According to a survey by Dyson, indoor air quality can be at its worst in January. We all think of air pollution as an outdoor problem. We mostly believe it comes from wildfires, car exhaust and factory smokestacks. But daily life impacts the air we breathe.
Because of the holidays and poor weather, people tend to spend a lot of time in their homes with the windows closed this time of year. That means worse air quality inside.
“A lot of pollution is caused by human behavior,” said Ken Armstrong, head of environmental care research at Dyson. “When people are cooking or spraying deodorant and hairspray, we see an increase in indoor pollution levels.”
Patrick Goegan, a veteran air pollution scientist who works for the Water and Air Quality Bureau of Health Canada, said that the reduced airflow in our homes is part of the problem. “Pollutant levels go up inside the house simply because you’re not ventilating.” No one wants to pay to heat the outdoors, but opening a window for 10 minutes a day can air out your home and get pollutants out.
You should never use your range without turning on the hood to extract smoke and other pollutants. And maintain your heating appliances so they are venting outside your home. Some places have programs to help indoor air quality. Salt Lake City launched the Furnace Filter Exchange Program to replace furnace filters with high-efficiency filters. It’s a program designed to help children with respiratory issues breathe easier.
If you received furniture for the holidays, it may contain formaldehyde or other chemicals. And, if you have people or pets coming in and out, they can bring in mold, viruses and allergens from outdoors that then thrive in the warmer conditions inside your home. Airing out your home with an open window can help exchange the air and make everything fresher.
Dyson’s survey used data collected around the world from more than 2.5 million of their air filters. They saw that 85 percent of the countries they studied had worse air quality inside than out for six months a year and that January was the worst.
The only drawback of this survey is that the air quality was being surveyed in wealthy homes. Dyson’s air filters start at about $300. So, while the survey gathered data globally, it only came from homes buying expensive air filters. We don’t know the air quality in less affluent homes.
Newer homes tend to be built airtight to make them as energy-efficient as possible. Older houses were not. If a house has draftier spots, its air might be much cleaner than a brand-new one but might not have been in the survey.
The air in an average home might not be as bad as in the survey. However, opening a window and letting some fresh air in once a day is a small price to pay for better health. Just turn the thermostat down while you do it, or else you really will be paying to heat the outdoors! And, if you can’t stand the idea of letting the cold in and the heat out, get an air filter. It doesn’t have to be an expensive Dyson one to be effective.
