Building a healthy home may seem complicated or even overwhelming but by breaking down the various aspects of a build, the task can be simplified. Firstly consider the material the building is made from, then how the home is decorated or finished, which also includes the ventilation, and finally what we bring into the building and how we maintain the building.

CERTIFIED Pure Safety® High Performance Insulation from Owens Corning has received the 2021 “Green Innovation of the Year Award”

The kitchen is an area of high traffic with many different sources of asthma and allergy triggers. Cooking and cleaning introduce particles and allergens into the air; flooring, paints and insulation can release potentially harmful chemicals; insects, attracted to food, can act as triggers; pollen is brought in on clothing from outside. Furniture, sealants, glues and home office equipment can emit harmful chemicals and furthermore, the kitchen is where a pet is most likely to spend its time

We know that people spend up to 90% of their life indoors and 30% of this time may be in the bedroom. Infants and young children spend even longer than this. Integral to the designing of a well-functioning bedroom are the concepts of comfort, wellness and health but the bedroom can be rife with asthma and allergy triggers with the potential to impact on these concepts and turn a bedroom into a negative space.

Electronic equipment is fundamental to supporting a healthier indoor environment. From air cleaners to vacuum cleaners and air conditioners to dehumidifiers, these pieces of equipment can operate to clean, remove allergens and contribute to a comfortable indoor air environment. The certification of consumer products is an informative and essential way to communicate a range of functions and compliance characteristics.

The skin is the largest organ in the body and is the one that is most exposed to external factors. As a consumer it can be very difficult to know whether a textile has had a particular finish, and even more so to know what chemicals were used to deliver this finish. In order to provide consumers with a signpost for textiles that may be more suitable for them and the environment, a number of certification programs have been established

Dr. John McKeon, CEO of Allergy Standards, is recognised for delivering informative, cutting edge talks, lectures and workshops on developing international standards, Indoor Air Quality, third body certification and innovation so is particularly honoured to be presenting a talk hosted by Tarkett entitled ‘Breathe Clean Air Program: Advanced Training for Building Professionals’

LG announced the rollout of its innovative LG WashTower featuring its CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® washing machine

Allergy Standards Limited (ASL) is pleased to announce their participation in Tarkett’s Learn.Give.Breathe Event taking place virtually on October 7th where Allergy Standards Limited CEO, Dr. John McKeon will serve as a keynote speaker conveying powerful insights about the heightened importance of Indoor Air Quality, triggers of Indoor Air Pollution, and how to create a healthy home environment through building materials, best practices, and beyond. Not only is Tarkett a CERTIFIED flooring partner of the asthma & allergy friendly® Certification Program but their company mission is also fully aligned with the Program, as their goal is to create healthier homes through offering flooring materials that allow individuals to make better purchasing decisions to improve their Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).

Allergy Standards Ltd develops new standard for Merino Wool

Volatile organic compounds or VOCs are molecules containing carbon which are predominantly in the gaseous state at room temperature.This article will present the possible sources of indoor VOCs, how VOCs impact on people with asthma and allergy and discuss the ability of air cleaners to reduce VOCs in the indoor environment.

We are announcing the development of a new certification standard for bedding containing Merino Wool.

Consumers need a recognisable, trustworthy mark to help them identify the truly beneficial products. This is where asthma & allergy friendly® comes in: a certification that focuses solely on a product’s impact on human health.

The COVID-19 and Asthma Toolkit for Schools is a comprehensive document covering all things related to asthma, from asthma management and prevention to its relation to COVID-19. By using this toolkit, schools will not only be creating a more asthma friendly environment but also will be helping to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The resource is a supplement to the current district, state and federal reopening guidelines and isn’t intended to replace those guidelines

Air conditioners can play a significant role in good indoor air quality. Greater asthma morbidity – specifically a larger number of hospitalizations, wheezing episodes and night symptoms due to asthma – have been associated with the presence of moisture, mildew and cockroach allergen in homes. Air conditioners provide a dual function of controlling temperature and relative humidity in home environments, as well as potential removal of allergens.

Dr. John Ryan, Chief Strategy Officer at Allergy Standards in Archetech magazine discusses the value of third party certification and the responsibility on those in the building and design industry to prioritise health and wellbeing

Being CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® gives a product an edge over its competitors in many ways. What is it exactly that makes an asthma & allergy friendly® textile stand out? Here are some useful questions and answers to make that advantage clear.

It is a common statistic when talking about the quality of indoor air, that we spend approximately 90% of our time indoors. The origin of that statistic was a study by the US Environmental Protection Agency back in 19891. The importance of this is the nature of the contained environment of the home; in the move towards greater environmental sustainability, homes have become more energy efficient and more tightly sealed. While this provides a better environmental impact, it also means that the air in the home does not become renewed through passage of fresh air.

This talk explores current and future healthy home trends with a focus on indoor air quality, whole house filtration and the importance of third party certification. IAQ is a key component in the healthy home and builders will benefit by a deeper understanding of how whole house filtration and other asthma and allergy friendly products can help them keep their business healthy.

World Asthma Day falls on the first Tuesday of May every year and gives us the opportunity to promote recognition, education and celebration of asthma awareness.

Bloomberg article discusses the future of cars and car cabin air purifiers, citing Mercedes Benz as the first car manufacturers to install CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly® car cabin filters. 

NBC News describes the differences between air filters, air cleaners and air purifiers and the benefits of having one in your home. The Dyson air purifier recommended in the article is CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly®

LG announced their new washing machine featuring its most advanced TurboWash™ technologies yet and CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly®.