Air Purifiers -

Humidifier vs. Air Purifier (Is it As Obvious As it Seems?)

Humidifier vs. Air Purifier

What’s the difference between a humidifier and an air purifier?

The answer should be pretty obvious you would think.
And on the surface it is.

An air purifier purifies the air and an air humidifier adds humidity to the air.

And when you’re trying to decide whether you need to run an air purifier or to run a humidifier,

The answer to that should seem pretty obvious too.

Do you want to filter the air or do you want to add moisture to the air?

But here is where it gets a little more interesting.

Dry air and humidity have a direct link to the transmission of viruses and allergies in the air.

Two things that you would normally consider to fall in the air purifier category.

According to an article in science daily, professor Michael Ward states “when the humidity is lower, the air is dryer and it makes the aerosol smaller”

He also added, “the aerosols are smaller than droplets. When you sneeze and cough those smaller infectious aerosols can stay suspended in the air for longer.

That increases the exposure for other people. When the air is humid and the aerosols are larger and heavier they fall and hit surfaces quicker.”

Cooler air can cause the humidity to drop as much as 20%. Which makes it much easier for airborne particles to travel.

Secondly, the extra dry air can cause the body’s own natural humidifying and air purification functions, called Cilia, not to function optimally and have a harder time expelling viral particulates as well as it would in normal humidity.

An experiment cited by medicalnewstoday.com shows that rodents placed in an environment with 10% relative humidity “succumbed to influenza virus infection more rapidly than those housed in 50% relative humidity.”

The study also showed that dry air caused the immune response in the mice to be less efficient.

So what does it mean?

The capacity of a humidifier to be able to reduce the spread of viral particles seems to have an edge in the cold dry months compared to an air purifier.

But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

A good air purifier, especially one that uses an h13 HEPA filter, can reduce the number of allergens and viruses in the air significantly. Regardless of the relative humidity.

Other types of air purifiers that use plasma wave or bipolar technologies can also significantly lower the amount of virus particulates in the air.

Furthermore, air purifiers are useful everyday of the year whereas humidifiers are only useful when the relative humidity drops.

But when the temperature is cooler and dry air becomes an issue, an air purifier will do zero to add any humidity back to the air.

So is one better than the other?

Should you purchase a humidifier and not bother with the air purifier?

This is a situation where there is no either or.

Humidifiers clearly have an edge when it comes to restoring the relative humidity back to 40 to 60% in the cold months when the air is extra dry.

And viruses need dry air to transport easily.

But extra humidity is definitely not welcomed all year long where there’s not a time of the year when you don’t need clean air to breathe.

And that’s where an air purifier comes in.

So the only good answer is to own both a humidifier and an air purifier.

Am I saying you should purchase a combination air purifier and humidifier?

That’s not what I’m saying at all.

There are a lot of combination appliances that make a lot of sense.

But combining an air purifier and a humidifier is not exactly the best ideal.

Let me explain why I think this.

Humidifier air purifier combos use water to clean the air. These types of units are called air washers and revitalizers.

These machines are not able to clean the air without adding humidity.

And though they may be a great idea in the winter, the dry season only lasts so long.

You have to remember that the humid season is coming, and adding more humidity to the already excessive humid condition is not going to be the best ideal.

You’re going to want a device like a dehumidifier to reduce the humidity at that point.

Combining an air purifier and a humidifier may seem like a great idea on the surface, but the truth is it’s really only useful for about the same amount of time as you will use a humidifier.

You should think about purchasing an air purifier as a standalone appliance that doesn’t try to combine any other function other than to clean the air.

It’s the only scenario that really works.

Air purifier vs humidifier.

Air purifiers and humidifiers seem like two totally different machines on the surface.

One cleans the air and one adds moisture to the air. Case closed right?

But there are studies that prove that viruses and allergies transfer much easier and faster in dry air.

Studies also show that cold and flu symptoms can be reduced as much as 50% by simply adding humidity back into the air through the use of a humidifier.

It’s during these cold dry times that humidifiers actually become a better air purifier than an air purifier itself.

And as “case closed” is that might sound, even though humidifiers may have an edge during that small part of the year, they are not very useful in other seasons.

Air purifiers are useful all year long and don’t depend on the relative humidity being one way or the other.

