Materials that purify air in your home
Sustainable living
11/29/20236 min read
Our homes have the power to improve our health. Beyond mere aesthetics, we should always consider the quality of the materials we choose for our homes so they can benefit us and our environment.
While decorating, we are often focused exclusively on aesthetics and budget and rarely pay attention to the materials we use. If we spend most of our time indoors, be it at home or in the office, it is essential to invest some effort in including natural air purifiers in our decoration plans.
Decorating your home with colors you love is essential in ensuring you feel comfortable in your space. These are critical visual elements of any decorating project. But what is not so commonly known is that there are significant differences in paint materials that can take your home from a place where you feel good to a place where you also live well.
Research shows that the air in our interiors can be up to 5 times more polluted than outside air, even in cities. This is due to volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a large group of chemicals commonly found in products we use to build and maintain our homes. Petroleum-based glues, varnishes, paints, plastics, and synthetic fabrics can all lead to respiratory conditions, headaches, dizziness and more. The Guide to Indoor Air Quality by the United States Environmental Protection Agency identifies the most common culprits, from the formaldehyde in pressed wood products such as plywood and fiberboard to radon, a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas in building materials.
Mild symptoms of exposure can go from eye, nose, and throat irritation to general fatigue and skin rash, but more severe allergic reactions have been linked to various forms of cancer. Choosing building materials and furnishings to minimize indoor air pollution has never been more important. Luckily, compelling natural materials derived from animals and plants can purify the air inside your home and help you live toxin-free.
WOOL
Renewable, biodegradable, and 100% natural, wool is also an impressive air-filtering material. It absorbs formaldehyde, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, the most common VOCs. Because wool fibers absorb toxins within their core permanently, it has been estimated that wool products may continue purifying indoor air for up to 30 years. It can also help relieve allergies, as the material’s microscopic scales trap dust and impurities until cleaned or vacuumed.
The hygroscopic and thermal qualities of wool also play in its favor. Resistant to bacteria, mold, and mildew, it can absorb up to 33% of its weight in water without feeling wet. This means it reduces moisture from the air to create a warmer, drier living environment.
Try this out:
Building: think about insulation wool. Because of its hypoallergenic properties, it is safe to install without using respiratory equipment, protective clothing, or gloves.
Decorating: think of pure wool for curtains, blankets, and area rugs. Your soft furnishings will decorate your home and make the air more breathable.
HEMP
"Numerous studies estimate that hemp is one of the best CO2-to-biomass converters," said Darshil Shah, senior researcher at the Centre for Natural Material Innovation at Cambridge. On the one hand, it is twice as efficient as trees at absorbing atmospheric carbon; on the other hand, it provides carbon-neutral biomaterials for architects and designers.
In effect, hemp can passively improve the internal air quality of buildings by removing airborne pollutants. In this way, it can be used to construct zero-carbon buildings, where the materials have absorbed more CO2 than is consumed during construction. Hemp's inherent lack of carcinogens and other harmful chemicals makes it a fascinating material, opening many opportunities for improved air quality inside and outside.
Try this out:
Building: hempcrete is a natural composite used in construction to replace concrete or fiberglass. Dried hemp stalks are mixed with a lime-based binder that hardens them to be shaped into blocks and panels. But while concrete actively contributes to CO2 emissions within your home, each cubic foot of hempcrete can sequester 19 pounds of this same carbon dioxide instead.
Decorating: hemp keeps your textiles and soft furnishings cleaner for longer periods because of its antimicrobial properties. Hemp is also less prone to wear and tear than other fibers. Tough and tight, it holds color well and doesn’t fade. This is particularly interesting for upholstery fabrics as well as bed linen.
MINERAL PAINT
Mineral paints containing neither solvents nor petrochemical derivatives are not only breathable and odorless, but they also absorb carbon dioxide. Some have been around for centuries, others are specifically engineered using modern technologies, and all are 100% environmentally safe as they don’t produce toxic gases.
Limewash is the most ancient natural paint, made from limestone that is crushed, burnt, and mixed with water. The CO2-absorbing component in limestone is calcium carbonate, a naturally occurring mineral found in eggshells, pearls, and seashells. With over 20 years of history, Bauwerk is the leading manufacturer of limewash paints, but many new brands make these more widely available than ever.
One is Graphenstone, an organic lime paint enriched with graphene, a material made of pure carbon discovered in 2004 and more than 200 times stronger than steel. Thanks to the graphene upgrade, these natural paints are available in the full NCS palette, just like mainstream petrochemical paints, minus the pollutants. This means there are 980 interiors and 320 exterior colors, all preventing mold growth, fungi, and bacteria.
With the best performance in terms of air purification, Airlite also needs a shout-out here. In addition to the breathable and antimicrobial properties mentioned above, Airlite paints eliminate viruses from our air. Independent tests in China, Italy, and the UK certified that after just 15 minutes of the application of Airlite on any surface, viruses are deactivated by over 99%. But how does it work, you ask? 100% mineral and VOC free, it uses nature's exact principle. You know the clear air after a storm? It’s the negative ions generated by natural electricity that clean the air. So, Airlite recreates this ionizing effect on the surface where it is applied. It’s like the process that plants do every day. Through sunlight, it transforms the pollutants in the air into inert salts. Applied on a surface of 100 sqm, it reduces air pollution as effectively as an area of 100 sqm planted with mature trees. This might account for the United Nations naming it one of the four cutting-edge technologies to beat air pollution worldwide.
Bonus tip: If you were wondering what breathable means when talking about paint, it doesn’t peel in case of a leak like its petrochemical counterparts. That’s another win in our book!
PLANTS
Air-purifying plants are natural wonders. They serve as natural humidifiers and actively clean toxins from the air in your home.
A study by NASA found that different plants fight different pollutants, such as benzene, trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, or ammonia, all commonly found in varnishes, adhesives, paints, plastics, floor coverings, carpet backing, and cleaning products, including paper towels.
The study suggests a minimum of one plant per 30 sq.m. mixing a variety of species to clean as many different toxins as possible and wondering which ones? It might be helpful to know that rubber trees remove mold spores and bacteria or that spider plants were found to remove 95% of chemicals from the air in 24 hours, but ferns, ivies, and palms are equally efficient if they’re more your style.
Try this out:
Improve your sleep: a number of plants, including orchids, aloe vera, spider, and snake plants emit oxygen at night. Place them in the bedroom to improve the air around you while you sleep.
BEESWAX
For those of us who love to burn candles around the house but worry about the toxic fumes, beeswax is the way. Without harmful chemicals, beeswax candles are safe to be used around people with a sensitive respiratory system, allergies, or asthma. They can actually be beneficial to them. The secret is that beeswax is a natural antibacterial and antimicrobial agent that does not release toxins when burning. It gives a slow, dripless, smoke-free, soot-free burn that produces negative ions and removes common allergens like dust and dander from the air. The results are cleaner air and a yummy-smelling home.
Bonus tip: Beeswax is said to absorb negative energy, making it the perfect candle base for spiritual practices.