Working remotely and from home has become the new norm for many! While it may be convenient to do your job from the comfort of your couch or home office, there are some additional things to be aware of. While you’re busy with Zoom meetings or taking that hundredth trip to the kitchen, there are hidden contaminants floating in the air around you. Let’s talk about why air quality is of utmost importance for WFH employees.
We Spend A Lot of Time Indoors
Since 2009, the number of people working from home has skyrocketed. Thanks to advancements in technology and the influence of the pandemic, the number of employees making their homes their office has risen by 159%. Now, 16% of global companies are 100% remote and 85% of managers think that teams made up with remote workers will become the new norm.
On average, Americans spend approximately 90% of our time indoors. Between home offices, traditional offices, and indoor shopping malls and restaurants, we’re exposing ourselves to indoor air that’s 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air—and in some cases up to 100 times as polluted!
The case might even be exacerbated for those working from home. According to a Texas A&M University School of Public Health study, those working remotely had concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that were significantly higher than those working in an office building.
Because of “sick building syndrome,” where people experience headaches, lethargy, concentration difficulties, itchy skin and other symptoms while in office buildings, many are equipped with high-quality ventilation systems. Unfortunately, this same level of attention for air quality isn’t found in most homes.
While working from home is the preferred choice for many, it’s clear that we need to make our home offices safer.
How to Make Our At-Home Work Environment Safe
Indoor air quality is compromised by many of the personal care products, household cleaning products, and furnishings we use. Between applying perfume or taking care of an infestation of ants, we’re unintentionally contaminating our homes with toxic pesticides and volatile organic compounds.
Heating water on the stove for coffee can release combustion byproducts like carbon monoxide. Burning a candle to de-stress after an important meeting can be a source of indoor particulate matter. Our trusty co-workers—in the form of our fur babies—can release pet dander that contributes to allergies. Even our office furniture may be off-gassing dangerous pollutants like formaldehyde!
Indoor air pollution can lead to throat, nose, and eye irritation. It’s also been linked to fatigue, dizziness, and headaches. Many pollutants—like particulate matter, smoke, dust mites, mold, and pet dander—can be asthma triggers. Worse, unhealthy air quality can lead to adverse mental health outcomes, heart disease, respiratory diseases, and even cancer.
Simply put, we’re constantly surrounded by pollutants that impact our indoor air quality, and our health and well-being. Researchers are also increasingly understanding how indoor air quality impacts cognition, productivity, and performance.
Fortunately, there is something we can do to make our indoor air cleaner and more conducive to a successful workday.
Working From Home? Make AirDoctor Your Coworker
It’s not always possible to escape the home office to a studio surrounded by lush forest and filled with clean air. But it is possible to make the indoor air of our homes cleaner, safer, and more supportive of “the daily grind.”
With UltraHepa® filters capable of removing 99.97% particles as small as 0.003 microns, AirDoctor purifiers can provide peace of mind while you’re working from home. And don’t think of it as another task for your already-busy day! The auto-mode functionality means that filtration levels are automatically adjusted to current air quality levels. Coupled with a silent fan, you won’t even know the AirDoctor is nearby—but your health will.
With different sizes perfect for your home office or the living-room-turned-conference-room, the AirDoctor is here to handle indoor spaces that can be up to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air. It’ll take care of smoke, bacteria, viruses, pet dander, pollen, mold, and dangerous ozone, gasses, and volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde.
Don’t want to go back to the office? We get it. That’s why AirDoctor is here to ensure that the indoor air in your home is safe and clean—especially as you spend more time in it. We’ll take care of the air and leave you to focus on conference calls, deadlines, and spreadsheets. Consider us your clean air coworker.