What’s the conclusion?

Households should employ both air purifiers and humidifiers.

Both work to make your home a much healthier breathing space and are not exclusive of one another.

Finally, even though it may sound like I’m suggesting a air purifier and humidifier combo,

Those machines are more humidifier than air purifier and you can only get about the same amount of use from them as you do a humidifier.

The best solution is to own a good humidifier and own a separate air purifier.

Air Purifier vs. Air Sanitization Machine – What’s The Skinny?

Air purifiers come in a lot of different designs and use a number of different technologies.

Some air purifiers are specifically designed to filter out pollutants like dander and pollen, in other words particulates that are large enough that they can be caught inside of a filter.

Other airborne contaminants like VOCs , airborne pollutants that are usually considered to be chemicals or gases need a different type of filter.

And finally airborne pathogens like bacteria and viruses need a different type of air cleaner that can actually affect them on a cellular level.

Winix is one of the best and most popular Air purifier and Sanitization Combination machines available. You can check the price here.

Air Purifier vs UV Air Sanitization Machine

An Air Sanitizer is a machine that is used to reduce pollutants like mold spores, germs, bacteria, and viruses. Both in the air and on surfaces. An air purifier is better at capturing airborne particulates like dust and pollen.

An air purifier uses a series of filters to capture airborne contaminants. Much like a fan but pulling air through a HEPA filter.

Air Sanitizer machines typically employ a UV Light as a sterilizer. Though other technologies use incineration and ozone to sterilize.

An ionic air sanitizer works by electronically polarizing the particles in the air. The ideal is when the particles are charged, they clump together and become too heavy to float and simply fall to the nearest surface.

Not all air purifiers or air sanitizers are built the same.

The most popular air purifiers are HEPA filters but most employ more than one type of filter.

There’s usually a filter that would be considered a pre-filter because it captures larger air particles like hair.
The pre-filter keeps the large junk from gathering on the HEPA filter.

Then there is the aforementioned HEPA filter which is a dense filter that is manufactured to capture pollutants as small as .03 microns. Many air purifier companies are now equipping their machines with H13 Hepa filters that are able to capture particulates as small as .01 Microns.

Levoit has the corner on the market for the best HEPA air purifiers. Check out the price for Levoit Air Purifiers Here.

This is the filter that does most of the heavy lifting and is responsible for getting rid of most of the contaminants in the air that are at the root of household allergies.

Finally an activated Carbon filter is used to adsorb pollutants such as gases.
Carbon filters are the number one choice when looking for an air purifier to target odors.

These air purifiers work much like a fan in reverse, pulling air through a system of filters.

Their Achilles heel is their need for regular filter replacements.

Also these air purifiers also do nothing to sanitize the air or the surfaces in a room.

Air sanitizers rely on ions being emitted from the machine.

There are three ways in which ions are manufactured for use in indoor air pollution removal.

Negative ion generator
Photo catalytic oxidation
Plasma cluster

A Negative ion generator specifically generates negative ions that when are emitted into the room combine with the positive ions (positive ions would be considered the airborne pollutants in the room) the result is they become too heavy to float and fall from the ambient air.

These ion generators have the reputation of making the surfaces around the air purifier grey or black.
It’s because the surfaces, especially TV and computer screens have a positive charge that collects the ions that pour from the machine.

The second type of ion generator is photocatalytic oxidation.

This is the type of ion generator that would be considered the best at sanitizing the air.

Photo catalytic air purifiers , through a process of combining light and a titanium oxide catalyst create hydro peroxide ions.

Air Oasis are the Best photocatalytic and Plasma air purifier manufacturers bar none. Check out their product line here.

These ions contain the same disinfecting capacity as hydrogen peroxide, the same stuff that you put on an abrasion or a cut to keep it from getting infected.

Photo catalytic oxidation is a very powerful way of not only sanitizing your air but the surfaces in the room where you’re using the purifier also.

If you search for a photo catalytic air purifier on Google, you’ll get multiple results from .Gov sites that provide the research that show this type of technology actually renders germs and bacteria inactive.

But photocatalytic air purifiers have the problem of generating ozone as a byproduct.

Ozone is a lung irritant and can exacerbate other breathing conditions like asthma when it is present.

Does that mean you should avoid it altogether?

Most websites just flat out say yes.

