Few days worth

Started with new neighbors

This is my airfilter completely covered

Covered insulation

What sort of housing are you in? Apartment/condo, townhouse, duplex? You mention neighbors, but I’m having trouble understanding why neighbors would cause dryer lint to collect unless they have a dryer that is venting into your home. Do they have a dryer vent that is exhausting near one of your windows or exhaust vent? Where are the air filters that you are showing?

Also, maybe expand your dilemma to include HVAC. This doesn’t seem like a laundry or cleaning issue.

Hisusie Ilive ina duplex. Neighboring unit doesn't have a dryer that i am aware of. I think the air flow changed and also somehow the "moisture" in the air is completely gone. Everything is dry . They are heavy smokers and i don't know if that has an effect on insulation (the smoke in the basement where dryer is located..or . It just somehow seems connected. It started the first month of their arrival and ihad no issues for 6 years prior. They seem to be "less cleanly"...I just don't get it. My unit has no vents or ducts so not sure if HVAC will help but worth a try. The filter is in my living room. Which seems to have the most accumulation bu tthi sstuff is in every room. Once I can afford a new washer and dryer they will be replaced...THIS IS PUBLIC HOUSING AND MAINTENANCE SAID IF IT IS INSULATION PER CODE THEY CAN DO NOTHING

I'm also wondering if the neighbors changed the climate or Airflow .. idk why this happening or if it's even lint, dust filth...all i know is it smells like dryer lint..i have found similar posts with same issue and no solution... MIND BOGGLING

Nick, why doesn’t your furnace have a filter? Don’t you have an air intake filter somewhere? And several air flow filters throughout your home (either in ceiling or wall)? Do you use change the filters every 3 months using high-quality filters?

I can't follow what you say. For instance you aren't clear on whetehr you have any type fan forced heating or cooling. Only thing I can tell you with certinty is filter pictured above is a pos. I can see through it so it doesn't capture anything smaller than leaves and feathers. Replace it with a good filter while you continue looking. I weighed in other threads so if you did tests I listed in them I don't have better ones.

When you say “raining” do you mean it is coming from your heating and air vents? It doesn’t look like insulation to me, it looks more like lint/dust.

Raining as in keeps accumulating without any known source. I wipe it and it's back in an hour

Hi Nick. I’m not an HVAC pro, but talked to someone about this and they suggested that you have a blower door test. HVAC system may have a leak in the supply ducts and is pulling air from your dryer vent to make up for the negative air pressure.

! Thank you for your footwork. I don't have any vents in my apartment. It's gas heat that just warms the heaters pictured above but no forcedforced air at all or ducts. agree it has to do with pressure as well. Building maintenance is no help. Once i replace my dryer i will update i will also attach a picture of an item in my basement that is covered in the substance I am also wiping with the ...it's as if everything is DRYING out even the soil around my . Puzzled.

It is so dsheartening

Remind me how you have an operating dryer without any vents?

Do you have a ventless dryer (condenser or heat pump)? Or a dryer vent box? We don’t have a way to vent our dryer (basement) and have been cleaning a lot of lint accumulation from the previous owners from the joists.

I am currently searching our options so I don’t have any personal experience but I have read that you have to keep water in the dryer box. If you have one, maybe it is drying out faster since your neighbors moved in?

Are there any openings between your unit and theirs? They might have just set up a vented dryer and are not venting it properly. If so that is something that maintenance would want to address since it can create mold. You mentioned you didn’t think they had a dryer but I would check before replacing yours.

Kaeski not a ventless dryer, just duct work or vents in my unit..i do have blown in cellulose in the attic which has been there for years with no issues...even if it is coming from the neighbors unit...main question is HOW. I taped off the attic entrance and there is absolutely no lint or debris on the tape which leads me to believe it is not ..plus it smells and looks like my laundry lint. Unfortunately i do not have the extra income at this time to afford a new dryer. I did open it up as well as my washer and did a thorough inspection and there is no lint buildup inside...i did purchase a lint screen to attach to the end of the dryer hose and that should be here today. It seems to be coming from our clothing...our water has changed and is much harder but even water softner is making no difference. AttachAttached is a picture of my sons fan after just a week of running...it's lint and some sort of brownish substance that is pictured above as well...can filth come through the air?

