Dust Mites and Dust – What is the Difference?

Q. Dumb question I know, but what is the difference between dust and dust mites?

A. Dust is the accumulation of very fine particulates, the kind that you can sometimes see floating around the air when the light streams through the windows late afternoon. It is not healthy to breathe in dirt.

Dust mites are live creatures, millions of them that inhabit our bedding, carpets and upholstery. They feed off our dead skin shedding , mostly happening at night.

Many of us are allergic to their feces which is the most common allergy of all. To keep it simple, dust mite covers on your bedding cut off their food source and so they die.

Dust Mites tend to thrive in moist environments (over 50% humidity), so even if you have sinus problems  it is good to be careful about how you humidify your bedroom. The cheapest way to keep dust mites at bay? Keep the air reasonably dry, a 20 or 30 percent level of humidity will do the trick.