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.
What does Formaldehyde Smell Like?
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.
Method 1: Open a window
Researchers have found that even in developed urban areas, outdoor concentrations of formaldehyde are near zero.
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’t always this blue.
Sometimes the world outside my Beijing window looks like this.
If you have a central air system that brings in outdoor air and filters it, you’re good! But if you don’t have that, it’s not cheap to install, so you’re left with method 2…
Method 2: Use activated carbon filters
Activated carbon filters will reduce formaldehyde and other VOCs in the home.
Because we’re an open-data start up, Smart Air tested this question by ordering formaldehyde straight from the factory in China (for science!).
Formaldehyde—straight from the factory!
Smart Air co-founder Anna put formaldehyde in a rice cooker in a closed room. Then we compared that to our Cannon fan alone versus the Cannon fan with a carbon filter on it.
Results showed that the carbon filters effectively reduced formaldehyde and other VOCs.
With a fan only (red line), formaldehyde levels stayed high. But with a carbon filter on the fan (blue line), formaldehyde levels went down.
But you don’t need to believe me. All the data and methods are open source: can carbon remove formaldehyde?
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’t see the tiny black dots of carbon, your eyes are normal!
Don’t even bother with these “carbon bags” popular in China. Because there’s no fan, hardly any air passes over the carbon, so they likely have close to no effect (tests of plants in real-world homes—as opposed to tests in tiny sealed containers—have also found no detectable effect on formaldehyde).
Method 3: Try a formaldehyde home cookout
Since formaldehyde off-gases faster 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!
Learn more: how to perform a cookout and reduce sick building syndrome (SBS) in your office or home.
Bottom Line: Remove Formaldehyde from Your Home
Three 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.
Read More: 2 Other Things You Need to Know to Remove Formaldehyde
- Part 1: Why formaldehyde testers are fake (and why it’s actually scientific to just use your nose)
- Part 2: How long it takes for formaldehyde to off-gas from new and remodeled homes
BONUS: Want Smart Air Professionals to Help You?
Smart Air can help you with formaldehyde removal and air quality testing. Smart Air is a certified B Corp started by University of Chicago Professor Thomas Talhelm to combat the myths big companies use to inflate the price of clean air.
How I Protect Myself
Smart Air is a certified B Corp committed to combating the myths big companies use to inflate the price of clean air.
Smart Air provides empirically backed, no-nonsense purifiers and masks, that remove the same particles as the big companies for a fraction of the cost. Only corporations benefit when clean air is a luxury.
Check out the Sqair! (chemical warfare model includes activated carbon for removing formaldehyde)
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