Remember i have had no issues 6 years prior with any lint dirt or dust even with insulation install...only when new tenants arrived...i will be taping off windows and outlets to make sure cellulose isn't coming from there but again they dont look or even smell similar...any help is appreciated...dryer expert's welcome...once i replace washer and dryer in a few months i will update. (Plz don't tell me to go to a laundromat as we do not have a vehicle at this time) please no degrading comments. I am seriously plagued by this and have tried everything i know how to find the source..

Notice the brownish color in with the lint....other posts have similar issue's same substance, no answers...NO THIS IS NOT NORMAL DUST ACCUMULATI

Taping windows and outlets to check those is a great idea. Anything that can help you rule out a possible source is progress!

Making sure I understand - you have a vented dryer and it is vented to the outside (not into the attic or basement, actually outside). The same as it alway has been. You have checked the dryer vent hose to make sure there isn‘t any accumulation. Checked for tears in the hose and that the connection between the hose and the vent to the outside is tight. (Our old dryer vent hose was very long and we had to order a tool to clean it out. If there was even the slightest hole between the hose and vent, our pantry would be filled with lint.) If all that has been checked (sounds like it has), I think you can rule out your dryer.

You have said that you don’t think that the new neighbors have a dryer, but do you know for sure? They could be venting theirs incorrectly. I think it would be reasonable to ask maintenance to check that.

Again trying to make sure I understand, there are no vents or ducts anywhere in your house?

Is the basement or attic shared?

Do the new neighbors smoke in their house? Outside?

Looks like mineral wool insulation or colored fiber glass like the stuff you see on round hvac duct insulation.

If its not coming from your unit then only a couple ways it could enter:

1. blown off an insulated, pressurized hvac duct. Some fresh air ducts have have 1/4” fiverglass insulation INSIDE the duct, This could be falling apart. possibly it is blowong off the OUTSIDE if an insulated supply hvac duct.

2. Your apartment/unit has negative pressure inside due to running an exhaust fan somewhere. kitchen, bathroom, permenant exhaust fan, extra return duct to an common hvac system without sufficient supply air to keep the room pressure neutral.

3. if negative pressure is found then when the dyer is off, air will be pulled into the space through the dryer vent, possibly bringing lint with it. Same thing could be pulling lint from a neighbors side to yours based on pressure static pressure differences.

Open a window a crack, just a little bit. Do you feel air rushing in? turn on an exhaust fan (bathroom vent, kitchen vent hood, the dryer, etc.). Do you feel MORE air rushing in? THIS is negative pressure. Air will leak through any crack, hole, etc. from a high pressure side to a low pressure side and pull ”crud” along with it.

It is also possible the neighbors are creating a high static pressure on their side through the use of intake fans or too many closed supply ducts (if you share a common hvac system)

..

Everything you've said is correct. I even replaced my Dryer hose just to be sure. Yes they are heavy pot smokers and i smell it constconstantly espespecially in my basement. I will definitely ask maintenance again to investigate the next door unit for proper ventilation. No vents or ducts in my unit. We do not share basements or attics but the attic is connected to crawl through if needed? I only went up one time when i first moved in and didn't have the cellulose. Now I won't even open the hatch. I thought maybe someone could be going in their attic and stirring stuff up..but no "lint" on the tape i put and doesn't answer as to why it smells like laundry. My only other search has led me to the dryer drum seal is broken which i won't know without a professional opinion...throug my Research, others experiencing the same issue have replaced their washers/dryers to avail...should be able to afford a new one in a few months...if that doesn't help...idk what it could be...blockage in a drainage pipe from washer...(no visible leaks) but the clothes seem to come out of the washer covered in excess lint. IHave tried everything to prevent that as well besides a new washer with no luck....sorry for the long messagemessages just trying to thoroughly explain all the details to try to get to the source.

KlEM- I did the flashlight thing and i Notice More "floaties" in the basement...but nothing unusual in the other rooms...

I just checked and the neighbors do have a vent and the dryer is on atm and looks to be properly vented.

You haven't cited the brand/model of your dryer. Dryer drums on all brands/models I'm aware nowadays are under negative pressure during operation. The airflow path through a dryer is heating element (or gas burner) ----> drum ----> filter ----> (fan is here in the path) ----> exhaust outlet & ducting. The machine's fan pulls air through the heat source, drum, and filter ... blows it out the exhaust ducting. A bad drum seal would result in inefficiency due to some of the airflow bypassing the heat source but it wouldn't blow lint out the seal breach. A seal breach on the fan/blower housing and exhaust ducting can emanate lint.

