It’s one of the smells you probably associate with winter each year, but people are only just realising why.
That fine, musty, toasty smell of the radiators firing up is not just your boiler or your radiator metal getting hot, but actually a far simpler explanation – and one that could cost you money.
One Reddit user took to the social media platform seeking answers to why he can always ‘smell’ the heating coming on.
u/ok-pin7345 said: “My friends think I’m nuts for this, but I can smell when the heating is on. It’s not a strong smell, but I can always notice it, especially when I’m close to a radiator.
“I just want to know it’s not some placebo or something similar.” The truth, it turns out, is that it’s dust along the radiators being heated up.
u/foxhill_matt replied: “You need to dust behind your radiators. You’re smelling hot dust.”
u/strong_mushroom_6593 added: “I love that smell! Nice hot dust.” u/mdl8922 said: “Yes, if the place isn’t clean. Duster will sort that out.”
According to BestHeating.com, dust behind your radiators can actually cost you money.
That’s because the fine layer of grey dust can affect the radiator’s ability to work properly, meaning you need to run the heating for longer to get the same level of warmth in your house.
They said: “As well as looking better than a dirty one, keeping your radiator clean and free from dust and dirt can actually help to keep your heating costs down.
“Dust in between the fins of a convector radiator can prevent heat from escaping, which will mean your radiators have to work harder to warm your room.
“It’s important then to take the right measures and thoroughly clean your radiators at least once a year and keep on top of any dust that builds up. Making it a part of your daily or weekly cleaning routine is definitely a good idea.
“You may not become a millionaire overnight, but a few minutes here and there all add up and could lead to a big saving on the cost of your home heating over the lifespan of your system.”
If you don’t have the right nozzle attachment for your hoover, there is another way to free trapped dust from down the back of your radiators: a hairdryer.
Bestheating adds: “Believe it or not, a really simple way of getting the dust out from the inside and down the back of your radiator is to use a hairdryer.
“Just point the nozzle of your hairdryer into the grooves at the top of your radiator and turn it up on to the highest setting.
“That should help you to get a lot of the leftover dust down and out from in and behind your radiator – just be sure to place a suitable sheet or towel down on the floor before you begin.”