How to give your home a hygge detox
Forget log fires and scented candles – try pot plants to clean your home’s air, says Victoria Lambert
In this weather, very little comes between me and a log fire. Icelandic socks on, Diptyque candle lit, marshmallows on standby… like many in the UK, I took to the Danish concept of hygge like a duck without down. But while getting cosy may be good for our mental health, experts are warning that our lungs may not be so happy, thanks to the microscopic particles exuded by open fires, wood burners and wax candles. A 2017 study by San Diego State University found that any candles in the home increase domestic pollution by 30 per cent.
While indoor air can be up to five times more polluted than outside – what we breathe at home is affected by the smallest considerations such as kitchen ventilation and even the type of paint you use to decorate – our hygge habit could be affecting the environment, too. A 2016 report into air quality by the Royal College of Physicians, Every Breath We Take: The Lifelong Impact of Air Pollution, says the popularity of wood burners means they account for between 7 and 9 per cent of all particle pollution in London.
Ian Colbeck, professor in environmental science at the University of Essex, warns that as all combustible material leads to increased particles in the air, which could find their way into your airways, we should also be wary of scented candles.
“There’s great uncertainty about the health effects of indoor pollutants,” says Prof Colbeck, “but it’s estimated that it may contribute to around 8,500 deaths in the UK. It will certainly exacerbate asthma, allergies and breathing conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).” Other symptoms include headaches, eye, nose and throat irritation, tiredness and loss of concentration.
Chief among the other culprits are volatile organic compounds (VOCS), found in the gases emitted over long time periods by paints, paint strippers and wood preservatives, as well as air fresheners and moth repellents. “But if you cook with gas without using a ventilation hood, you also get surprisingly high levels of oxides and nitrogen released into the air,” he says.
There’s an irony, too, that as people look to make their homes more energy-efficient and insulated, there is a chance they could make air quality worse. “Unless you live by a highway, you will always benefit from an open window,” says Prof Colbeck. But ventilation alone does not eliminate infectious agents such as house dust mites, bacteria and viruses, which are all known to exacerbate asthma. Nor does it deal with mould and fungal spores, which can encourage dust mites.
So do we have to close up our fireplaces and dump the candles? Not necessarily: some pot plants might do the job. A spokesman from Haskins Garden Centre recommends aloe vera, as it helps to clear benzene (found in waxes and polishes), and Spathiphyllum ‘Sweet Chico’, which sucks up the acetone emitted by electronics, adhesives and certain cleaners. A Victorian favourite, Boston fern is still considered one of the most efficient air purifiers particularly at removing the formaldehyde found in glues and furniture.
A more modern approach would be to invest in an air purifier, a new generation of home tech that can assess our personal pollution levels and clean up our homes. I tried out the Blueair Classic 405 (blueair. com,£499), a quiet, powerful and energy-efficient air filtration system with several settings, so you can ready your home for asthma sufferers, eradicate dust mites, pet dander, or be rid of general odours. Its filtrating system is so powerful, it will suck away any trace of tobacco smoke. It’s also Wi-fienabled, so you can control it from another room.
There’s no doubt that it is really effective – the pumped-out air was so clean and refreshing it was like throwing open a sash window – although, at the size of a labrador, it’s not exactly discreet.
Another device is the Foobot Air Quality Monitor (£255), which measures temperature and humidity, and will alert you to household levels of VOCS and formaldehyde. Alternately, you could go all-out with a fully installed ventilator system, such as the Xpelair Natural Air 180 (about £1,400 plus installation), which extracts stale warm air, exchanging it for fresh. At the least, upgrading or installing bathroom fans and kitchen extractors is a must.
“If you are cooking, get the extractor fan on.,” says Prof Colbeck. “And never dry things around the home, as humidity can lead to dampness.” If you have lots of children, he warns, beware dust being thrown up from the carpet as they run around; far better to have wood floors so dust can’t get trapped, and then use a microfibre mop to clean every week. Doormats are also a must, as they cut out the amount of debris and dust getting into the home in the first place.
Choose “greener”, chemical-free cleaning products as far as possible to limit exposure to VOCS, such as brands such as Method and Ecover.
You could also try putting back more appealing scents into the atmosphere: in France, Puressentiel Purifying Air Spray (200ml; £19.99) is recommended by one in five doctors. Chris Etheridge, a chemist who advises Puressentiel, says: “Many essential oils have proven antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties, and when we inhale them we are actually breathing in aroma molecules laden with potent plant chemicals. Inhaling the aroma molecules of essential oils activates receptor cells in the nose, which then signal our brain to release neuromessengers linked to our immune response and other body systems.”
Lastly, we can all still enjoy a cosy fire, too – if we follow the advice of Woodsure, the UK’S wood fuel quality assurance scheme. Use only dry wood, properly sourced and seasoned or kiln-dried, which releases fewer particles into the atmosphere – and smells much nicer, too.