Air Purifier Benefits: How An Air Purifier Can Improve Your Health & Home

The health benefits of clean air have been known for decades. One of the best ways to improve indoor air quality is by using an air purifier. Let’s take a look at a few of the ways that an air purifier can improve your health and make your home a better place.

 

Air Purifiers Fight Airborne Disease

In recent years we’ve all become more aware of airborne diseases and how they are transmitted. Tiny droplets of pathogens (like SARS-CoV-2 viral particles) become airborne through coughing or sneezing. These airborne particles travel through the air until they are inhaled by another person or land on their body, thus spreading the illness. An air purifier can be a powerful ally in the fight against airborne disease and other ultrafine particles (PM2.5).

 

How Do You Know An Air Purifier Fights Airborne Disease?

Third party testing is used to confirm that an air purifier is indeed cleaning the air. These tests are performed in a lab under strict conditions. The multi-pass efficiency test is used to measure how well an air purifier can remove different microorganisms from the air.

Air Purifiers Are A Part Of Good Health Habits

An air purifier is not an absolute blockade against airborne virus exposure, but they do reduce the risk. Homes, businesses and schools are not sealed with HEPA filters like a research laboratory, so there is always a risk of airborne diseases. To help prevent illness you should use decontamination strategies like wiping down surfaces with disinfectant, providing hand sanitizer, encouraging wearing of masks for those who may have illness symptoms, and opening windows for outside ventilation when the outdoor air quality is acceptable (check the Air Quality Index).

 

Air Purifiers Reduce Allergy Symptoms

For those with allergies there can be nothing worse than the congestion, sneezing, stuffy nose, hay fever and more brought on by airborne allergies. Since airborne particulates are the source of this misery it makes sense that an air purifier can help reduce allergy symptoms. You may not have an allergic reaction right away from allergen exposure, but once the allergen load reaches a certain point your body will react. For airborne allergens the reaction is usually associated with respiratory symptoms, but can also manifest as headaches or even fatigue. 

 

An air purifier is a great way to reduce airborne allergens. When choosing an air purifier look for units that have HEPA filters or those that perform at HEPA level efficiency. For pet allergies, place the air purifier near areas where pets spend time (like a dog bed or cat tree). Keep in mind that an air purifier is rated to clean a certain square footage, so you may need more than one unit to cover your entire home.

 

Relief For Asthma Sufferers

Using an air purifier has been shown to reduce asthma attacks in those who suffer from asthma and help protect their lung function. An air purifier helps by removing asthma triggers like airborne allergens and airborne contaminants from the air. Using an air purifier can help reduce asthma attacks brought on by:

• Dust mite allergies
• Pet dander allergies
• Pollen allergies
• Mold allergies
• Smoke/soot
  
  

These allergies are triggered by very tiny particulates, so it is important to use an air purifier that is HEPA-level performance rated. In addition to choosing an air purifier that removes particulate matter, also look for a volatile organic compound (VOC) filter. A VOC filter can help remove gaseous pollution that can trigger asthma.

It is important to select an air purifier that doesn’t add any airborne pollutants as a byproduct, thus raising indoor pollution levels. Some air purifier technologies can release ozone into the air, which is a known asthma trigger. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has more information about home air purifiers, including how to avoid ozone producing air cleaners.The Intellipure H1000 was tested by an independent laboratory and found to be ozone-free.

Clearing Chemicals From The Air

Most air purifiers are designed to remove particulate matter from the air, but some include another filter that is able to remove chemicals known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs are a form of air pollution that are released into the air from things like carpet, home cleaning agents, paint, scented candles, industrial smokestacks, even automobile traffic emissions. The most common VOC chemicals are:

• Benzene
• Formaldehyde
• Toluene
• Xylene
• Acetone
• Ethanol
• Dichloromethane
• Propane 
• Butane
• Vinyl Chloride
  
  

HEPA filters alone are not designed with components that allow for VOC adsorption. The most common method uses activated carbon (also known as activated charcoal) filters to remove VOCs from the air. Activated carbon has a very large surface area with lots of holes that attract VOC molecules and trap them. Much like how a particulate filter becomes clogged over time, a VOC filter will eventually become saturated with chemicals and no longer absorb anything. It is important to change the VOC filter on a regular basis, especially when used in areas prone to VOCs (like the kitchen). When shopping for an air purifier make sure it includes a VOC filter.