What it really means is that you have to change your approach to how you use your air purifier.

Though it is possible to turn a HEPA air purifier on and leave it on and finally just wait for the red button to flash saying you need a new filter,

Air purifiers like photo catalytic sanitizers can and should be approached in the same way that you would approach using an ozone generator.

Professionals that use ozone generators do so with two main rules.

They do not operate the machine in an occupied room. Be it humans, pets, or even plants.
They allow for the room to completely air out before using it again.

It is generally accepted that ionizers do not create anywhere near the ozone that an ozone generator does and most do not create a harmful level of ozone.

But by changing your approach to how you use the ionizer as referenced above you can enjoy the benefits of sanitized air without the threat of ozone.

The third way ionizers work is through plasma cluster technologies.

This type of ionizer works by emitting both positive and negative ions into the air stream.

The way it works is when the negative ions are released with the positive ions they immediately snap together because of polarization. In doing so they trap and oxidize every airborne pollutant in the way.

Essentially making the air itself, it’s own air purifier.

These bipolar ionizers are becoming very popular because they can sanitize the air very quickly without releasing the same level of ozone that other types of ionizers do.

Maybe you have seen one of these videos of tobacco smoke being completely eliminated in seconds when combined plasma clustering technology.
If you haven’t, it’s well worth the 2 minutes to check it out:

Conclusion

Air Purifiers are mainly devices that capture particulates like pollen and dust from out of the air. Air Sanitizer machines use technologies like ultraviolet light to sterilize the ambient air to protect you from airborne bacteria, germs, and viruses.

Air purifiers are filter based machines that pull air through a series of filters to capture the contaminants out of the air.

A HEPA filter combined with a pre filter and a carbon filter can capture airborne pollutants as small as .03 microns and absorb odors very efficiently.

But they cannot sanitize or disinfect the air.
And they require maintenance in the form of replacing filters in order to work.

Air sanitizers use an ionic technology
to not only remove particulates from the air but disinfect the air through the use of photocatalytic oxidation or plasma clustering.

Photo catalytic oxidation creates hydrogen peroxide ions that disinfect the air much like hydrogen peroxide solution disinfects a cut or abrasion on your skin.

The downside is they also create a small amount of ozone as a byproduct.

This means that the usual set it and leave it convenience does not apply.

Since ozone can be a lung irritant, photo catalytic oxidation air purifiers should be treated with the same respect that you would give an actual ozone generator.

How long should not be used in an occupied room and it should be allowed to completely dissipate before returning.

Plasma clustering technologies are another way that air cleaners can be considered air sanitizers.

Their method of releasing both negative and positive ions result in an instant reduction and sanitation of airborne pollutants.

Ionizer Air Purifier Side Effects

All ionizers create some ozone. Of course most do not create enough to be considered harmful.
But that does not account for consumers using ionizers responsibly.

For instance, an ionizer that is rated for a hundred square feet would create much too much ozone in an area that is only 25 square feet.

The sharp warning by the EPA is because of companies that sell ozone generators as domestic air purifiers.

As we have discussed, the two are not the same and should not be approached the same.

Don’t get caught in that trap. By using an ionizer in the air purifier correctly you can get amazing benefits.

Air Ionizer

12 Types of Machines That Clean the Air

Finding the right air cleaning machine can be tricky. There are so many types of air cleaning methods and not all are suited for your immediate needs. Getting to know a few and what they do is a great place to start.

So let’s give it a go…

Machines that Cleans the Air- 12 Types

1. HEPA air purifier

HEPA filtration is the most widely used type of machine for air cleaning.

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Absorber) filters are engineered to capture particles as small as .03 microns. And collect

Which works very well for large particular looks like dander and pollen, as well as dust mites.

HEPA filters are a very dense media made up of random fiberglass fibers.

Interestingly, there are so many knock offs filters that do not meet regulations that HEPA is known as True HEPA now to help consumers find the real thing.

HEPA filter air cleaners are primarily single room purifiers that work better for smaller areas.

Levoit Core is our pick for Best Hepa air purifier- See it Here

2. Negative ion Generator

A negative ion generator is a machine that cleans the air by electronically charging particles and emitting them into the air.

