C. Claiborne Ray's New York Times Science section Q&A demystifies these ubiquitous creatures.
Q. How do dust bunnies form? Do they prefer new houses or old? Bare wooden floors or carpets? What can be done to keep them at bay?
A. Dust bunnies form from the surprisingly large supply of stuff in the air, including fibers from clothing fabrics and carpeting; hair; animal fur and dander; and especially human skin cells and the dust mites that feed on them.
Fibers have an electric charge that causes things to stick to them so dust bunnies are more common in carpeted houses, which have a larger supply of fibers.
People shed dead skin cells constantly, so it doesn't matter how old or new the house is.
But because dust mites need moisture to survive, a dehumidifier can help keep them away.
Only constant cleaning can foil dust bunnies and the unseen particles in the air, and that cleaning is especially important if someone in the house has allergies or asthma, because the proteins in household dust are asthma triggers.
Recommended: vacuum cleaners with high-efficiency particulate air filters (called HEPA filters), because conventional vacuums pick up only some of the dust but spread around the rest through the exhaust.
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