How much time do you think you and your kids spend at home? If you get out and about a lot, then you may be surprised that people in the UK typically spend 90% of their time indoors.

That’s a lot of time inside, so it’s very important to have a healthy indoor environment to spend your time in. However, just because a home is clean, does not mean that it is healthy.

In fact, according to Allergy UK, indoor air levels of many pollutants may be 2-10 times higher than outdoor levels.

What can affect air quality in your home?

There are a number of pollutants that can be generated within your home. These can come from how you heat your home, cook meals and clean your house. They can come from the building materials, furniture and fittings used in your house. If you have a pet, you will get pet dander. If you have dust, (who doesn’t?) you will have dust mites. If you smoke, the air will be filled with the chemicals released from tobacco.

Even having a damp house full of condensation can be an issue. According to the World Health Organization, biological agents in damp and mouldy indoor air increase the risk of respiratory disease in children and adults by 50%.

You might also need to be wary of opening windows to ventilate your home. Although this can help with damp, it can also bring in noxious fumes from passing traffic if you live near a busy road.

Whilst you might not think this is a big issue, children living near roads with heavy-duty vehicle traffic have twice the risk of respiratory problems as those living near less congested streets.

What’s more, according to a pollution map released by Friends of the Earth, 2,000 locations across England, Wales and Northern Ireland have levels of air pollution that exceed safety limits, so it is important to be aware of this risk.

To find out more about the pollutants that can affect the air quality in your home click here.

Who is at risk from indoor air pollution?

According to the British Lung Foundation, everyone is at risk from indoor air pollution. If you have a pre-existing condition such as COPD, asthma or bronchiectasis, you’re much more likely to be affected by poor indoor air quality.

Children can also be more vulnerable. As their lungs are still developing, any inflammation caused by pollution can cause their smaller airways to narrow more easily than in adults.

How to improve air quality in your home

If you want to improve the air quality in your home, click here to see these 10 easy steps.

Even if you feel you can’t follow all of these tips, you can go a long way to removing the pollutants in your home by investing in an effective air purifier from our website.