Quiet Mark reports half of adults want quieter home

Over half of UK adults would like a quieter home, Quiet Mark has revealed in its National Noise Report.

The independent global certification programme associated with the Noise Abatement Society charity has taken a deep dive into attitudes towards noise in the home and work life.

It found over half of Brits (57%) would like their home to be quieter, with a further 62% drawn towards quieter appliances.

The survey carried of 2,000 UK adults revealed two thirds of young people aged 18-34 (66%) have strong preferences for quieter technology compared to those aged 55+ (54%)

In addition, it also revealed that 63% of young people are willing to pay more for quieter appliances.

More than four fifths of UK adults said they have appliances in their home, which they would like to make less noise.

Brits would most like their washing machine to make less noise (45%), but the list also included refrigeration (15%) and dishwashers (13%).

Quiet Mark identifies the quietest products in multiple categories spanning many sectors, including home appliances.

Only 10% to 20% of the quietest best performing products are awarded Quiet Mark certification.

Each product category is re-evaluated annually to reflect new models coming on to the market.

In the past year the number of Quiet Mark certified products listed on quietmark.com has tripled from 350 to over 1,000.

Technology director of John Lewis Laurence Mitchell, said there are more than 10,000 searches a month for appliances that include the term “quiet” on the the retailer’s website, with washing machines and kettles the most likely devices to be linked to the search.

However, the survey also highlighted a lack of knowledge related to the health risks of noise.

When it comes to knowledge on hearing, over a third (39%) of Brits incorrectly believe hearing loss begins at 110 decibels, about the noise level of a rock concert.

Just under half (47%) know exposure to noise can disturb sleep and cause high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease and only a fifth (19%) know that noise is the second biggest killing natural pollutant after air pollution, according to The World Health Organisation.

CEO and co-founder of Quiet Mark Poppy Szkiler said: 

“Because sound is invisible it is often overlooked. Yet, the fundamental impact it has on all the physical rhythms of our bodies, our hormones, heart rate and brain waves is so profound and inherent to our well-being.

“There is still a huge knowledge gap about this in the UK, which often prevents noise reduction being made a priority in the design focus of new product development, yet unwanted noise is a serious pollutant which affects our brain-waves, heart rate, all our physical rhythms”.

Read the original article on the Kitchens & Bathrooms News website here.