Manrose

On the 21st of June this year there was the annual Clean Air Day, and the people at Global Action Plan have launched a new campaign to raise awareness of the problem of indoor air pollution inside UK homes. Whether we sense this or not, there's a "cocktail of toxic air pollution" inside our homes unless there is proper ventilation, and we all are encouraged to take steps to improve the air we breathe indoors. It really helps to open the windows and leave them open regularly to eliminate some of the pollution and condensation, but at the same time there has to be proper ventilation inside the homes. The quality of the indoor air can be very low when there are gas stoves, wood burners, nail varnish being used, deodorant being sprayed, candles being burned, cleaning products used around the house, and soft furnishings. Since we spend quite a lot of time indoor, it is good to make sure the quality of the air is good, and for this ventilation is a must! Indoor Air Pollution and its Impact on our HealthThe research conducted in advance of Clean Air Day has found some astounding and shocking results, and the impact of air pollution on our health is worrying. Furthermore, based on the study of the RCPCH (Royal College of Pediatrics and Child Health) and RCP (Royal College of Physicians) on the potentially harmful impact of indoor air pollution, there are some findings that we also list below. Less than 40% of adults are aware of the effects of indoor air pollution on their health; most UK adults are familiar with the effects of the outdoor air pollution, but not so many know of the indoor air pollution. 60% of people are not aware of the actions they can take to reduce indoor air pollution. Improving the ambiance of our homes includes such things as burning candles and using air fresheners, which are a source of air pollution. 15% of the surveyed people identified smelly food as the key source of indoor air pollution. Many do not realize the effects of hairspray and fake tans on our health due to the air pollution. Indoor air pollution is affecting our lives, our pets, our family, our children, our health, and our well-being. Children spend 80% of their time indoors and, with the increasing desire to "conserve heat" with the "sealing of homes", pollution exposure indoors is becoming a major issue for children's health and development. More than two million healthy life years are being lost across the EU annually, and there are over 9000 deaths a year due to indoor air pollution. In England, the proportion of households living in a dwelling with damp is three times higher for those in the lowest income group, compared with those in the highest income group. The impact of indoor air pollution on our health is not as well researched and documented as the impact of the outdoor air pollution on our health. Because many people spend 90% of their time indoors - many times in poorly ventilated homes - they are exposed to a wide range of air pollutants such as formaldehyde and a cocktail of volatile organic compounds (as per Prof. Stephen Holgate, Medical Research Council, Professor at the University of Southampton, see reference link below). The poor air quality in the homes all across the UK can also cause or amplify illnesses and conditions such asthma, thus having a negative impact on our quality of life. Tips for Improving your Indoor Air Quality As this is an ongoing issue with much research and study being done in the UK and around the world, the tips and steps to improve indoor air quality are small and seemingly insignificant, but once they are implemented, our air quality indoor is improved and our quality of life is elevated. Here are some tips for reducing air pollution indoors: Open your windows when you are cooking or when you are using cleaning products. This helps ventilate the house and avoid air pollution in the home, and it also helps avoid the build-up of air polluting moulds too. Service your boiler regularly, for the CO (Carbon Monoxide) emanated from faulty boilers and heaters can be fatal. Consider how you clean your home. Keep the dust levels low, use naturally scented and even fragrance-free products, and avoid aerosols. When burning fuels or wood on the barbecue or stove, burn smokeless fuels or dry, well-seasoned wood, for the pollution from burning fuels damages the air in your home and to those who live nearby. Reduce the consumption of energy to reduce air pollution! Gas and electricity are big contributors to air pollution, for gas creates fumes and electricity has the same result. It is best to do things to conserve energy (switch off the lights, fill the kettle only with the amount of water needed, run the dishwasher or washing machine only when it's full, etc) and thus reduce electricity and gas bills, while at the same time reducing indoor air pollution. Choose renewable energy-saving tariffs for your home supply, even if this means switching energy suppliers, so that you may reduce the pollution produced by power stations. Recycle compostable and save the wood-burning for rough winters. Instead of burning your garden waste, why not compost it and turn it into food for the plants. Instead of burning wood in the stove, use it only when the winter is tough, to reduce air pollution. Ventilate, ventilate, ventilate! Make sure you have a bathroom ventilation fan, a kitchen fan, and even a whole house ventilation system, so that the air in the home may circulate, the vapors may be removed, the pollutants may be eliminated, and the air quality may be improved. Eat properly and exercise properly. Our health is not determined merely by the quality of air indoors but especially by the food we eat, the amount of exercise we do, the sleep we have, and many other items. As much as it depends on us, it is good to eat a healthy diet and have adequate physical exercise to improve our quality of life, and be aware of the indoor air quality to improve it. On our website we offer a wide range of Envirovent, Airflow, and Manrose kitchen fans, bathroom ventilation fans, whole house ventilation systems, and heat saving systems. Here are some further references to this article, where you can find out more on how to reduce pollution at home and improve air quality in the home: Improve your indoor air quality with Airflow Clean Air raises awareness of indoor air pollution (via Envirovent) There's a cocktail of toxic air pollutants inside the homes (via CleanAirDay) A major study was done to look at indoor air pollution (via, Air Quality News) Asthma Deaths Rise 25% amid growing air pollution crisis (via the Guardian) Protect children from toxic fumes with ‘keep clear’ signs at our bus stops, says father (via, Evening Standard)

