How to improve indoor air quality

• pollen, pet dander and other common allergens

• dust (which can be composed of skin cells, pet debris, and bug droppings among other things)

• mould

• bacteria and viruses

• NO₂

• cleaning chemicals

• air freshening products

• radon

• formaldehyde

One of the best ways to control your indoor air quality is to keep pollutants out.

Properly sealing doors and windows can help prevent microscopic particles like allergens from infiltrating your living space without you knowing.

As dirt and allergens can hitch-hike on your clothing and shoes, simply having a doormat and wiping your feet before entering your home can make a difference.

Indoor air quality: common sources of indoor air pollution

This may sound counter-intuitive while also recommending that your home be properly sealed, but allowing fresh air to flow throughout your home after activities like cooking and showering can help remove some types of pollutants.

If you live in a highly polluted area, check the air pollution levels before opening windows. Alternatively, use an air purifier to circulate clean air in your home.

Candles, air sprays, and incense may smell wonderful, but they can release volatile pollutants into the air.

The same is true for cleaning and self care products, which can be loaded with potentially harmful chemicals and fragrances.

Read labels to check for artificially scented products or look for natural alternatives whenever possible.

One of the few easily visible signs of indoor air pollution is the dust that accumulates throughout your home.

Dust is typically a collection of skin cells, hair, pet dander, bacteria, pollen, smoke, dirt and pollution. It can be disturbed by everyday activities like simply walking around your home, so removing dust as completely and often as possible is ideal.

Dyson’s HEPA air purifiers monitor your indoor air quality and capture 99.95% of microscopic particles as small as 0.1 microns² for a healthier home environment.

To help remove visible dust and potentially hidden allergens and irritants it's important to vacuum regularly.

Use a vacuum that can drive bristles deep into carpets to remove ground-in dirt. A good selection of vacuum tools can also help to gently remove accumulated dust from hard-to-reach places like above furniture, on ceiling fan blades and along window trim.

Dyson vacuum cleaners feature whole-machine filtration that can trap up to 99.99% of dust and bacteria as small as 0.3 microns in boost/max mode. They expel cleaner air and come with an array of attachments to help make cleaning more efficient.

Beds, sofas, drapes and other upholstered furniture can all accumulate dust and dust mites. These common household items collect a staggering amount of shed human skin, which becomes food for dust mites.

We recommend regularly washing bedding and curtains and using the Dyson Mattress tool to deep clean mattresses and cushions.

Most indoor pollutants hiding in your home can’t be seen or smelled.

Dyson air purifiers capture 99.95% of pollutants as small as 0.1 microns² and constantly monitor your indoor air quality. They automatically sense airborne particles and then display real-time reports on the LCD screen.

In our latest air purifiers, it’s not just the filter that’s sealed to HEPA H13 standard – it’s the whole machine. This prevents pollutants from being expelled back into the room after they’ve been removed.

We test our machines beyond industry standards, so they’re suitable for real homes. Only Dyson air purifiers are engineered with Air Multiplier™ technology, to draw in distant pollutants and project purified air into every corner of the room.

Our most powerful purifier, Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde BP04, uses cone aerodynamics to deliver powerful, long-range projection up to 10m* – to purify large spaces up to 100m²** evenly and quietly.

Cooking produces smoke, steam, odours and grease. But using your cooker hood and fans during and after meals can help clear the air of these contaminants.

Kitchen ventilation extracts carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It also helps to control humidity levels in the kitchen, which is essential for preventing mold growth.

An extracting cooker hood exhausts air outside, while a recirculating hood passes it through a particle filter and resupplies it into the kitchen.

Temperature and humidity alone may not introduce new pollutants and allergens, but certain conditions can help existing molds, allergens and pests multiply.

By controlling temperature using your thermostat and humidity with a humidifier like the Dyson Purifier Humidify + Cool™ PH04 Formaldehyde, you can help create conditions that are less ideal for some pollutants to thrive.

Understanding the different sources of indoor air pollution is the first step towards developing a cleaner, healthier home. Implementing the changes necessary to improve indoor air quality may seem daunting, but often simple strategies like those listed above can have a positive effect.