Toxicologist Dr Yvonne Burkart has shared a simple way to improve the quality of air in your home – and it’s all to do with what you do with your shoes and clothes
The quality of air in your home could be affected by how you handle your clothes.
We all know that the air we breathe outside isn’t always the best quality, especially if you live in a bustling city or densely populated area with loads of cars and other pollutants. But did you know that the air inside your house might be even worse? Factors like poor ventilation, chemicals from cleaning products and paints, and burning fuel for cooking or in a fireplace can all contribute to lousy indoor air quality.
The NHS warns that indoor air pollution can cause short-term respiratory symptoms and worsen asthma in those who already have it. Over time, it can affect the lungs, heart, and blood vessels, leading to stroke, heart attack, or lung cancer. However, one toxicologist has suggested a simple way we can all improve our indoor air quality without making any changes to our homes.
It all depends on what we do with our clothes when we get home. Doctor Yvonne Burkart revealed to Steven Bartlett on his Diary of a CEO podcast that one of the easiest ways to improve indoor air quality is to take off your shoes as soon as you step into your home.
She explained the importance of indoor air quality, saying: “This shocks a lot of people, but there are simple ways to improve your indoor air quality, and one of them is taking off your shoes. Not wearing your outside shoes in your home. That doesn’t mean you have to go barefoot. You can wear slippers, you can wear other shoes that are specifically meant to stay indoors.
“That’s because shoe soles are vectors for faecal material, pathogenic bacteria and viruses, heavy metals, industrial chemicals, pesticides, things that are outside and should stay outside.”
During the podcast snippet shared on TikTok, Dr Burkart emphasised the need for good ventilation, recommending opening windows even during colder months to bolster air quality. You don’t need to have your windows open all the time, however, as this could waste energy by boosting your heating.
She added: “People are not adequately ventilating their homes when doing things like cooking. Cooking generates particulate matter too. But do we need to stop cooking? No. We need to prioritise what’s important and what’s not important. Burning candles, for example, how important is that to you? Make sure you choose a better candle, and make sure you’re opening the windows.”
Responses to the advice were varied, with some commenters claiming they regularly let fresh air in by opening windows, while others voiced concerns about the winter chill, admitting they struggle with keeping windows open during the cold season.
One person shared a tip, saying: “My mum taught me to always open two windows. One in the front, one in the back. Create air flow. Even in winter, even in the summer.”
However, another individual disagreed, pointing out: “This is not realistic in actual cold places – our heating would constantly be turning on if windows were open.”
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