This post may contain affiliate links or mention our own products, please check out our disclosure policy.

How To Reduce Dust And Allergens In Your RV

This post was updated on March 15th, 2024

Dust in the air visiable through a streak of sunlight with person in the background - how to reduce dust

The Effects Of Dust And Allergens In Your RV

Is your RV making your allergies worse? Knowing how to reduce dust and allergens in your RV will ensure you have a more comfortable camping environment.

When you head out camping, keeping your RV sparkling clean probably isn’t at the top of your list. While obsessing about a clean RV shouldn’t be your focus while camping, keeping dust and allergens to a minimum is beneficial.

Campgrounds can be dusty places filled with lots of different environmental factors that can cause irritation to RVers. Even the travel to your destination can stir up dust and allergens in your RV.

Sign up for the newsletter today!

Please enter a valid email address.

An error occurred. Please try again later.

× logo

Thank you for subscribing to the Do It Yourself RV newsletter, keep your eye on your inbox for updates.

For the most part, dust and allergens aren’t going to cause any serious problems. However, for people with asthma and other respiratory issues, they can cause issues.

Let’s look at how to reduce dust and allergens in your RV so you can enjoy your time in your rig.

The main sources of dust and allergens 

It’s impossible to completely avoid dust, especially in an RV. However, there are a few major sources that you can concentrate on. It’s not uncommon to be in a space and sneezing without any obvious signs as to what’s causing it.

Until dust builds up, it is easily noticed, but even in small amounts, it can be an irritant. Unlike some homes, RVs don’t have many (if any) air purifying systems. Combine this with the dusty environments they are often used in, and dust and allergens can become an issue.

One first major source of dust is traveling to your location. RVs aren’t airtight by any means, with exterior vents and poor sealing windows and doors. This makes it easy for dust to find its way inside and settle on every surface. 

Many routes to campgrounds or your favorite boondocking spot involve dirt roads. If you’ve ever looked in your towing mirrors on a dusty road and not even been able to see your RV through the cloud of dust, you can see how dust makes its way inside.

It doesn’t end once you get to your site though. Every time we go in and out of the RV, we bring potential allergens in. The second big source of both dust and allergens is from the grass, flowers, bushes, and trees we are surrounded by. They attach themselves to our clothes and transfer to surfaces inside the RV.

How to reduce dust and allergens

So, we know we can’t completely eliminate these contaminants from our RV, but we can reduce them. Taking the following steps will help make your RV a comfortable space.

If you or anyone using your RV has allergies or respiratory issues such as asthma, taking these steps is even more important. Understanding which things cause more irritation for a person will also help you combat the issue.

Do a quick clean on arrival and daily wipe downs

When you get to your location and finish setting up, take a few minutes to wipe everything down in the RV. All that dust from traveling will have settled and can start your stay with a fresh RV. After that, doing a quick daily clean with wipes will greatly reduce dust and allergens.

If you travel with all the windows and vents closed, you can prevent some of the dust from entering the RV. This will make things easier when you get set up, and a quick wipe should get rid of any lingering dust.

Clean your AC filters regularly

Your RV’s air conditioning filters are constantly filtering the air, and as a result, hold dust in them. These filters can fill up surprisingly quickly, especially in dusty environments.

Removing the filters and cleaning them out only takes a few minutes and will eliminate both the dust they’ve collected and allow them to catch more. If you use dehumidifiers in your RV, they will also have filters that should be cleaned out regularly.

Catch the dust bunnies

Dust accumulates quickly, and although the main surfaces get cleaned, there are lots of places for dust to hide. We have all moved a piece of furniture and seen the huge ball of dust, hair, and everything else that collects in it.

These “dust bunnies,” as we jokingly refer to them, are not cute at all. They can actually be a huge irritant. Weekly cleanings behind furniture and behind appliance vents will eliminate them.

Modern RVs mostly use hard surface flooring; however, some have carpet in certain areas. Vacuuming carpeted areas once a week will eliminate many trapped irritants that you don’t see.

Stop the spread of irritants

The outdoors and RVs go hand in hand, and it’s a given that you will be spending time outdoors while camping. After a day of hiking or sitting around the campfire, our clothes are filled with dust and allergens.

As we enter back into the RV, we take all of these smells, dust, and allergens with us. Quickly removing this clothing in the washroom and storing it in a laundry hamper will reduce spreading it around. Ideally, this clothing would stay outside; however, that usually isn’t practical.

Avoid jumping on the couch or leaving clothes lying around that are filled with smoke and other potentially irritating smells.

Camping can be dirty, and that’s okay; you’re there to enjoy yourself, not worry about a dusty trailer. Taking a few small steps to reduce dust in your RV will let you breathe easier and enjoy your trip.


Track your RV maintenance 

Make sure you keep track of all your RV maintenance and repairs with an online tool such as RV LIFE Maintenance. Not only can you keep all of your documents in one place, but you’ll also receive timely reminders when maintenance is due to help you avoid costly repairs and potentially serious accidents.

Continue reading:




Leave a Comment

Welcome! Please follow these guidelines:

  • Be kind and respectful.
  • Keep comments relevant to the article.
  • Avoid insults, threats, profanity, and offensive remarks.
  • Refrain from discussing gun rights, politics, or religion.
  • Do not post misleading information, personal details, or spam.

We may hide or remove comments at our discretion.