Dust is made up of many things mixed together

This realm is right under our noses, but from our perspective, the tiny specks of brilliant color blend together into a nondescript grey. What are these colorful microscopic particles? What distinguishes the dust in your house from, say, sand on a beach is that it is a mixture of many different ingredients. It can contain grains of sand, dead skin cells, tiny hairs and threads, animal dander, pollen, manmade pollutants, minerals from outer space, and, of course, dust mites.