What IS this stuff "growing" on the inside of my 13-year old dashboard? (PIC)

[imported_sydster]

In an effort to really clean all parts of my car, visible or not, I removed my glovebox assembly, probably for the first time ever. There was 13 years of dust on the inner panel, below the actual glovebox, and I noticed these crazy snowflake-like patterns on the dusty surface. It`s not etched into the plastic; it easily wipes off with a rag, and seems to be composed solely of dust. What could cause it to arrange itself like this, some sort of minute static electricity cycles over the years?



Pic is below, and click here if you want to see a wider view of the entire assembly:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=73253&stc=1

[imported_Burlyq]

Moisture plus dust plus pushed air would be my guess? Do you know if your AC drian pan is behind your glovebox, most are?

[Setec Astronomy]

Yeah, might be static, might be some kind of mold/mildew that grew in that shape and died and seems like dust, or that the dust stuck to. It actually looks like some kinds of frost that you get on your car windows (not in LA, of course)...maybe it was some condensation that formed in the same way as those frost patterns.

[imported_truzoom]

Gives me goosebumps. Hit it with some 1:1 water:bleach immediately! KILL IT! :)

[psl car wash]

its fiberglass dust residue

[daystrom]

I *THINK* that is the mold (mold as in die) release stuff the manufacture sprays on the die so the plastic doesn`t stick to it when hot.



I could be totally wrong though.

[Scottwax]

Alien invasion. We should all be frightened, our way of life is about to change! :LOLOL

[Ed Fisher]

Static is the cause. As you can see, the patterns are of an electric polarisation spectrum pattern. (Ya know the iron dust, paper and magnet trick in primary school science labs) It will keep coming back and you have it on all insides of your plastic parts. Just wipe em off and use a plastic dressing to reduce the build up and extend the time in between...