Luna is it a possibility that the insulation shown in the pictures can deteriorate after only three years?? Or due to change in climate or heavy smoke?? My initial guess for this mess is the basement insulation deteriorating getting sucked into the dryer which is also located in the basement, when it cycles on these particles getting imbedded into clothing and dispersed into my unit. Hence me trying to cover the insulation which isn't airtight (maintenance said it was against code to cover so I had to tak emy changes in helping myself and use something loose fitting)... This to me would explain the brownish color and lint mixture.

Sadly many units here smoke and all neighbors i have spoken toto are not having any issues that's the biggest puzzle...why my unit possibility is i have an end unit and air flow is different. I do not speak to my direct neighbors unfortunately...

Dadoes my dryer is pictured above. Its a whirlpool.

If all your wall insulation has a plastic sheet over it sealing it in (called a vapor barrier) then it is not that. A vapor barrier is code in most places. An attic usually has a vapor barrier between the floor joists and any blown insulation that would go on top of it. Some places cheap out and use the dry wall ”ceiling” of the living space for this.

That is yellow fiberglass anyway and the stuff in your photos is earthy in color.

Did you do the window test?

I don't see a dryer in any of the photos thus far.

Whirlpool produces two dryer designs. One has the filter on top. The other has the filter inside the drum at the front of the loading port.

Most of the dust within a home is generated by daily indoor activities. If clothing is washed and dried with fabric softener, it's not surprising that dust would smell like fabric softener. Mechanical wear of fabrics contributes to indoor dust That said, most homes operate at negative pressure and draw in make-up air. The dryer exhaust is one such area where make-up air can enter the home-- so it's important to investigate it as a potential input source. You can use a smoke pen/pencil to visualize air flow and determine if that is the case in your home.

Charles I am curious as to why it started so suddenly with no issues prior..also luna i put thay thin sheet of plastic up it is not secsecure in all areas but i tried. As for the cellulose in the attic i highly doubts they put any protective layer. I'm not going up to find out it's not like anything can be done about that anyways and unfortunately i can't fix it on my own.

I will do the window test asap. There is bunch of pics above not sure why they aren't visiblvisible to .

Yes the fiberglass is yellow but if it is sucked into the dryer and comes back out from clothing it would be a mix of both...which it looks like but hard to tell if its only lint or both color wise

While townhomes should be perfectly isolated from each other, my six-month experience, living in a townhome adjacent to one occupied by heavy smokers, is that they are not. Homes typically operate at negative pressure. If there was air infiltration from the adjacent unit prior to your neighbors moving in, the only change should be the potential smell of smoke.

The installation of the polyethylene sheeting over the insulation in the 1st floor system would impede air infiltration from the basement to living areas through openings in the 1st floor. That increases the amount required from other sources. You'll be able to evaluate air infiltration sources with a smoke pen/pencil you can purchase for around $35. I suggest you check a couple of times under different outdoor conditions.

I don't recall seeing the answer to this: Where does the dryer exhaust (heated drying air exhaust, not gas exhaust if applicable) duct end up on the outside of your residence? There should be an intact duct from dryer to outside that transports the moist linty air outside. If it does go outside, does hot air come out of it when the dryer is running. Is the flap that should be there free to pop open?

Yes and i just sealed and reinforced and it still happening..the weird part is that if you look at a pic of the air filter it has the brown dirt like color that is also covering surfaces...i attributeattributed that to filth in the air...i have no answers it started immediimmediately following the arrival of my unclean neighbors...i don't know what else to think. It may be the dryer lint bbut t it is something else as

Charles what exactly do i do when purchasing this smoke pen...i know there is so many drafts and holes in my apartment and unfortunately because it is public housing they will not fix these things...we barely have working windows

Legally you might not be able to do much. However, if I were in such a prison and could afford to do so, I would acquire a small fan, put it in an opened window gap, and use tape and cardboard to seal the unused window gap. The fan would be directed inward, and if the exterior environment is cold in the winter, placed to blow into a heated but relatively unused room. Supplemental heat may be needed, but you don't want more air flow than you need to raise the apartment air pressure just enough to keep from pulling air from the ashtray next door.

Clearly, the next door atmosphere is being pulled into your area, and this may be partly caused by the dryer blowing air outside. The dryer needs an outside source of make-up air, perhaps ducted to the vicinity of the dryer. I'd consider shrouding the dryer with plastic sheeting and have the MUA duct brought into the sheeting volume.

Also to be considered is whether the smokers are leaving a window open on a higher pressure side of the building. You have to be able to equal this flow, either with the window fan or by also having an open window on that side of the building.

