7 Reasons Your Bedroom Gets So Dusty, According to Cleaning Experts

From a thin layer of dust on your dresser to the massive dust bunnies under your bed (not to mention what the tops of those ceiling fan blades look like!), bedrooms are dusty places. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering “Why is my room so dusty?” keep reading for some of the top reasons why — and find out how to fix it.

You want your bedroom to be a haven. But those cozy comforts, like rugs and blankets, are the things in a home that can generate the most amount of dust.

“Some rooms may have a tendency to collect more dust due to the contents of the room. Bedrooms are often heavy on things like curtains, rugs, throw pillows, plush chairs, and even stuffed animals,” says Mariliee Nelson, the co-founder of cleaning company Branch Basics. “The bedroom, for example, has a tendency to generate dust from the bedding fibers, dust mites, and skin cells. If a room has carpet and other upholstered furniture, dust levels increase even more.” 

To keep a handle on it, make sure you’re washing bedding regularly (including your pillows), and vacuuming carpets and rugs often (with a clean filter on your vacuum). You could also consider not making your bed: Skipping your morning bed-tidying routine helps your sheets air out better throughout the day, which could kill dust mites lurking within.

Your dust problem may very well be due to your room’s most-used appliances: the air conditioner and ceiling fan.

“The job of an AC filter is to remove debris from the air before it enters the system,” according to Marla Mock, VP of operations at Aire Serv, a Neighborly company and heating and air conditioning service provider. But if your filter is dirty or clogged up with pet dander, dirt, or other air pollutants, it won’t do a good job of collecting new dust that pops up —which would end up settling on your bedroom’s surfaces.

The fix is simple: Change the air filter. It will improve more than your dust situation, too. 

“When things clog up, you’ll also notice the unit won’t cool as well and, in fact, work much harder and use more energy, causing a substantial rise in the electric bill,” Mock says. “Changing the AC filter can potentially help families combat allergies and improve the air quality in the home.” 

“Whether you run your ceiling fans or not, dust will accumulate from time to time,” says Mary Hromadka, brand manager Aire Serv, a Neighborly company. “Once on, the dirt on the fan blades will start to swirl around the rooms in your home, so it’s highly recommended to clean your ceiling fan frequently — weekly in the hotter months of the year when we need to keep our homes cool.” An extendable duster might help you stick to the routine more often, but Hromadka says you can also use a damp microfiber cloth to deep-clean your ceiling fan blades occasionally.

Even if you clean your ceiling fan and AC filter regularly, it doesn’t mean that all your dust problems are solved. You’ll still have to make a plan to clear dust from the room regularly —and it might be worth rethinking how you do that, too, according to Nelson.

“Using a traditional duster or cotton cloth is your first mistake, as these just spread the dust around and agitate it back into the air rather than pick it up,” Nelson says. “Microfiber cloths do an amazing job of holding on to dust particles, and you can use [them] dry or damp.” For dampening your cloth, water works, or introduce a cleaner; Nelson recommends mixing up a solution with Branch Basics’ All-Purpose Concentrate for the task.

It’s possible dust is coming in from the outside. Wearing shoes in the house can be a dust-collecting culprit. According to Sarah Jameson, marketing director of Green Building Elements, this can be common in households that allow outdoor shoes to be brought inside. And if you’re the type to open windows in the daytime to let the air circulate, chances are there are dirt and pollen particles that enter through the window in the room. 

Dust particles can adhere more easily to damp surfaces, which can occur if the humidity levels in your bedroom are too high. “Humidity causes static electricity, which is regarded as the culprit that helps dust cling to surfaces,” says Jameson. “Set your humidity level to anywhere between 40% and 50% to at least lessen the amount of dust that settles into fabrics and surfaces,” she advises. 

As mentioned, bedrooms tend to get dusty because they often have more textiles than other rooms of the house. Items like pillows, blankets, and upholstered furniture are havens for dust. But accepting that isn’t the only recourse. Yes, washing pillows, blankets, and other bedding frequently can reduce dust, but it’s also lots of work. If you’re serious about reducing dust in the bedroom, consider whether you can pare down your decorative pillows or even take up that area rug and replace it with smaller rugs to the side of your bed.

In addition to bedding and carpeting, also take a look at what other furniture and items you have in your bedroom. Every single surface area becomes a resting place for dust, and the more intricate the items, the harder it is to dust them. For instance, if you have a collection of picture frames and mementos on your dresser, they will collect dust and they’re not as easy to clean as a cleared-off dresser. Think about what extra items you can either move to another room or get rid of altogether. 

Cleaning top to bottom is the golden rule of cleaning mostly because of dust. As you clean, you’re stirring up dust into the air. (This is why damp dusting and using a microfiber duster are the preferred methods.) This disturbed dust eventually settles on lower surfaces. If you vacuum first and then dust your furniture, you’re redistributing a good portion of the dust from the furniture onto the carpet; it’s still in your bedroom. However, if you start at the top and dust the ceiling fan, then wash the bedding and dust the dressers, bed frame, etc., and finish up with a thorough vacuuming session, you’ll eliminate as much of the dust as you can from your bedroom. 

The bottom line: If after all this you suddenly feel the urge to take a closer look at your bedroom and see if you, too, are living with more dust than you realize, I can’t blame you. Lucky for all of us, though, the answer to keeping things clean might be a lot easier than dusting twice a day. 

Cleaning removes dust from surfaces, but that’s dealing with a problem after it’s already happened. If you’re tired of constantly dusting (who isn’t?), you’re probably wondering why it gets so dusty in the first place. 

There are several reasons why even regularly cleaned rooms accumulate more dust than expected. Open windows let in pollen and dirt, creating a dustier indoor space, and living on a busy street can lead to more dust entering your home. Additionally, poor airflow, clutter, and textiles in the room can affect the amount of dust.

Remove as much clutter as possible and wash textiles, like curtains and blankets, regularly to cut down on dust. And make sure your HVAC unit runs efficiently, including regularly replacing filters, to maximize airflow. Ceiling fans also help circulate air (but make sure the blades are dusted). 

A dusty bedroom can affect your health. Minimizing dust in the bedroom is important, especially if someone with allergies inhabits it. Dust mites, which cause dust allergies, thrive in the warmth and humidity of bedding, including mattresses, pillows, comforters, etc. Allergies caused by dust in the bedroom can wreak havoc on sleep, which can drastically affect quality of life. 

Yes, air purifiers can get rid of dust. An air purifier needs a HEPA filter, which traps over 99% of particles 0.3 microns or smaller. Air purifiers won’t do anything to remove dust that has settled on surfaces, but they will help reduce airborne dust. The higher the air exchange rate per hour, the more efficient the air purifier is at removing dust from indoor air.