This works because when the negatively charged ions from the machine are dispersed into the air, they instantly latch onto the positively charged ions already in the air, trapping any pollutants in the way into the newly formed bond.

Once these newly formed bonds accumulate, they clump together and fall out of the air.

Negative ion generators also work best in a small area.

3. Ozone Generator

Ozone generators are machines that intentionally create Ozone gas to clean air.
They can effectively remove long-standing odors and kill any bacteria or viral contamination in an area.

Ozone or activated oxygen as it’s also sometimes called is an oxygen molecule (O2) that contains a third atom. (O3)

Ozone (O3) is very unstable. So much so that when it comes into contact with any airborne contaminant, it destroys it through oxidation.

Ozone is a very potent air cleaner and is never used in an area occupied by people, or animals.

The reason being is that ozone gas will oxidize your lung tissue if it is breathed too heavily.

It is important to follow the guidelines when dealing with ozone.

4. Humidifier

A Humidifier is a device that does not normally come to mind when you’re talking about a machine that cleans air but you might be surprised.

A humidifier is simply a device that adds moisture to the air.

But when the air is dry, dust is easily kicked up into the air stream. Leaving you wide open for an allergy attack.

A humidifier can help control dust by adding moisture to the air so that dust particles get wet and bind together.

Making the dust particles adhere to surfaces rather than float in your breathing space.

Air Innovations are the Mother of All Humidifiers- See Them Here

5. Bi polar ionization

Bi polar ionization is a type of machine that emits anions and cations simultaneously.

This dispersion of both positive and negative ions have an immediate purifying effect on the air quality of a room.

Air pollutants like cigar smoke can be instantly removed.

Bi polar ionization also has a dramatic effect on bacteria and viruses.

By surrounding the pathogens with negative and positive ions , the cells become damaged and rendered inactive.

Winix Uses Plasmawave Bi-Polar in Their Units- Check Them Out Here

6. Dehumidifier

A dehumidifier reduces the humidity in a room by turning it into condensate and capturing it in a localized container.

What does that have to do with air cleaning?

High levels of moisture in the air creates droplets that act like traveling containers for air pollutants like mold spores and bacteria.

Humidity is also a major food source for dust mites.

By reducing the humidity in your home or office, you are effectively reducing dust mites and mold spore populations in the air.

7. Air Washer/Water Air Purifier

An air washer is a machine that cleans the air by filtering it through water.

The air is pulled in and literally thrown against a series of vats that wash the air before it is released through the other side.

The machine also doubles as a humidifier.

The plus of this type of air cleaning machine is that it never requires any replacement filters and it also moisturizes the air.

The minus is that it is not useful in the humid months.

Air washers also come in compact devices called Revitalizers.

Revitalizers throw aromatherapy into the mix. The machine comes with its own brand of essential oils to use in it.

8. Activated Carbon

Activated Carbon is an age-old method of reducing pungent odors.

Activated Carbon is like a naturally occurring sponge that instead of absorbing water, adsorbs fumes and gases.

It is particularly good at reducing offending smells. Which makes it great for areas like crafting rooms and kitchens.

Types of carbon include charcoal and coconut husk.

The most popular being charcoal.

Activated Carbon is also sold by weight.

Most Hepa Air Purifiers Combine a Carbon Filter as a Set-

Blueair top the list of Best Air Purifiers With A Carbon Filter- See One Here

9. Ultraviolet Irradiation

Ultraviolet light has the ability to destroy any type of pathogen that it is targeted on.

The optimal word being “targeted”.

UV as an air cleaner means targeting the ultraviolet light on a source of air pollution.

One source of air pollution that can be targeted by a UV lamp is the condensation runoff and drip pans inside of a central heat and air handler (HVAC).

Because of the environment of moisture and the absence of light inside a HVAC unit, mold can become an issue that becomes distributed throughout your home whenever your heat or air comes on

By placing UV Germicidal lamps at the source of the mold, you can reduce it before it ever becomes an air quality problem.

10. Photo catalytic oxidation

Photo catalytic oxidation or PCO is another way UV can be utilized as a machine to clean the air.

PCO targets Ultraviolet light onto a titanium oxide catalyst in a hydrated cell.

This process creates a mass blanket of hydroxyls and hydroperoxide ions.

This air cleaning method is essentially like pouring hydrogen peroxide solution, the same stuff used to disinfect a wound, on every airborne germ floating through the air.

