results of an experimental study are presented which show that washing decreases the dust concentrations emitted from cotton processed in a model card room. the higher the washing and rinsing temperatures, the greater the reduction. in 5 of 10 trials, the amount of dust added to the background concentration in the card room while processing washed cotton was 0. 05 mg/m**3 or less. the rate at which cotton can be carded is reduced by washing. processability is improved by insuring that the cotton is not wet while carding, using a static eliminator at the doffer crush rolls, increasing the relative humidity of the ambient atmosphere, and using a wire-wound feed roll rather than a fluted feed roll at the lickerin processability is also improved by applying a finish to the washed cotton. the effects of mechanically precleaning and washing the cotton on shirley analyzer trash analyses were examined, but attempts to predict dust concentrations from these measurements were not successful. 9 refs