We spend around 90% of our time indoors* and this is before Covid 19 caused us all to stay inside!
Now more than ever, it's important to make your home and work environments as healthy as you can.
Natural materials like wool have been used to furnish our spaces since the dawn of time, so you'd think it would be an obvious choice. However, since the 1930's and the invention of plastics and synthetic fibres, natural materials and products are getting harder to find.
Unfortunately this is affecting our health; Both at home and at work, when air circulation or exchange is reduced, indoor air pollutants can build up to potentially harmful levels. Small particles from dust mites, pet fur, pollens, and moulds are often the source of indoor air quality issues. However, chemicals released by interior furnishings and building materials could also be to blame. These are known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
What are volatile organic compounds (VOCs)?
Think of that new car smell, fresh paint, or a recently installed synthetic carpet. These smells are
due to the presence of VOCs. Put simply, VOCs are the gases and vapours which are released by new
products, synthetic varnishes, and paints. While the impact is varied in both scope and intensity, these
airborne gases and particles could be effecting you and your family's sense of wellbeing through a vast array of symptoms - especially if you're an allergy sufferer!
Wool doesn’t promote the growth of bacteria, unlike other materials, which can cause certain allergies. Fortunately, these VOC offenders can be effectively eliminated by wool carpet and materials in your home, whether it's pet fur, dust mites, pollen, or other allergens, a carpet made from wool will trap VOCs within its fibres until you take them out when vacuuming. This makes wool a much healthier option.
From carpet and drapes to insulation, choosing natural fibres is an easy way to reduce harmful pollutants in your home.
By replacing your synthetic fibre with wool, you'll have nature on your side.
A wool carpet will effectively subdue VOCs and particle pollutants to purify the air in your home for up to 20 years of use, giving you peace of mind and ensuring the wellbeing of you and your family.
References:
* (CPSC, The Inside Story-A Guide to Indoor Air Quality, CPSC Document #454, US Consumer
Product Safety Commission accessed 25/6/08)
**[EPA 402/F-08/008, September 2008, Care For Your Air, A Guide to Indoor Air Quality].
***Textile Institute and Industry, 1978, 12, 12-15 EPA 402/F-08/008, September 2008, Care For Y our Air, A Guide to Indoor Air Quality]