Panasonic suggests ways to improve air behind the doors

According to World Health Organization estimates, 300 million people suffer from asthma and it’s the most common chronic disease among children. With the rapid increase in the pollution in the country, the rate of allergy and asthma cases are on rise in India, especially the metros. In second half of 2016, Delhi experienced the worst hit with the city choking under record pollution levels and a spell of smog that has been declared as the worst in 17 years by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). So much so, the Delhi government declared it as an ‘emergency situation’.

As many would not be aware, but the indoor air is 3-5 times more polluted than the outdoor air because it is a mix of outdoor pollution that comes in through windows and doors as well as indoor pollutants like dust, cooking fumes, allergens, incense, cigarette smoke and pet dander. So many potentially harmful contaminants get trapped inside our homes, and we can’t even open a window to get some fresh air! We spend 90 percent of our time indoors, and thus, it is important to take note of how clean the air is behind our doors. The air-pollution might have gone down over the period, but it is important to maintain the air-quality inside our houses and offices.

With this year’s theme – ‘Better Air, Better Breathing’, Panasonic has curated a list of measures to purify the air at home and your workplace. With these measure you can stop the poisonous intruders enter your home and move towards a ‘Better Life, Better World’. After all, breathing in clean air should be a priority.

Mr. Syed Moonis Alvi, General Manager, Water Purifier & Air Purifier, Panasonic India said, “With increasing prevalence of asthma among people, there is a need to increase awareness regarding the disease as well as the preventive measures. As air-pollution is one of the major cause for Asthma, one should keep a check on the quality of indoor air. Dust and other particles are everywhere around us. There is no way to prevent them from coming inside our homes, but there is a way of keeping our homes clean. At Panasonic, it is our continuous endeavour to enhance the quality of life of our consumers as it is core to our principle values. Addressing the extent of air pollution in the country and the severity of augmenting levels of PM 2.5 air pollutants, our air-purifier range improves the indoor air-quality and provide a healthy and safe environment to breathe in.”

If in a quest of clean air, follow the below steps:

Monitor indoor pollution

To improve the air-quality, it is important to first monitor it and then tale actions. One can download a pollution mapping mobile application to monitor air inside the house. Also, keep your windows and doors closed in the wee hours and early morning, as that is the time when pollution is at its worst. In addition, air-purifiers are equipped with technology to monitor the air quality and function accordingly. Econavi technology present in Panasonic air-purifiers helps to monitor the requirement and function accordingly.

Activated Charcoal

Who though an activated charcoal will help to purify indoor air. The odourless element is highly-absorptive and works wonders with eliminating toxins from the air.

Use Chimney to filter cooking fumes

Researchers have established that cooking fumes are cancerous and contribute greatly to contaminating indoor air. While cooking, always keep the exhaust fan on (and use chimney). Also, it is important to clean grease traps on regular intervals.

Air-purifier

Addressing the severity of air pollution in the country and the critical effect of the increasing levels of PM2.5 air pollutant, specially designed air-purifiers have come up in the market. These purifiers combat poisonous particles in the air, providing a healthy and safe environment to breathe in. The right home air purifier can help us sleep better and prevent sinus and breathing problems as it will remove dust and allergens from the air and leave us breathing easier and even reduce snoring. Panasonic recently introduced new range of affordable and colourful air-purifiers from Rs. 11,995 onwards.

In summers, as one uses air-conditioner, Panasonic also introduced their advanced air purification system nanoe-G in their recently launched Elite Inverter SKY Series air-conditioners. It purifies down the air to the smallest details and removes the airborne particles including the particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in size (PM2.5). Moreover, the SKY Series comes with the innovative DUST SENSOR which automatically switches on nanoe-G to purify the air whenever a high level of particle concentration is detected. This results in preventing health problems and improving the quality of indoor air.

Keep Air-purifying Plants

Houseplants can help you purify indoor air. They absorb particulates in the air and then process it into oxygen via photosynthesis. Plants like chrysanthemum (Garden mum), spider plant, weeping fig and peace lily are some of the indoor plants you can consider keeping at your home. It’s suggested that you have at least one plant per 100 square feet of home for efficient air cleaning to be accomplished.

Essential Oils

In the presence of essential oils like cinnamon, oregano, rosemary, thyme, grapefruit lemon, clove, tea tree – viruses, fungi, bacteria and even mold cannot survive. Studies from Weber State University show that Thieves Oil has a 99.96% kill rate against airborne bacteria. It is an antiseptic blend of pure essential oils including pine needle, cinnamon, thyme, eucalyptus, lemon and grapefruit which helps keep the home free from germs and purifies the air. You can add it to soaps and detergents to breathe fresher, cleaner air.

Change Bed Linen regularly

Change your bed sheet and pillow covers at least twice a week and always use clean blankets. Regularly washing curtains is also a healthy practice to prevent indoor air pollution.

Avoid moisture from getting trapped

Clean your house well and prevent moisture since dust and mites strive on moisture. High moisture inside the house leads to mold growth and is also associated with respiratory issues. Use exhaust fan while cooking and even in the bathroom after shower; put the clothes’ dryer outside, don’t put too much water in houseplants and make sure there are no leaky plumbing to prevent mold. Get your electronic devices, especially air conditioners serviced regularly and use dehumidifier.

A few Quick Tips

• Quit smoking or smoke outside the house, and prevent guests from smoking inside your house
• Clean leaves of the plants regularly to get rid of dirt
• Take off your shoes outside/entrance of the house as they carry dirt and other harmful particles including fungal spores, lead dust, pollen, wood smoke, industrial toxins and mites among others
• Resist the temptation to open windows and doors as there is no fresh air outside
• Let dry-cleaned items air outdoors before bringing them inside in order to prevent chemicals from entering your home.
• Clean your air conditioner to help keep asthma triggers away from your house
• Get the drips and leaks fixed as soon as possible
• Clean all the hidden corners of your house and use vacuum cleaners to suck all the dangerous particles
• Groom your pets regularly