Some sources of indoor air pollution may seem obvious, like pet dander and tobacco smoke, while others may be less apparent.

Dust can include skin cells and microplastics and be disturbed as you move around your home. It is commonly found in pillows, mattresses, box springs, stuffed animals, carpeting, and upholstered furniture.

A quarter of a millimeter long, dust mites also live in house dust and are one of the most common triggers² for people living with allergic asthma.³ They’re commonly found in pillows, mattresses, box springs, stuffed animals, carpeting, and upholstered furniture.

Cooking, especially frying, may produce significant indoor pollution. Gas hobs and ovens are among the leading sources of inhalable particles in a home, both from fuel combustion and cooking fumes.

In fact, a study from the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) showed that more than half of homes using gas hobs and ovens breached the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended maximum level of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) once a week.⁴

Indoor air quality: how cooking affects your home’s air

Indoor allergens,* including pollen, pet dander and other irritants can become trapped within the fibers of carpets. They’re released while cleaning or simply moving around the house. Older carpets typically have higher levels of pollutants and allergens.*

While they help remove visible dirt and grime, many common cleaning products can release invisible VOCs. From spray and liquid cleaners to bleach and detergents, they can be loaded with problematic ingredients.

In winter, roaring fires and flickering candles can make a home feel cozy. But burning wood can introduce ultrafine particles to the home, while scented candles may release harmful VOCs like benzene into the atmosphere.

The effects of indoor air pollution can typically be separated into two categories:

Short term effects include mild to severe eye and respiratory system irritation, headaches, dizziness and fatigue.⁶ These effects can be reminiscent of allergy symptoms or the flu. Asthma sufferers and those with pre-existing lung conditions can be more susceptible to the short-term effects of indoor air pollution.

Long term effects can range from respiratory and heart diseases to lung cancer.⁷ These more serious health problems can occur after extended exposure to ambient indoor air pollution.

When it comes to indoor air quality and its long and short-term effects on our health, the stakes are high.

Thankfully, there are several steps you can take to help reduce indoor air pollution and improve the indoor air quality in your home.

While we have already noted that many household cleaning products can be as potentially harmful as they are helpful, it’s still important to clean your home regularly and thoroughly. Learn about the common VOCs found in cleaning products and read labels carefully to determine if what you’re using meets your standards.

Kitchens can be especially problematic spaces for VOCs related to combustion because of heating elements. Be sure that your cooking area is properly vented. Throughout the rest of your home, open windows whenever possible to improve airflow and regularly examine and replace filters in your heating and cooling systems.

Air purifier technology is becoming increasingly advanced and can help reduce indoor air pollution. Dyson air purifiers can remove gases and odors while capturing up to 99.95% of allergens* and pollutants as small as 0.1 microns.⁸

Our latest air treatment technology has advanced filtration that captures more NO₂. It also senses and actively destroys formaldehyde with a lifetime SCO filter that never needs replacing.

To help easily monitor your home’s indoor air quality, Dyson’s purifier range automatically senses and reacts to pollution in your home to purify your air and use energy only when needed.​

By using a vacuum cleaner with a closed-system HEPA filter, you can better ensure that dust, debris and many common pollutants are safely removed from your home environment and not simply being redistributed.

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.

Shop our full range of air purifiers, hygienic humidifiers, and powerful fans and heaters.