Nick,

The smoke pen is a means of identifying air infiltration from various sources. I would use around windows, exterior doors, electrical receptacles, etc. with/without the dryer operating and with/without the range hood operating. I'd also use it around the dryer when it's not operating to see if there is infiltration back drafting through the dryer/dryer exhaust. Good luck.

This is what im working with i recently reinforcereinforced as best as i could sealing any gapsgaps ll ...stilll dealing with the lint covering the dryerwasherand tonstons aroun home...its time to get a new set...I'll update when that does happen..

Coukd this be backdrafting cellulose insulation from a hot water heater?

This has been an ongoing struggle for a few years now..I have excessive "dust" which when collected looks exactly like and SMELLS exactly like dryer lint.

(Plz don't tell me to go to a laundromat as we do not have a vehicle at this time) please no degrading comments. I am seriously plagued by this and have tried everything i know how to find the source..

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Sounds to me it's only going to keep going on until you get serious about determining where it is coming from. Clues: I believe you said your neighbors smoke. If it looks like lint does it smell like it's from a smoker?

Them moving in, *may* have no relation to the issue. It may merely be a coincidence. ---Well there are no coincidences. I know how some people think, thru experience. How much experience -- over 30 years by this point. (not just on a forum board, but in person) -- well that doesn't matter. Ok then tell us again why you are here? (simple logic)

The easiest way to determine if it's you or not you ---- Well please don't tell me to do that?

We don't have the money or whatever excuse you want to fill in here... you have a problem but can't be expected to do various simple things to determine whose fault it is... yours or your neighbors?

Well going to the laudromat for a few weeks is too much inconvenience. We'd rather complain about excessive lint for a few years now. We don't have a car... ok you do realize there are places that rent cars, they'll even come and pick you up.

Well around these parts we're just going to keep looking for that simple fix that doesn't exist. These kinds of problems are not fixed remotely.

If the lint doesn't smell like smoke, smells more like your own clothes -- it's probably coming from your side. Either go to laundromat for a few weeks to a month --- or wear your clothes dirty for a month. -- no laundry. Note the changes. Then begin again.

OR continue to make excuse after excuse and watch time evaporate into nothingness.

I live in a single family home and I am dealing with the exact same problem. I have lived in our house for the last almost 18 years, this problem erupted only within the last 4 years or so. My heating system was professionally cleaned too. The Dryer vent was cleaned as well and it vents to the outside, the dryer is located in the garage and we do not have a basement. The one thing we did, some 4 years ago was to replace blown-in insulation with R44 Batts insulation. Beyond this nothing has changed, either in our lifestyle or in what we have or store at home. We have two filters and we change the filters regularly. I too am searching for answers. Any tips, please share.

JR same response because you need to identify "where the dust is coming from".

Laundry is a creator of dust? lint from the dryer. So the first objective as in all other cases listed before you... take your laundry somewhere else or wear dirty clothes for a month.

Cleaning the dryer vent is all well and good, but if a problem exists -- starting in doing the laundry again -- your clothes can and will just keep creating the dust.

All these other things you did may just be coincidence. Well there are no coincidences?

What will NOT doing laundry at this house for a month prove?

Dryers heat air and recirculate some of it and exhaust some of it. There should be a filter in the recirculation path. Judging from my ancient Kenmore, each load of certain fabrics such as cotton leads to a nearly packed filter that has to be cleaned between loads. If this lint were not filtered and allowed into the residence there would be a lot of lint on everything. One can assume that some lint is also carried out the exhaust. An exhaust leak within the residence would also lead to lint on everything.

So, there may be a leak of the pressurized circulating air within the dryer and thence introduced into the residence, or a leak via some gap in the exhaust before it gets to the outside. The outside exhaust port should be checked to determine that the flapper is free to move and there is no other obstruction. The exhaust hose should be checked while the dryer is running for air leaks. The panel that is easiest to remove allowing access to the dryer guts (typically lower front) should be pulled and the dryer run to see if there is any air blowing around instead of trapped within the ducted heat path or where it mates to the filter.

