Yes, static electricity from dry air can turn your hard mousepad into a dust magnet.

Yes. It’s the same reason your hair sticks to a balloon in winter. Low humidity means less moisture in the air to dissipate static charges. Your mousepad (especially hard plastic or glass surfaces) rubs against your mouse or your arm, builds up a static charge, and starts pulling in dust like a tiny lint roller.

Hard mousepads are worse than cloth ones for this because they don’t absorb the charge. A cloth pad can bleed off static through its fibers. A hard pad holds the charge and keeps attracting particles until you wipe it down.

Quick fixes: run a lightly damp microfiber cloth over the pad to discharge it, or use an anti-static spray (or just a dryer sheet wipe). If you live in a dry climate or run the heater all winter, a small humidifier in the room helps a surprising amount.

You can’t stop physics, but you can stop the dust disco.