Why Walls Get Dusty and What You Can Do

Dusting our walls is usually not something we think about. However, over time, you may notice dust accumulating on your walls and becoming a problem. This is especially true if you live in a house with tall walls and ceilings.

Walls get just as dusty as everything else. Dust in the air can easily cling to things like small ridges on walls. Over time, this dust can accumulate into large clumps if left untreated. The best course of action is regular dusting and cleaning. Not just for your walls, but for your entire home, ensuring that you pay special attention to high-traffic areas of the house.

Dusty walls can be annoying. This article explains what dust is made of, how and why it clings to walls, and what you can do to deal with the pesky dust clinging to your walls.

What is Dust and What Causes It?

Dust can basically occur anywhere and tends to cling to things in the house. If the furniture, floors, and yes, even the walls are not dusted regularly, you will begin to notice a buildup of dust that becomes thicker over time.

But what exactly is dust? Well, the composition of dust depends heavily on the environment it is found in. Dust can consist of many different particles. 

A widely believed myth is that dust is mainly made up of dead skin cells. However, this is simply not true. While it is true that some dust particles are made up of old dead skin cells, most dust is made up of other materials.

There are two types of dust, indoor and outdoor dust, and both can accumulate inside the house.

Indoor dust usually consists of things you would find in your house, such as pet hair, human hair, textile fibers, paper fibers, and food remnants. Outdoor dust usually consists of things you would normally find outdoors, such as soil, pollen, exhaust particles, insect parts, or plant material.

The amount of each type of dust will vary from house to house.

Why Does Dust Cling to Walls?

Dust clings to walls just like it does to any surface. Dust can basically cling to anything, especially things with jagged edges or ridges. But it can also cling to smooth walls.

Dust accumulates over time. You will notice that there is always some kind of dust layer on your walls, even if it is not fully visible to the naked eye. If left there, the dust can accumulate and build up as more particles begin to cling to the original particles stuck there.

If left for a long time, you can easily see the layers of dust on your walls as more and more dust particles accumulate.

How to Keep Your Walls Looking Clean and Fresh

If you want your walls to look clean and dust-free, there are several steps you can take. Below is a list of the best things you can do to keep your walls looking clean and fresh.

Dust the Walls Regularly

In most households, this is the easiest and most effective way to rid your walls of dust and dirt by using a microfiber duster on a long-handled broom to run it over the walls in your home. To keep your walls in top shape, you should do this every few months.

There is no need to remove pictures or furniture from the walls unless you are performing a thorough cleaning. Instead, simply wipe over and around any obstacles on the wall to remove all surface dust.

Don’t forget to dust the ceilings as well while you’re at it. Although gravity pushes most of the dust onto the floor and lower surfaces, some dust particles will still find a way to cling there in the air.

An alternative method that works well is using the soft brush head on your vacuum cleaner. Simply go along each section of the wall and vacuum up accumulated dust from walls and ceilings.

Wash Your Kitchen and Bathroom Walls

Steam from cooking and showering can damage and dirty your walls, and it can make it much easier for dust to cling to them. You should thoroughly scrub your kitchen and bathroom walls at least once a year. This will reduce the likelihood of dust accumulating on the walls.

Use a soft sponge and gently scrub the walls with a mixture of soap and water. Always scrub only small areas at a time and be sure to rinse off the soapy mixture with some lukewarm water once the scrubbing is completed on each area.

Be sure to dry the wall with an old towel to ensure no streaks are left behind.

Keep an Eye on High-Traffic Areas

You should keep an eye on the areas that are used most frequently. For example, the walls around switches and regularly used shelves may be more prone to dust buildup than some other areas. These types of areas should be dusted more often than others.

Dust and dirt also tend to accumulate behind things like televisions and radiators and other things that stand in front of the wall.

If you find that dust and dirt accumulated in these areas cannot be removed simply by dusting, wash the wall thoroughly.

Start by washing a small area with soap and water, making sure the paint is not affected by the mixture.

Repaint Your Walls Every Few Years

If you want your walls to look perfectly clean and fresh, the best thing you can do is repaint them. We don’t mean that you have to repaint your walls every time a little dust accumulates.

As a good rule of thumb, you should repaint your walls about every five years to keep them looking great for a long time.

Preventing Dusty Walls

The best way to prevent your walls from getting dusty is to constantly dust them.

Dust only becomes really visible once a surface has a lot of it accumulated. Dust also often accumulates on things like cobwebs. Regular dusting removes these and keeps your walls looking dust-free. 

You should also make sure to regularly dust the rest of your home, including the furniture, and make sure to vacuum your floors on a regular basis. Once a week should be sufficient.

A good cleaning and dusting routine ensures that the walls stay relatively dust-free.

Why Walls Get Dusty and What You Can Do – Final Thoughts

Dust on your walls can be very annoying. It seems like dust can occur almost anywhere, but it can be particularly annoying on hard-to-reach walls and ceilings.

Hopefully, this article has helped explain the main reasons why your walls get dusty and what you can do to do something about the dust on your walls. 

If in doubt, simply clean your walls thoroughly and then regularly dust your walls with a duster. That should be enough to keep dust at bay.