See: Air Oasis for the Best PCO air purifiers

11. Air Conditioning

Air conditioning is another type of machine that you may not automatically equate with air purification.

But if you have an air conditioner that has a button on it to enable something called dry mode, then your air conditioner is outfitted with a dehumidifier.

Dehumidification is a type of air purifier because it removes the moisture from the air that is a primary source of food for dust mites in the high humidity season.

It also reduces the humidity that nourishes mold, which in turn releases mold spores into the air.

Even if your air conditioner does not have a dry mode setting, refrigerated air dehumidifies as it cools the air as part of its primary function.

That’s why you have condensation that drips out of your air conditioner.

Central heating and air is another way that air conditioning reduces pollutants in the air.

The air filter that you replace in your HVAC system is not only there to protect your system from getting dirty, it is also there to reduce the pollutants in the air that are circulated through your house every time the air conditioning unit kicks on.

12.Essential oil diffusers

Diffusers can be a great machine for helping clean the ambient air.

Not only do they function as a humidifier to a certain extent, they also disperse whatever essential oil you add to them.

There are many essential oils that have medicinal qualities that help remove airborne pollutants like mold.

Tea tree oil for example is known for its antimicrobial properties.

Likewise Eucalyptus and Lavender, which are both very popular aromatherapy oil additives, are both known to have antifungal properties.

A warning though, essential oils like eucalyptus and tea tree oil can be very potent and even dangerous to animals, especially dogs.

Some air cleaners are made to reduce dust while others are intended to destroy germs and viruses.

Knowing what types of machines that clean air and what they do is a great place to start when searching for an air cleaner.

Best Mid Size HEPA air purifier?

Best midsize HEPA air purifier?

If you’ve done any looking around for an air purifier, even just a little bit, you’ve probably figured out that almost every air purifier you can purchase uses the same type of technology to clean the air.

Pre-filter- HEPA filter- carbon filter
A pre-filter for larger debris.
A carbon filter for odors and gases.
And a true HEPA filter for all the other contaminants in the air.

Sure there are some variables and little things that the different companies do to make their air cleaners different, but in the end, they’re basically the same.

So how do you know what to look for when everything is basically the same thing?

When it comes to HEPA air purifiers,
The main things you want to look for are:

Replacement filter cost and the amount of filters you’ll need to replace per year
How many square footage can you get out of one air purifier
That the air purifier uses actual HEPA filters and not the HEPA like filters.

Beyond this small list, everything else is truly bells and whistles.

Most air purifier brands these days are coming out with smart sensors to measure air quality and auto adjust the air purifier.

This is a great feature. But absolutely not necessary other than for convenience sake.

Other purifiers have 360° filters. Again, a great future but just a variance on the same thing.

So here we have tried to compile a list of excellent med room size HEPA air purifiers that we absolutely believe would be a benefit to you without costing you too much upfront or on the back end with filters.

Honeywell HPA 300

Sq ft covered 465
Technology- true HEPA and carbon filters
Filter cost-Hepa $18.62 replace once a year
Carbon filter three pack $21.68 replace once every 3 months.

Honeywell is a trustworthy brand and this air purifier comes with a 5- year warranty.

The price of replacement filters is quite reasonable considering the true HEPA only requires changing once a year.

Effectiveness- filters the air of a 450 ft room 5 times every hour. Comes with a turbo setting to filter the room faster.

Pros-

Endorsed by doctors.
Trusted brand.
5 year warranty.
HEPA Filter only needs replaced once a year.

Con’s

The Carbon filter serves as the pre-filter.
The style of the machine is pretty dull. The look of it makes easy to mistake it for your paper shredder.

Thoughts-

Honeywell HPA is your basic true HEPA air purifier with a carbon filter.

The odd thing about this air purifier is that the carbon filter is used as the pre filter.

Activated carbon is very porous and binds gases to the inside of its pore walls. Having the activated carbon filter serve as a pre-filter will quickly block the area of the carbon and make it inefficient.

You can easily see that keeping the carbon filter vacuumed off would lengthen the lifespan of the filter considerably in this case.

Bissell air400 professional

The Bissell air 400 is comparable to Honeywell’s HPA 300. It is a very nice air purifier.

