{"id":6981,"date":"2023-11-23T19:29:00","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T11:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/?p=6981"},"modified":"2024-02-02T12:24:41","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T04:24:41","slug":"best-way-remove-off-gas-formaldehyde-voc-chemicals-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/blog\/best-way-remove-off-gas-formaldehyde-voc-chemicals-home\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Way to Remove Formaldehyde and VOC Chemicals From Your Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are lots of discussion on effectively eliminating formaldehyde and VOC chemical accumulation in homes. Here, we present three scientifically supported methods to diminish and filter formaldehyde within your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does Formaldehyde Smell Like?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Formaldehyde is recognized by its sharp, pungent odor, described as sweet or acrid. Often associated with new furniture or fresh paint, the smell is strong and distinctive even at low concentrations.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Formaldehyde<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Method 1: Open a window<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Researchers have found<\/a> that even in developed urban areas, outdoor concentrations of formaldehyde are near zero.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Average<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The only problem is, opening the window in a polluted city will bring in polluted outdoor air. The sky outside my apartment in Beijing isn\u2019t always this blue. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Blue<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Sometimes the world outside my Beijing window looks like this. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Polluted<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

If you have a central air system that brings in outdoor air and filters it, you\u2019re good! But if you don\u2019t have that, it\u2019s not cheap to install, so you\u2019re left with method 2\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Indoor<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Method 2: Use activated carbon filters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Activated carbon filters will reduce formaldehyde and other VOCs in the home.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"DIY<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Because we’re an open-data start up, Smart Air<\/span> tested this question by ordering formaldehyde straight from the factory in China (for science!). <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Formaldehyde<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Formaldehyde\u2014straight from the factory!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smart Air co-founder Anna put formaldehyde in a rice cooker in a closed room. Then we compared that to our Cannon fan<\/a> alone versus the Cannon fan with a carbon filter<\/a> on it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Smart<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Results showed that the <\/span>carbon filters effectively reduced formaldehyde<\/a> and <\/span>other VOCs<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Formaldehyde<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

With a fan only (red line), formaldehyde levels stayed high. But with a carbon filter on the fan (blue line), formaldehyde levels went down. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But you don\u2019t need to believe me. All the data and methods are open source: can carbon remove formaldehyde<\/a>?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But pay attention for how much activated carbon is in your filter. Lots of purifier companies say their purifiers have carbon, but their filters only have a slight dusting of carbon. The Coway filter below is a good example. If you can\u2019t see the tiny black dots of carbon, your eyes are normal! <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Don\u2019t even bother with these \u201ccarbon bags\u201d popular in China. Because there\u2019s no fan, hardly any air passes over the carbon, so they likely have close to no effect (tests of plants in real-world homes\u2014as opposed to tests in tiny sealed containers\u2014have also <\/span>found no detectable effect on formaldehyde<\/a>).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"activated<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Method 3: Try a formaldehyde home cookout<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since formaldehyde off-gases faster<\/a> when temperatures are high, running a home cookout can help remove formaldehyde more quickly from your home. All you need to do is set your heat to high, turn on a humidifier, and get the heck out!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Warm<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Learn more: how to perform a cookout and reduce sick building syndrome (SBS) in your office or home<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bottom Line<\/div>
Bottom Line: Remove Formaldehyde from Your Home<\/div>
\nThree effective ways of removing formaldehyde from your home are to open a window, use an air purifier with an activated carbon filter, or perform a home cookout.\n<\/div>
Smart Air<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Read More: 2 Other Things You Need to Know to Remove Formaldehyde<\/h3>\n\n\n\n