If all of these are fully functional with no leaks, then perhaps the neighbor's dryer is somehow exhausting into your residence. Maybe you can get them to use a laundromat for a week. 😁

Hi, JR,

While the dryer may play some part in your issue, the change in insulation correlates with the onset of the problem. That's the most likely suspect, in my opinion. Here's the logic: 1.) Fiberglass batt-type insulation is leaky compared with properly installed, blown-in insulation. 2.) Most homes operate at negative pressure due, in part, to HVAC systems which are typically starved for air flow on the return side and exhaust-only ventilation systems--particularly high capacity range hoods without make-up air. The combination of the two results in infiltration of (unfiltered) outdoor air. The change in insulation likely increased the amount of air infiltration. You can easily check for air leakage around doors, windows, electrical receptacles, baseboards, recessed lights, etc. when the HVAC system is operating using an inexpensive smoke pencil. You can mitigate infiltration by a combination of duct work changes to increase return air flow to your HVAC system and better air sealing using foam sealant and gasket materials.

Dryers recirculating air ... the only type of which I'm aware that involves recirculation is condensing or heat pump units that don't have an exhaust port. Traditional machines with resistance electric heating elements or gas burners and an exhaust port don't recirculate. Room air is pulled pulled in through the heating source, through the drum/clothes, through the filter, and blown out of the exhaust port.

@dadoes Perhaps when I last looked under mine, I misread the layout between the outlet at the back and the heater assembly in the middle. I'll defer to your experience.

In any case, I favor Charles Ross Holmes explanation. I had forgotten about insulation replacement. If air is leaking past the new insulation and picking up particles of the old insulation, then that cause is a good candidate.

I have stopped laundry for a bit and repalced my washer and dryer and had my dryer vent completley rerouted by maintenance into the brick and sealed very nice! . no change. I have a blower test in plans to schedule since there has been no change with everything else. We are all still losing hair which started when this started as well. the blower test is coming from same conpany that put in the insuation. as for window test yes the air RUSHES in from back of home but not the front. i told this to maintenance when they re did the deyer vent which is locates in back of home. really hoping this blower test is the answer i need because its my last hope. as for my filter that is only one layer if the filter shown it also has a seperate hepa filter. i have also been using a humidifer with distilled water. any other questions i havent answered I apologize.

I have an update. stipped doing laundry all together no change. repalced dryer and washer and had dryer vent completley rerouted into the brick and they kept in mind the airflow (WINDOWS) huge rush if air from back if house windows and nothing from front (almost still air) dryer vent located towards in back if house. since there has been no changes with all of that i have a blower test that i plan to schedule in the next few months done by the same company that put in the cellulose. i have involved the health inspector since we are ALL losing hair and have been since this started and showing other health issues like low level inflamation markers due to the extreme impact of these particles. when this first started all of my small animals died. ive reached my wits end truly and to feel so helpless in finding the source is maddening. i feel like I an being mocked and laughed at over my complaints on this issue. as for the flashlight test its in EVERY ROOM when the flashlight shines its EVERYWHERE in the air. when the sunshines into my home it is so much more obvious how bad this is. i have been masking up when cleaning and have tried ALL DIFFERENT safe dust cleaning methods in the past 4 years. we have all new windows and doors done in the past 2 years. its litterally dirt brownish whitish powder and particles that look like a cross between cellulose and dryer lint and SMELL sweet. maintenace was also sent to neighbors unit to check their dryer and make sure it was hooked up and routed correctly. ill keep you updated on the blower test.

I am dealing with a reasonably similar issue and trying to hunt down the source. I wiped my closets totally lint-free and then bought door draft stoppers and stuck it to the bottom leaving barely any gap for the door from the ground. The closets doors are always closed except when we open to pull our clothes out.

The closets are doing better and no linty dust there. I want to determine if R44 fiberglass insulation in the attic is maybe just decomposing and emitting dust that shows up like lint and these particles stick to hot/moist/damp surfaces and settle down on baseboard blips etc. Would anyone have any comment? Before we had blown-in insulation. After we changed insulation our problems have cropped up. Any pointers would be appreciated.

Suggestions:

1- You can have an environmental quality company check a few samples of dust to see what it is made of (insulation, cotton, wool and polyester fibers, ash, pet dander, etc.) with their microscopes and other equipment. Here's a description: https://www.eurofinsus.com/environment-testing/built-environment/subservices/dust-characterization/

2- You can also monitor the changing ventilation in your rooms by using a simple carbon dioxide monitor (not a carbon monoxide detector, that's completely different) for under $50 like this one

https://www.amazon.com/Temtop-Monitor-Portable-Temperature-Humidity/dp/B0CGX22CR8 You compare the display's measurement with open windows to measurements when the windows have been closed for a day or two. You can also move around the house seeing if there's a change from room to room.

This thread is two years old. Is this a rental? Why don't you just move?