dust
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dust
Very fine, dry particles of dirt, earth, or other materials that settle on surfaces or float in the air.
Nach dem Urlaub lag eine dicke Schicht Staub auf allen Möbeln.
After the vacation, a thick layer of dust lay on all the furniture.
'Staub' (dust) is an uncountable noun and is almost always used in the singular. You say 'viel Staub' (a lot of dust) or 'eine Schicht Staub' (a layer of dust), but not 'Stauben'.
Überall im alten Haus war viel Staub.
There was a lot of dust everywhere in the old house.
In everyday life, dust is either removed with a cloth or sucked up with a device. The typical verbs for this are 'Staub wischen' (to dust) and 'Staub saugen' (to vacuum).
Ich muss heute unbedingt noch Staub wischen.
I absolutely still have to dust today.
The idiom 'Staub aufwirbeln' means to cause excitement or discussion. The subject is the person or thing that causes the unrest.
Der Artikel des Journalisten hat in der Regierung viel Staub aufgewirbelt.
The journalist's article kicked up a lot of dust in the government.
The colloquial expression 'sich aus dem Staub machen' (to make off) is reflexive. That means it always needs a reflexive pronoun (mich, dich, sich, etc.) that matches the person who is disappearing.
Der Dieb machte sich schnell aus dem Staub, bevor jemand ihn sehen konnte.
The thief quickly made off before anyone could see him.
sand
'Sand' and 'Staub' are both fine, dry particles. The difference is mainly in their size and where they are typically found. 'Sand' is made up of small grains, found for example at the beach, in the desert, or on construction sites. 'Staub' is much finer and often lies on furniture or floats in the air. They can be confused because both can seem dry and grainy. As a practical rule: what you feel in your hand at the beach is Sand; what you wipe off a shelf or see in the air is Staub.
Auf dem alten Schrank liegt so viel Staub, dass Maria erst putzen muss.
There is so much dust on the old cabinet that Maria has to clean first.
Am Strand bleibt der Sand zwischen den Zehen hängen.
At the beach, the sand gets stuck between your toes.