Due to the lack of adequate ventilation at home we all have condensation, and if we leave condensation untreated, mould growth can happen - and this can be harmful to our health and the health of our children. How to prevent condensation problems by having proper ventilation. When mould growth takes place, it can lead to serious health issues and breathing difficulties. The fact that we have double insulated windows doesn't help, for condensation is kept inside, instead of the air being circulated to remove it. If there's regular condensation at home, it can cause structural damage to the house, there may be some damp patches that can appear on the wall, and there are steaming windows. Especially in the cold season when we spend more time indoor and we don't want to open the windows because it's too cold outside, there's a risk of moisture build up, and the humidity levels will increase. We need to consider how can we combat condensation - how can we reduce condensation at home so that we won't damage our health and our property would not be damaged long-term. Why do we have Condensation at Home? We may have noticed the steaming windows (especially after taking a shower, washing the dishes, putting out our laundry to dry inside the house, etc) and we may wipe them regularly, but we need to make sure we deal with condensation properly, otherwise mould may grow. Whether we live in a listed building or a newly built apartment, condensation has a big impact, and both our walls, our furniture, and our health may be damaged. Why do we have condensation at home? Condensation takes place when warm air meets cold surfaces, or when there's a high level of humidity in our home. Especially in the fall or winter time, when we heat up our home, when we cook, take a shower, dry our clothes indoors, or take a bath, warm moisture is released into the air inside the home. When the warm air filled with moisture comes into contact with the cold wall (especially the wall facing outside), it cools down and releases water, little droplets of water on the cold surface. We may not worry that much about these little droplets of water, and we may get used to the steaming windows, but we need to consider this since they can lead to such things as sinus problems, skin rashes, and other health issues. Six Simple Tips to Combat and Reduce Condensation at Home How can we combat and reduce condensation at home? Here are some simple tips offered by experts - some are quite simple and easy to do, while others may require some investment, but they all can help reduce and combat condensation at home. 1. Clean the windows when they get steamy - make sure you clean the water droplets from the window, the mirror, the glass shower dividers, and the wall, when you see that steam builds up. Use the regular window cleaner tool, and then a clean towel to clean up any condensation, to make sure these colder surfaces are clean and dry. 2. Improve the ventilation at home. When we increase the ventilation at home, condensation can be removed. Simply opening the window in the living room and after taking a shower, cooking, or drying the laundry can remove the build-up of moisture inside the home. You can also install air bricks to the outside walls, air vents for the internal walls (or sealed chimneys to allow airflow through the house), roof ventilation tiles, and window vents. Also, we recommend installing ventilation fans in the bathroom and in the kitchen - you can find a wide range of bathroom fans from Airflow, Envirovent, and Manrose on our website. 3. Action-based ventilation: when you cook (with the kitchen door closed!) it is good to turn on the extractor fan in the kitchen on a high power to extract any excess moisture, or at least open the window. When taking a shower (with the bathroom fan ON), close the door and, after you finish, open the window (and keep the door closed). When drying the laundry, do it only in one room with the window open or even better, do it outside. 4. Pets and plants can release moisture and thus create condensation; it is good to cover up the fish tank most of the time, and if damp patches appear on the wall or condensation is on surfaces, it is good to move the plants outside. 5. Furniture tips: it is not recommended to overfill the wardrobes or kitchen cupboards, so that there would be air ventilation, otherwise the air moisture trapped may lead to mold. Also, it is recommended for any furniture to be at least 50mm from the wall, especially the walls facing outside, for air to circulate. 6. Double glazing and loft insulation lead to reducing the loss of heat (which is good), but it can also lead to condensation if no proper ventilation is ensured. The use a of a dehumidifier can also help taking the moisture out of the air. Trickle vent systems such as the Airflow Loovent Eco and Envirovent ECO DMEV can ensure a continual ventilation in your home. As our homes become more insulated and the heat (and moisture) is trapped indoors, we need to make sure we have a proper ventilation together with the tight insulation, so that we may combat and reduce condensation (which, left undealt with, can lead to mould growth). There are many other ways to reduce and combat condensation - if you know of a different way to reduce condensation, please write us in the comments. As a further reference, you may find helpful to also consult the following articles on this topic: how to stop condensation in 10 steps, how to deal with condensation, 14 ways to reducing condensation, and what causes condensation and how to stop it.