Is dust catastrophic to the life of my engine?

[70autostick]

hello fellow volkswageneers,i bought my first new beetle over the summer that never went off the beaten path.i live in the country and cant avoid the dirt and dust that wrecks my wash and wax.im not so worried about the outside,its the inside that concerns me.i clean the engine and interior often but it always appears as if the dust bowl hit within the car and engine compartment.keep in mind i clean it out 2 times a week,but would the dirt and dust between cleaning shorten the life of my engine?

[Benderbeetle Rodrigues]

If you drive in a dusty area, you should be having more oil changes and changing the air filter more often.
What do you use to clean the engine bay? I guess blowing out the engine bay with compressed air wouldn't hurt, as long as you aren't blowing dust into seals, caps, etc.
Cheers.

[noR]

It's not good for them; but it won't kill it over night. Sounds like you're taking pretty good measures to minimize any effects of the dust & dirt.

Your air filter is your friend.