CLEAN LIVING
“Stay home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.” Government restrictions are imposing profound changes on our everyday business and personal lives. Millions more UK citizens will be spending most of their time shut up in their own homes for the foreseeable future, and this means that improving domestic air quality – already a growing concern – has now become a pressing issue. GC looks at what’s available, and how you can help your customers feel safer and healthier at home
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THINKING OUTSIDE THE “TOXIC BOX” study commissioned by the Clean Air Can we, as an industry, have a role in advising, Day campaign and carried out last year reassuring and recommending solutions to our by the National Air Quality Testing local communities? Services in the UK found that ultrafine particle Retail outlets may be closed, or restricting pollution levels indoors averaged 3.5 times their operations, but by remaining available by higher than outdoors, with peaks at 560 times telephone and online, and using social media outdoor air pollution, leading to campaigners and websites to keep in touch, retailers armed calling UK households “toxic boxes.” with the right knowledge are a vital community At that time, the main concern was the resource. The footfall may not be there, but general increase in allergies, asthma and other most retailers already have some sort respiratory conditions. Now, with of digital infrastructure, and can “underlying health conditions” develop a proactive role in being constantly linked to the reaching out to customers risk of more severe effects and the community. It’s more from Coronavirus, and the “Vacuuming and important than it’s ever “stay home” instruction air treatment can been to embrace online forcing families into remove up to 99.9% communication and use closer contact in confined it creatively. The business spaces, the need to of allergens and and social benefits are create safer, heathier pathogens” clear, reminding people you environments at home and are still here as a source of to alleviate the effects of expertise and valuable advice, poor indoor air quality have giving you an opportunity to taken on a sharper urgency.
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MARCH/APRIL 2020
Blueair Classic 200: High performing filters remove pollutants such as pollen, dust, pet dander, mould spores, viruses and bacteria down to 0.1 micron
preserve and strengthen the retailer/customer relationship, and carrying positive and useful information during the biggest health crisis in living memory. And, of course, it’s the most efficient way to connect with an audience that is dispersed and isolated.
KEEP FOCUSED Just because COVID-19 is currently monopolising the media and public concern, none of the other reasons for improving domestic air quality have gone away. Asthma, allergies and respiratory conditions were here before, they’re here now and they’ll be here after COVID-19 has gone. The point is that having to spend more time indoors increases the need for effective cleaning and air treatment to combat these “underlying health conditions.” Medical advice is quite specific about the increased risk of serious illness for anyone contracting COVID-19 while suffering from existing respiratory conditions, so the message must be: it makes sense to alleviate them as far as possible. COVID-19 is new, so there is as yet no conclusive research evidence of what specific effect air filtration, humidification or dehumidification has upon it. But there is ample, reliable and detailed research evidence that vacuuming and air treatment can remove up to 99.9% of allergens and pathogens – such as very fine dust, bacteria, mould spores, pet dander, pollen and viruses – from the air. Some of that research is quoted in this feature, and it’s
