust in your office more than it’s trapping it. A combination of vacuuming, mopping, and wiping down hard-to-reach surfaces with a damp cloth is the best way to trap and remove dust.

There’s no easier way to tackle your office dust problem than by hiring PFM. Talk to us today about your DFW, Waco, or San Antonio commercial cleaning needs.