 

Less Dust For Better Breathing

One of the great benefits of an air purifier is less dust. Most people don’t think of dust as a form of indoor air pollution, but when you realize which particulate matter is in that dust things become clear. Household dust includes things like:

• Dead skin cells
• Pet hair
• Pet dander
• Cloth fibers
• Insect waste (especially from dust mites) 
• Mold spores (from fungi)
• Dirt
• Microplastics
• Ash/soot
• Food particles
• Paint chips (which can contain lead)
  
  

Now it is easy to see that dust is actually a form of particle pollution. Some of these pollutants can have physical and cognitive effects. That is why it is important to use an air purifier to protect the respiratory systems of everything in your home. Unfortunately natural ventilation like opening a few windows doesn’t always help as outdoor air quality may be worse than indoor air quality. 

 

Keeping Dust Down

Removing tiny particles from the air requires an air purifier that can filter down to extremely small sizes (even small enough to capture airborne bacteria). The Intellipure H1000 captures dust, mold, bacteria, and viruses. Keep in mind the capability of the air purifier. Using too small an air purifier in a space (especially one prone to heavy foot traffic) will not have as effective results.

 

An air purifier alone can’t stop all the dust in a home. Regular cleaning like vacuuming (ideally using a vacuum with a HEPA filter), mopping, and wiping down surfaces will help reduce overall dust levels. Bathe and brush pets often to reduce loose hair and dander. Remove shoes and leave them at the door to prevent tracking in dirt. Keep a few microfiber towels around so you can wipe down surfaces whenever it is convenient. 

 

A Better Night Sleep

Using an air purifier in your bedroom can help provide a more restful night’s sleep. Bedroom air quality is often overlooked but considering most people spend up to 8 hours a night in the bedroom, it should be higher on the list of concerns. Pollutants in the air can cause respiratory irritation and nasal congestion that leads to sleep disruptions. Particle pollution and indoor allergens (like pet hair) may not cause much trouble as you move around the house during the day, but being shut in with them at night increases overall pollution exposure. 

 

Place the air purifier near the bed (but not against a wall) so that it can circulate clean air near your head. Check the air purifier setting for the quietest fan speed so noise from the unit doesn’t keep you awake. An air purifier can help control dust in the bedroom, it is also wise to wash bedding on a regular basis to remove dust mites (a common source of allergic reactions). If your hay fever kicks in at bedtime, it is probably time to wash your bedding.

 

Bad Smells Be Gone

We mentioned volatile organic compounds (VOCs) earlier but didn’t explain that they are also scent-causing molecules. What things around the house have a smell caused by VOCs? Cooked food smell? VOCs. New furniture odor? VOCs. Pet odor? VOCs. New stinky carpet? VOCs. New paint smell? Yup, VOCs. Pretty much anything that has a smell in your house is caused by VOCs. Not all of them are bad for you though. The citrus smell from oranges and lemons is a VOC called Limonene. Unfortunately there are plenty of VOCs in your house that aren’t good for you, which is why you need to remove them.

 

To remove odor-causing gases an air purifier pulls air through the activated charcoal filter for maximum exposure to VOCs in the room. Inside a typical VOC filter is a material such as activated charcoal that absorbs smells at the molecular level. In the case of activated charcoal there is a lot of surface area thanks to numerous tiny holes all through the carbon. The VOCs get trapped in the tiny holes where they can’t escape back into the air. Activated charcoal is made using carbon-based fuel sources such as wood, waste paper, even coconut husks. Researchers are working on other ways to remove VOCs including using catalyst oxidation for industrial emissions.

 

Some Smells Linger Longer

Unfortunately some smells (like cigarette smell) are hard to get rid of in the home. They are absorbed into carpets, upholstery, even drywall where they are slowly released into the air again. For embedded odors like these deeper cleaning and plenty of ventilation are necessary. Once embedded odors are under control it is easier for a VOC filter equipped air purifier to maintain fresh air.

 

Remove Chemicals, Don’t Add

You may be tempted to just grab a can of air freshener or plug in a wall diffuser to make things smell better. Keep in mind that a lot of air freshener products simply use another chemical gas or liquid to cover up a smell, not remove it. Adding more VOCs to the air can actually decrease indoor air quality or even trigger asthma symptoms. When dealing with bad smells the best solution is to remove them and the smell source, not just cover it up.

 

Better Air For A Better You

It should come as no surprise that cleaner air is better for you and everyone else in your home. That’s why you need a high-quality air purifier in your home or office to remove harmful airborne pollutants. Simply choose an Intellipure portable air purifier and enjoy all the benefits of world-class clean air in your own home.