‘I’m not imagining things… some surfaces really are better at collecting dust.’ Composite: Guardian Design View image in fullscreen ‘I’m not imagining things… some surfaces really are better at collecting dust.’ Composite: Guardian Design Homes Can I make my house less dusty? I spent four weeks experimenting to find out The phrase ‘dust magnet’ isn’t completely metaphorical. Some household surfaces do attract more dust – but changing your home’s climate can make a difference
Prefer the Guardian on Google The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more .
F or years, I’ve complained about an Ikea shelf in my home that seems to attract dust at an impossible speed. Eventually, my frustration gave way to curiosity: what’s actually happening, scientifically? Is there anything I can do about it, besides just continuously dusting?
The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more .
I’m not imagining things, says Nisa Salim, a materials engineer and associate professor at Swinburne University of Technology. While an object’s placement in the home and airborne particle levels make a difference, some surfaces really are better at collecting dust.
Read more Large particles settle by gravity, but finer ones are influenced by Van der Waals forces – weak molecular attractions that strengthen when there’s more contact between a particle and a surface, says Salim. Rough, porous materials have more contact points, giving dust more opportunities to stick.
My shelf doesn’t feel rough, but Salim says “even if a surface appears smooth to the naked eye, at the microscopic level it may contain tiny peaks, valleys and defects that can trap particles”.
The phrase “dust magnet” isn’t completely metaphorical, either. Some surfaces literally attract dust through electrostatic forces, which resemble magnetic attraction. When materials rub together, electrons can transfer between them, leaving surfaces charged; because many dust particles also carry charges, they’re often drawn to these surfaces.
Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads
Acrylic, PVC, polyester and polypropylene are poor electrical conductors, so they hold on to electrical charges longer. Metal, by contrast, conducts electricity well, so it passes charge along and neutralises quickly. Without that lingering static charge to attract fine particles, metal surfaces collect less electrostatic-charged dust.
It’s also not surprising if your home seems unusually dusty at certain times of year. “Humidity or water molecules in the air help electrical charges dissipate from surfaces,” Salim says.
During colder, drier months, or in air-conditioned spaces, there’s less moisture to neutralise electrostatic charges, so dust clings more stubbornly.
After consulting with Salim, I ran a month-long experiment testing small tweaks based on dust science to see what makes a difference in my own home. Instead of my dust-magnet shelf, I tested a coat rack made of similar materials because it was smaller and easier to monitor.
View image in fullscreen Ilana Bean’s dusty coat rack, week one. Photograph: Ilana Bean First, I unplugged my air purifier and dehumidifier and measured how much dust naturally accumulated over one week.
In each photo, including this one, I’ve swiped a finger through the dust to make the contrast more visible. Here’s what th…