Breathe Easier, Mama!

Earlier this month Hong Kong had a string of some of the worst air pollution the city had ever seen. If you didn’t see the scary headlines, you might have felt it if you were out and about – and I’m sure you saw it as the gorgeous views were even more obscured than normal. Indeed, the pollution readings were so high that the sick and elderly, as well as small children were urged to stay inside! How’s that for quality of life in one of the world’s finest cities?

So yes, we all know the pollution here is bad… despicable, really. And you’ve probably heard factoids about where we rank in industrial cities when it comes to the quality of the air we breath. A recent poll has Hong Kong’s air quality as the third worst in Asia after Beijing and New Delhi – and we now rank among the worst locations worldwide for air quality, along with Santiago, Mexico City, and Cairo.

Even more grim? It’s not looking too good in terms of the government really truly doing something to fix the problem any time soon. The World Health Organization has targets to help polluted cities improve their air quality, and shockingly HK has adopted the lowest interim targets – ones that are intended to help developing nations get on track… not a modern cities like HK. And while Donald Tsang promised back in May to introduce air quality objects for the city before he left office at the end of June, that timeline quickly slipped to 2014.

So where does this leave us, mamas?!  Well, for one, bookmark the Clean Air Network and be sure to sign up for their pollution email alert. (They are working on an iPhone app so be on the lookout for that, too…). I generally check this before I’m headed out with the little one on a long afternoon walk. Also check out the Hedley Index which gives good stats and readings on the day’s pollution level compared to the WHO target levels – as I write this their air quality warning meter reader is at its most dangerous – and they list just 4 days in the entire month of August that were below the WHO pollution guidelines.

One solution you can do yourself. Purchase an Air Purifier!
While it’s important to know all these facts and figures, it’s depressing to realize there’s not too much we can do to protect our family at this very moment (maybe move to Singapore?). Besides signing petitions and supporting clean air causes, getting a good set of air purifiers in your home is really all you can do. And indeed, air purifiers have become one of those unfortunate necessities in flats around Hong Kong. One company we’ve long been a particular fan of is Renaud who distribute a few lines of air purifiers such as Alen Air, Austin Air and Blueair.  The brands they stock are always ranked among the most effective air purifiers on the market. We love that they are quiet, efficient, effective, have a lifetime guarentee – and are priced well below the IQAir which you’ve probably seen on display at Bumps to Babes. And while the science is all rather above me, the big takeaway is that these clear the air of over 99% of indoor air contaminants.

And the best news? 

SASSY MAMA DISCOUNT (until 31 October 2014):
We’ve scored our Sassy Mama readers a sweet discount on air purifiers purchased through Renaud. Here is the scoop on the fab savings on offer:

–  25% off the full range of Alen Air and Austin Air
– 10% off the full range of Blueair   

All you need to do is mention ‘Sassy Mama‘ when making your purchase!

Renaud also offers free home air tests too so you can have them come to your home and test the air quality in your space before splashing out the cash. Click here to schedule your free home air test and the Renaud team will contact you for a time that works best for you!

To learn more about Renaud’s air purifiers and this special reader offer, contact Renaud at (852) 5804 4760 or email [email protected].