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In the main room of the older apartment I live in, dust is accumulating very quickly. There is no carpet (only hardwood floor), no curtain, no air vent, no pet, no bedding, no clothes. Previous tenants had the same problem so it's not something I brought in.

I cleaned thoroughly, including the baseboard radiator (which, as a test, I covered with cloth to ascertain it's not the cause), behind the range and the fridge (there is a small open kitchen corner). Yet, here's what a surface looks like 3 days after wiping it clean:

enter image description here

The dust looks more like tiny fibers. In raking light, as seen here, it's quite impressive.

Any clue would be greatly appreciated.

For those who may have the same problem, the dust was fiberglass from inside the electric range. When burners were on, convection was sending tiny bits of it in the air.

JeanB
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3 Answers3

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For those who may have the same problem, the dust was fiberglass from inside the electric range. When burners were on, convection was sending tiny bits of it in the air.

JeanB
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You can identify the type of dust using a microscope and stain. For example, pine pollen in spring can make a driveway look as if painted yellow. Some plant fibers, perhaps from a nearby textile mill of from paper insulation in the ceiling, looks like twisted ribbon.

It might be varnish or paint flaking off from some material in the room, perhaps the ceiling or even the flooring itself.

Hopefully, it's not fungal hyphae, or mineral dust containing asbestos.

A local university might provide some help in that identification (it would be an interesting project for environmental science students).

DrMoishe Pippik
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Here are 2 guesses. Guesses!

1. Insulation dust. This is my first choice because in your photo dust looks homogenous.

A. This old apartment was poorly sealed. Poor sealing is why no air duct is necessary. It was expensive to heat in winter.

B. The landlords arranged for fiber insulation to be blown in - possibly between walls but I suspect in some space between ceiling of living space and roof of building. Poor sealing was not addressed before this was done.

C. Poorly sealed living spaces allow fiber insulation to trickle down into living spaces, probably thru the ceiling.

2. Dryer vent dust.

Dryers generate large amounts of dust / lint. There is a dryer somewhere nearby that is improperly vented or with a clogged exterior vent. Instead of expelling air and lint outside, this material is making its way into your living space.

Insulation dust should all look the same under a magnifying glass. If you don't have a magnifying glass you could download a reading glasses app for your phone. Post photo? If insulation, the source of this dust should be apparent as giant clumps of stuff above ceiling or behind walls. Possibilities are cellulose, fiberglass or mineral wool.

Dryer dust will look like the various clothes producing it. As a test, you could dry something with a characteristic color (e.g. dark blue wool blanket) and look for appearance of dust containing dark blue wool fibers or just blue dust when wiped with a white cloth.

Willk
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