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We notice silence because it has become unusual. From traffic and aircraft to kitchen appliances, phones, televisions and the constant hum of technology, modern life comes with an almost continuous soundtrack. But how often do we stop and think about what all that noise is doing to us?
Quiet Mark is an organisation trying to make us do exactly that.
Quiet Mark is an independent global certification programme associated with the UK Noise Abatement Society charitable foundation, which was established in 1959. It scientifically tests and assesses products to identify quieter options across areas including household appliances, technology, building materials and commercial products.
The idea is surprisingly simple: noise matters, and we should have more choice about the amount of it we live with.
Quiet Mark's distinctive purple certification is awarded to products that perform particularly well acoustically within their category. Its assessment process uses technical data alongside acoustic measurement and comparison with other products on the market.
But perhaps the most interesting thing about Quiet Mark isn't the appliances it certifies. It's the question it makes us ask:
Have we become so accustomed to noise that we don't even notice it anymore?
Try something the next time you're sitting quietly at home.
Don't reach for your phone. Don't turn on the television. Just listen.
Perhaps there's the hum of the fridge. The boiler clicking into life. A ventilation fan. A washing machine in the next room. Traffic outside. An aircraft overhead. A neighbour's music. A computer fan. The occasional beep from an appliance.
Even when we describe somewhere as quiet, it may actually be full of sound.
Quiet Mark has highlighted how easily these everyday sounds become part of the background. Its research and commentary point to everything from rattling furniture and floorboards to televisions, radios and constantly running appliances as sources of unwanted noise.
And because sound is invisible, it can be particularly easy to overlook.
When we think about noise pollution, we probably picture something obvious: a busy road, construction work, an aircraft overhead or a loud party.
But noise doesn't have to be deafening to be irritating.
A repetitive beep. A low mechanical hum. A washing machine spinning upstairs. The extractor fan that sounds like it's taking off. A neighbour's bass through the wall.
Sometimes it's the constant or unpredictable nature of a sound that makes it difficult to ignore.
Quiet Mark points out that our response to sound isn't determined by volume alone. The quality, tone, sharpness and irregularity of a sound can all influence how we experience it.
That explains why one particular noise can drive you mad while another, technically just as loud, barely registers.
Noise isn't simply an irritation.
The UK Government recognises that noise can affect people's quality of life, health and wellbeing, while environmental noise is an established issue in planning and environmental policy.
Quiet Mark highlights research linking excessive unwanted noise with issues including stress, sleep disturbance and reduced productivity.
Its 2026 UK National Noise Survey also found that 97% of mothers surveyed said having quiet time is important to their overall wellbeing, highlighting just how valuable opportunities to switch off from household noise can be.
And perhaps we don't need statistics to understand the feeling.
Think about how you feel after spending several hours somewhere noisy.
Then think about the feeling of walking somewhere peaceful, sitting in a quiet room or being outside with nothing but birdsong and the breeze.
Our ears may never completely switch off, but our brains can certainly appreciate the difference.
There's something slightly strange about modern life: technology has made many things quieter, but it has also surrounded us with more sources of sound.
Our homes contain more electrical appliances than previous generations could have imagined. Open-plan living can allow sound to travel further. Working from home has made us more aware of the noises around us. Outside, traffic, aircraft, building work and machinery create a constant background soundtrack.
Quiet Mark describes noise as a "forgotten pollutant" – a phrase originally used by John Connell, founder of the Noise Abatement Society.
Perhaps that's because we can't see it.
We notice a smoky atmosphere. We notice litter. We notice dirty water.
But noise disappears the moment the sound stops.
The good news is that we don't necessarily have to retreat to the countryside to experience more calm.
There are simple things we can do.
Turn something off. Do you really need the television playing in the background?
Choose quieter appliances. When replacing a washing machine, dishwasher, extractor or other noisy household equipment, consider its acoustic performance alongside its energy efficiency and other features. Quiet Mark provides one source of information when comparing products.
Soften your surroundings. Curtains, rugs, upholstered furniture and other soft furnishings can help absorb sound and reduce echoes.
Create a quiet corner. It doesn't need to be an entire room. A comfortable chair away from the television and household activity can provide somewhere to read, think or simply sit.
Spend time outdoors. Our local parks, commons and green spaces offer something increasingly precious: natural sound. Birds, wind through the trees, running water and even the occasional distant dog can feel very different from the constant mechanical soundtrack of modern life.
The next time you're walking through Epsom, Ewell or one of our surrounding green spaces, try paying attention to what you can hear rather than what you can see.
Can you hear birds?
Leaves moving in the trees?
Water running through the Hogsmill?
A distant train?
Children playing?
Traffic?
How does the soundscape change as you move from a busy road into a park?
We often talk about our local environment in terms of what we see – our green spaces, trees, wildlife and historic buildings. But the sounds of a place are part of its character too.
And perhaps Surrey's quieter corners are more valuable than we realise.
Quiet Mark's work isn't about suggesting that the world should become completely silent. Life would be pretty dull without conversation, music, laughter and all the sounds that make our communities vibrant.
It's about balance and choice.
We need lively places – but we also need somewhere to retreat to.
We need technology – but perhaps it doesn't all need to beep, buzz and hum.
And sometimes, after a particularly noisy day, we simply need to close the door, turn everything off and listen to nothing for a while.
Maybe quiet isn't the absence of something. Maybe it's something worth actively making space for.
How Sound Affects Us
Sound does not exist until sound waves physically hit the delicate bone structure within the ear. The subsequent vibrations send signals to the brain where they are interpreted into the different characteristics of sound that we understand.
Sound waves affect humans emotionally, as well as physically, and exactly the same sound may affect us in very different ways depending on where and when that sound is heard. And it’s not just about loudness, it’s also about the quality of the sound, the tonalities, high sharpness, roughness and irregular fluctuations during operation that has a profound effect on our physical and emotional responses.
Find out more about Quiet Mark and its work to encourage quieter products, buildings and living environments: Quiet Mark
At thebestof Epsom & Ewell, we love discovering the interesting ideas and organisations that make us look at our local lives a little differently – and sometimes the best thing we can do is simply stop and listen.
