How do 1376 homeowners treat their indoor air?

How do US homeowners and renters treat the indoor air quality in their home? In an independent survey, we asked over 1000 people just this and more!  Staying fit and healthy usually involves hitting the gym, eating right and getting enough sleep. But many overlook the simplest, invisible thing that we all need to survive; air. Breathing clean, healthy, fresh air every day has a positive impact on the overall health of your household. 

We wanted to know what homeowners and renters in the United States thought about this. After all, a single person breathes in “9.5 tons of air in a year”. To put that in perspective, the average person takes “between 17,280 and 23,040 breaths a day”. This means that the average person could take between 6,307 200 to 8,409 600 breaths a year. We think about the water we drink, and our diet and what we can consume to make healthier choices, but we don’t think about the huge amount of air we are breathing in every year. Is it clean? Do Americans consider their air quality as a priority?

In modern times clean air is harder to come by. A  Harvard review found that “Because people spend approximately 90% of their time indoors, the main exposure to outdoor air pollution may occur indoors”. Moreover, approximately 54.5% of the world’s population lives in urban areas and this number is growing every day. Industrial processes and the higher population of these areas result in poorer air. 

Read on to find out what our survey of 1,376 US homeowners and renters uncovered...

We clean our homes every day, so why not make sure that the cleaning products we use are as healthy as they can be? 60% of people we surveyed regularly choose organic and toxin-free cleaning products for the household. The fewer toxins and chemicals inhaled, the better!

Even though 60% choose organic and toxin-free cleaning products, a startling 74% of people are not familiar with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the technical name for the toxins and chemicals inside cleaning products, as well as cleaning agents, paints, solvents, carpets and furniture and as well as human breath. The airborne irritants are unhealthy, but can be easily avoided with good ventilation and choosing low VOC products.

Over 63% of people have a member of their household who suffers from asthma. Asthmatics have their own personal set of triggers including:

• Smoke
• Dust mites
• Pollen
• Pet dander
• Pollution
• Sudden temperature changes
• Humidity & more. 

Asthma and allergies can be better managed for 63% of people suffering by monitoring the indoor air quality of a home. Watch out for triggers, and know when too ventilate.

60% of people don’t check their indoor air quality during spring cleaning activities. A decluttered, fresh and clean house creates a peaceful and calming environment. But using cleaning products and disturbing the dust whilst vacuuming can set off allergy and asthma symptoms and increase the percentage of toxins and chemicals in the air. For the healthiest spring clean, monitor the indoor air quality while you clean and ventilate as needed.

Of the 44% of people who own an air purifier, only 40% monitor their indoor air quality. Air purifiers can be a good investment, but how well is it actually working? By monitoring the air you breathe in, you have the power to decide which type of purifier may be right for your home and where to place the purifier. It also can help to know when the optimum time to have it running and how daily activities affect the overall indoor air quality of your home.

Feel free to share with your friends, and be mindful of the air this summer.

Resources:

Science focus
https://www.sciencefocus.com/planet-earth/how-many-trees-does-it-take-to-produce-oxygen-for-one-person/

EPA
https://blog.epa.gov/2014/04/28/how-many-breaths-do-you-take-each-day/

Harvard Review
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031816-044420#_i1