We’re all too familiar with air pollution. Here in Singapore, we immediately associate it with haze season, smog, toxic fumes and harmful carbon dioxide emissions from the throngs of cars that line our roads. When we’re exposed to air quality that leaves much to be desired, we make our children don those N95 and AirPlus masks at breakneck speed or, ultimately, just run indoors and stay there. But is that course of action as safe as we imagine it to be?
The short answer is – no. Contrary to popular belief, indoor air pollution may be more damaging than what you face outdoors… yes, you read that right.
In fact, according to Dr Kong Ching-boon, Hong Kong-based doctor who wrote for the South China Morning Post, the air quality indoors can be up to 10 times worse than outdoor air pollution
Understanding Indoor Air Pollution
Indoor air pollutants are generated from environmental sources such as building materials, furniture, cleaning products, air fresheners, tobacco smoke, cooking fumes, and even the people in the house themselves! Also, because confined spaces indoors allow potential pollutants to build up more than open spaces do, the air quality there tends to be worse than the air outside.
Types of Indoor Pollutants & Their Effects
- Contaminants such as pet dander and dust mites, commonly found on furniture, can trigger asthma symptoms, throat irritation and allergies.
- Tobacco smoke, even that which comes from outside your home, can potentially cause severe respiratory irritation, pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease and lung cancer.
- Aerosols such as air fresheners, cleaning products and perfume release invisible harmful gases into the air which have been linked with increased risk of heart disease, stroke, lung disease, asthma.
The threat of indoor air pollution is real. But there are many things you can do to minimize, if not eliminate these air pollutants indoors.
Combating Indoor Air Pollutants
To fight against indoor air pollutants, keep in mind the following initiatives:
- Check the labels – before purchasing cleaning supplies and cosmetics, check what is used in them. Do some research and make the effort to purchase environmentally friendly cleaning agents as opposed to the first that you find, or the one with the best discounts!
- Keep it clean – Regularly clean every nook and corner of your home. Invest in a good vacuum cleaner that not only captures dirt and dust but also has the ability to retain ultra-fine particles.
- Invest in a good quality air purifier – air purifiers remove harmful airborne particles like dust, pollen and bacteria.
- Don’t bring outdoor pollutants home – use a doormat and stick to a ‘no- shoe’ policy to reduce the pollutants brought into the house.
- Keep it natural – avoid covering up smells in the house with scented candles and air fresheners as they often contain chemicals that you are better off without.
- Stub it out – if you are a smoker, you really don’t want to smoke at home as third-hand smoke deposits itself on your home’s surfaces, and we are all too familiar with the harmful effects of smoking and passive smoking.
While we’ve established the importance of protecting your home’s environment, we should remember that, despite all our efforts, there will be airborne particles present that we cannot see. Fortunately, there are tools and devices available that can help with that.
Nurul Aini, actress, presenter and mum of three, swears by the Dyson Pure Cool Me™ air purifier as one great solution for fighting indoor air pollution.
How does it work? The Dyson Pure Cool Me™ reacts automatically to the air pollutants found within a personal space so the air around you is cleaned without you even realizing it. Thanks to the purifier fan’s sealed filtration it captures 99.95% of microscopic allergens and pollutants as small as 0.1 microns and keeps them trapped inside.
The Dyson Pure Cool Me™ is compact so it can easily be used in different areas of the house to cater to various needs. “I do sometimes worry for my kids as they are still young and have weak immune systems, so it’s great to have the flexibility of being able to place the Pure Cool Me wherever they are playing, reading or sleeping,“ explains Nurul. In fact, with better air quality, she’s also noticed that her children, who used to be easily distracted, tend to have much better overall concentration now.
The Dyson Pure Cool Me™ has been especially great when it comes to the wellbeing of her newborn. Nurul places the Dyson Pure Cool Me™ close to the cot when her baby is sleeping. “Having a baby, I feel that it is very important to have purified air,” says Nurul, who always turns on the Dyson Pure Cool Me™ when her baby naps, to have the assurance that her baby is breathing in healthy air. Purifying the air also helps to alleviate children’s sinus issues by removing allergens in the air, thus allowing them to breathe more freely and have undisturbed and longer naps. Nurul adds that the Dyson Pure Cool Me™ is silent so you can turn it on and, “your baby will sleep peacefully!” As every mum would know, a baby’s nap time is precious as it’s the best time for us to do everything!
Nurul also has her own fair share of busy days so when she does get time to take a break and relax, the Dyson Pure Cool Me™ helps to quickly create a cool and clean environment around her. This is especially useful for Nurul when she’s concentrating on learning lines for her upcoming acting and presenting roles.
“Overall, the Dyson Pure Cool Me™ has not only improved my environment and lifestyle, but my family’s as well,” Nurul concludes.
Mums, now that you have a better understanding of the hidden dangers within your house, it’s time to take action and get rid of them. We all want the best for our families, so why not consider investing in the Dyson Pure Cool Me™?
After all, what could be more important than your family’s health?
