Chinchilla dust serves the important purpose of allowing your chinchilla to stay clean in a way similar to how it would maintain its coat naturally. In its native cold, arid environment, the chinchilla would roll in fine volcanic ash to stay clean. Chinchilla dust, like volcanic ash, sticks to oils and dirt in the coat, and then falls off, cleaning the chinchilla's fur as it does so. Chinchillas can maintain a clean coat by being allowed to dust once a week or more.