What are VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), and How Can You Get Rid of VOCs in Your Home?
In the pursuit of cleaner, healthier air at home, there's one category of pollutants that often flies under the radar: VOCs, or volatile organic compounds.
These invisible gases are more common than you might think – and they can accumulate indoors at surprisingly high levels. But with the right technology – such as Dyson’s range of advanced air purifiers – you can take steps to reduce VOCs in your home environment.
Below, we’ll define what VOCs are, where they come from, and what implications they can have on the quality of the air inside your home. Then, we’ll explain how to get rid of VOCs in the home – and which Dyson products can help.
What are VOCs, and what does VOC stand for?
VOC stands for volatile organic compound. The term refers to a broad group of carbon-based gases that evaporate easily at room temperature. VOCs are measured in parts per billion (ppb) or milligrams per cubic metre (mg/m³) and are released by many common household products and building materials.
Although some VOCs are relatively harmless, others may contribute to indoor air pollution – particularly in enclosed or poorly ventilated environments.
What are the different types of VOCs?
There are hundreds of individual VOCs in the air – each with their own chemical composition and source.
Some of the most typical VOCs found in residential settings include:
- Formaldehyde – found in pressed wood furniture, flooring, paints, and textiles
- Benzene – emitted from tobacco smoke, car exhaust, and some cleaning agents
- Toluene – present in adhesives, nail polish, and paint thinners
- Xylene – used in varnishes and solvents
- Acetone – found in some nail polish removers and synthetic fragrances
Some of these VOCs have noticeable odours, while others – like formaldehyde – are colourless and odourless. This makes them difficult to detect without specialised sensors.
Where do VOCs come from?
VOCs can be released from a wide variety of materials and everyday activities inside the home. Common sources of VOCs in air include:
- Paints, lacquers, and varnishes
- Cleaning products and disinfectants
- Scented candles and air fresheners
- New furniture, flooring, and carpets
- Gas stoves and unvented heaters
- Personal care products like hairsprays and perfumes
With so many potential causes, some levels of VOCs in the home are unavoidable. The important thing is to prevent them from building up, which can occur in homes with limited ventilation. Over time, even low levels of VOCs in air may contribute to indoor air pollution and reduce overall air quality – so it’s important to put measures in place to get rid of them when they do.
Why is it important to get rid of VOCs in the home?
VOCs in the air are one of the major contributors to indoor air pollution. Short-term exposure to elevated VOC levels may cause symptoms such as:
- Eye, nose and throat irritation
- Headaches or dizziness
- Aggravated asthma symptoms
Long-term exposure to certain VOCs, particularly at high concentrations, may be associated with more serious health risks.
How to get rid of VOCs in the home
Reducing VOCs starts with prevention and continues with active removal. Read on for some practical steps to minimise your VOC exposure indoors.
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1. Increase ventilation in your home
Activities like cooking, cleaning, painting or using gas heaters can release significant levels of VOCs into the air. Opening windows and doors during and after these tasks helps to flush out stale air and lower indoor pollutant levels. Where possible, use extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms to assist airflow.
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2. Use an air purifier for VOCs
While ventilation is important, air purifiers go one step further – actively trapping VOCs in your home and filtering them out of the air you breathe.
So, how do air purifiers work to get rid of VOCs in your home? Dyson air purifier technology utilises both HEPA filters and carbon filters to offer a continuous, targeted solution for combating indoor VOCs. Dyson purifiers are engineered to detect, capture and trap these polluting gases – such as formaldehyde, benzene and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) – as well as automatically adjust airflow based on real-time air quality data.
That said, you’ll need to ensure you’re maintaining your air purifier to see the best results – which is why it’s important to change your air purifier filter regularly. -
3. Avoid synthetic fragrances
What smells clean isn’t always clean – and air fresheners, scented candles, incense, and spray products can all produce a mix of VOCs, including limonene and formaldehyde precursors. Instead, opt for fragrance-free or naturally derived alternatives, and try to avoid using synthetic fragrances in enclosed spaces.
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4. Let new furniture and materials ‘off-gas’
New sofas, cabinetry, carpets, and mattresses can all emit VOCs – especially formaldehyde – for days, or even weeks, after installation. Before placing them in commonly visited areas throughout your home, allow these items to air out in a well-ventilated garage or spare room to minimise this initial ‘off-gassing’.
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5. Choose low-VOC or VOC-free products
When purchasing furniture, flooring, paints, or cleaning products, look for items labelled ‘low-VOC’ or ‘VOC-free’. These are formulated to emit fewer harmful gases over time – supporting cleaner, more breathable air in your home.
Air purifiers for VOCs: How Dyson technology helps
Dyson engineers have developed a range of air purifiers for VOCs to reduce the levels of VOCs like benzene and formaldehyde – as well as a range of other airborne allergens and pollutants – from your home’s air.
These products combine advanced sensors, sealed HEPA H13 filtration, and activated carbon filters to trap gases and odours – including formaldehyde. This contributes to a higher quality of air in your home, which benefits your health, productivity, stress levels, comfort, and even how well you sleep.
Below, explore three Dyson air purifiers for VOCs in the home.
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Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP2 De-NOx
Designed for real-world urban environments, the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool HP2 De-NOx goes a step further by reducing nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) from traffic and gas appliances. Its sealed filtration system combines HEPA H13 and activated carbon to capture 99.95% of ultra-fine particles – and it works with the MyDyson™ app to sense, report on, and react to your home’s air quality levels in real time.
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Dyson Purifier Cool™
Engineered for whole-room purification, the Dyson Purifier Cool™ helps rid your home of VOCs such as formaldehyde and benzene, as well as airborne allergens caused by pets and mould spores in the air. In Diffused mode, backward airflow allows for purification without cooling you, so you maintain a comfortable temperature in the home.
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Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde™
Ideal for larger spaces, the Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde™ is Dyson’s quietest – and most powerful – air purifier yet.
An SCO (selective catalytic oxidisation) filter traps formaldehyde in your home’s air and breaks it down into CO₂ and water. An advanced 360-degree filtration system removes other odours and gases. While a K-Carbon filter not only gets rid of VOCs (such as benzene) from the air you breathe – it captures three times as much NO₂ than our standard activated carbon filter, too.
Now you’ve learnt how to get rid of VOCs in the home – through a mix of ventilation, air purification, and low-VOC-products – explore how to choose an air purifier for your home with Dyson.