Shhhhhhhopping: Meditators publicise quiet rooms at Selfridges It is a menace of modern life, from the annoying tinny sound escaping someone else’s headphones when you are sitting on a bus to the buzz of an extractor fan when you want a relaxing bath. But now a quiet revolution is under way, spearheaded by a mark to recognise and promote quiet products – from kettles, to planes, vacuum cleaners and cars.Already many companies are adopting the Quiet Mark – a purple Q of approval awarded to manufacturers that incorporate ‘quiet’ into their designs – and in March the not-for-profit trading arm of the Noise Abatement Society will showcase a Quiet House at the Ideal Home Show. Former actress Poppy Elliott, founder of Quiet Mark, said: ‘We hope that by increasing awareness of brilliant quiet products we  will boost demand for them and encourage more manufacturers to incorporate low-noise technology as standard practice into their designs, to benefit everyone – people buying the products, their family and their neighbours, as well as industry.’Quiet Mark has 40 global brands signed up

, including Samsung, Mitsubishi Electrics and Philips and has been endorsed by the Department for Environment. The website also runs a monthly competition where many of the products can be won. These range from dishwashers and washing machines to tumble dryers, paper shredders, kettles, juicers, food blenders and mixers. There are scooters, extractor fans, air-conditioning, garden tools, power tools, cooker hoods, sound-barriers, noise-cancellation headphones and vehicle reversing alarms.Lexus, which is promoting its own ‘Quiet Revolution’ – an advertising campaign for its CT 200h hybrid  car – is a partner of Quiet Mark, which expects to announce Ideal Home Show partners and Government endorsement later this month.Poppy Elliott’s grandfather, John Connell, set up the Noise Abatement Society after he became increasingly frustrated with the level of noise after the Second World War – ‘everything from technology and things like dustbin lids being clattered in the morning,’ Poppy said.

At the time there were no regulations to recognise noise as pollution. He went on to set up the Noise Abatement Society in 1959.  He campaigned for less noise in the Sixties and managed to get the first Noise Abatement Act through Parliament in 1959 after knocking on the Aviation Minister’s door at 3am to show him, with a pack of journalists standing behind him, what it felt like to be woken up by flights through the night. The Noise Abatement Society is now run by his daughter, Gloria Elliott, mother of Poppy. Poppy said: ‘We have some great new Quiet Mark award winners for 2013. Yamaha have just been awarded Quiet Mark across the whole of their new range of ‘‘silent’’ electronic instruments – for 2013, including pianos, drums, guitars, trumpets and violins. This range goes really well with our Love Your Neighbours campaign, so you can play your drums all night and won’t wake the whole street.’She added: ‘The Rockwool home insulation company is also a new award winner, with a new product MultiRock – the fibres are made of rock – which also has sound insulation properties to keep your noise in and the neighbours’ noise out.’The Corinthia Hotel London in Whitehall was given an award for designing ‘peace and quiet in the

heart of the capital’s buzz’ while on a slightly smaller scale, London-based hairdresser Trevor Sorbie is trying to ‘soundscape’ his salons with more insulation, quieter air conditioning and hair dryers.vacuum cleaner exhibitionPoppy Elliott said the quietest tumble dryer was AEG’s Sensidry 7, 8 and 9 series, which also has an ‘extra silent cycle’.hoover vacuum cleaner beltOne small firm to have benefited is Quiet PC in Malton, North Yorkshire. vax vacuum cleaner whiteFounder Glenn Garrett says he would not have been able to afford to test the noise levels of his PCs without Quiet Mark.He said: ‘I would have had to pay to use university resources. Instead I sent my products to Quiet Mark to be tested and after winning the Quiet Mark, paid to be listed.’Other Quiet Mark-approved products include Philips Wake-up Lights, which wake people up with bird song and light designed to imitate the sun instead of alarm bells,  Ecodan heating, EnviroVent extractor fans and Magimix food processors.

Meanwhile, store group Selfridges is running a ‘No Noise’ campaign, a concept that it says was thought up by founder Henry Gordon Selfridge in 1909. The campaign started on January 7 and will run until the end of February. Outlets in London, Manchester and Birmingham feature silent shopping areas, where customers have to take off their shoes and hand over their phones before entering.7 wildlife calls you might hear in your backyardWe are delighted to announce that state-of-the-art AEG appliances have been awarded the Quiet Mark. The Quiet Mark is the international mark of approval award programme from the UK Noise Abatement Society encouraging worldwide companies in the development of noise reduction within the design of everyday machines and appliances. AEG has been a pioneer of quiet kitchen appliances, having introduced the quietest vacuum cleaner, the quietest dishwasher and the quietest blender into the market. AEG also commissioned the biggest ever survey on noise in the home (AEG Noise Report 2007) and this revealed that the vast majority of consumers across Europe said it was a mistake not taking more consideration of the noise an appliance makes at the time of purchase.

The Noise Report found that 29% of those buying washing machines, 28% of those buying dishwashers, 33% of those buying cooker hoods, 27% of those buying tumble dryers and 18% of those buying refrigerators wished they had taken noise in to account to a greater degree when they bought each item. The study showed that in some cases, consumers were so unhappy with the noise their new appliance made, they eventually threw it out – or never actually used. The survey revealed that given the choice again, around half would go for the quieter option, even if it was more expensive, whether it was for washing machines, cooker hoods or dishwashers. Interestingly, and perhaps not surprisingly, the survey found that many people also strongly associated quieter appliances with quality, reliability, efficiency and thus environmental friendliness.  For more information or a copy of this report please contact the Press Office. AEG appliances awarded the Quiet Mark 2012 include: AEG dishwasher F99009MOP : With more people living, eating and entertaining in the kitchens, noise level on dishwashers is very important.

The new AEG range is extremely quiet and this top of the range model has the lowest noise level of any dishwasher. With an outstandingly quiet noise level of 39dv you can’t even hear when it is one! This model uses just 0.99kWh of energy and water consumption is only 10 litres. AEG Washing machine L98699FL : This AEG washing machine has been developed with Silent System PLUS; a noise-reduction technology that includes insulation layers and a purpose designed inverter motor for exceptionally quiet operation. The noise level can be further reduced by 47dB by using the extra silent night programme. This table top blender from AEG is the quietest on the market at just 77dB.  You can talk while using it and still be heard, which is why it is a favourite for James Martin’s Saturday Kitchen. Today’s blenders produce an average of 85-95 dB, that’s the same category as Lawn mowers and motorcycles! For further media enquiries contact: Emma McSweeney or Sue Hargreaves 0118 9760030