Sq Ft. It covers 400 square feet
Replacement filter cost –Pre filter and HEPA filter combo $24.99 Suggested replacement every 6 months.
Carbon filter $25.99- Also replaced every 6 months.

The primary difference between the Bissell air 400 and the Honeywell HPA 300 is the addition of a air quality sensor that monitors the air and adjust the speed of the fan to accommodate the amount of air purification you need.

Pros

Honeycomb design on the carbon filter helps adsorb odors and gases better.
Smart sensor with automatic adjustment allows for the unit to be set and left.
Very well reviewed on Amazon.

Cons

Filters are more expensive and the HEPA filter requires twice as many replacements per year.
The Initial price of the air purifier is also more expensive.
Style- This air purifier also could be mistaken for your paper shredder.

A nice air purifier that uses the standard three stage filter system. Pre filter- carbon filter-HEPA filter.

The main difference between this HEPA midsize air purifier and it’s competitors is that it has a smart sensor that adjust the fan speed to match the air quality.

Winix 5500-2

This is my favorite midsize HEPA air purifier.
Style wise, maybe your paper shredder just needs a boyfriend.
But performance wise it has something you’re not going to find with most med to large size room air purifiers.

That something is Plasma Wave.
Plasma Wave is a type of ionizer that emits both positive and negative ions.

It is effective at not only reducing or trapping germs and viruses, it actually destroys the membrane and leaves them inactive.

Yeah but don’t ionizers create ozone?

Winix plasma wave does not create a harmful amount of ozone. It is well within the federal limit.

Plus Plasma Wave is only one function on the Winix 5500-2 and it can be turned off and used only when you need it.

Winix plasma wave also employees the standard true HEPA and carbon combo.

The carbon filter uses pellets. A technique that is becoming very popular in the air purification industry.

Pros

Air Quality indicator that shows you through a series of lights how bad or how good your air quality actually is.
Dual smart sensors that monitor your air quality and adjust the speed of the fans to the amount of air purification needed.

Cons

Though the air purifier itself is not the most expensive, filter prices for this air purifier are a little higher.
Filter prices run $59.63 for the carbon filter and $39 for the HEPA. Replace HEPA every 6 months. Carbon every three.
Style wise. Black and boxy. Not too much chance of it adding to the decor of your room.

Levoit Core 300

Levoit is one of the most popular hepa purifier brands available. And they didn’t get there by not providing excellence.

The Levoit Core 300 is a smaller room air purifier that only covers about 250 ft.

The reason we have decided to include the Levoit Core 300 here is that it comes with a price that makes it possible to buy two outstanding air purifiers the cover 500 square feet combined for the price of another air purifier that only covers 400.

Price is only the first reason.

Secondly.

When it comes to cleaning the air in your house, it is much more effective to play small air purifiers around the house rather than try to get all the air in the house or large room through one big air purifier.

This little air purifier gives you the chance to do just that.

There is a couple of downsides to employing too small air purifiers in a large room compared to one:

The price of filters is not that much cheaper for one air purifier and it’s going to take twice as many because you have twice as many air purifiers now. $30 for the original. $36 for what they call their pet version. They recommend changing it every 6 months.

Warning: The sound the air purifier makes is going to be louder because now there is two air purifiers making the same sound.

But if air quality is the central reason you are purchasing an air purifier, the Levoit core 300 is a excellent choice.

It uses the HEPA 13 filter combined with the carbon filter in a 360° design that pulls and cleans air from all sides.

Pros

Super nice small air purifier that will fit into the decor of any living room.
Uses the HEPA 13 360° filter that can filter particulates even smaller than the true HEPA.
The initial cost is very low.

Cons

Filters are pricey and require changing every 6 months. And of course, you’ll use twice as many if you run two small air purifiers in the place of one large air cleaner.
Also the filter is a combination filter that combines the HEPA, Carbon filter and pre-filter in one.-Sounds awesome, but it also means that you cannot just buy the Hepa without getting the carbon.
And there’s no doing any type of DIY cleaning on the HEPA filter because you would end up tearing up the carbon filter.

How Did the Winix PlasmaWave Slip Through the Cracks? Review

If you do a casual search on Amazon for the broad subject “air purifiers” , you’ll quickly come across the Winix Plasmawave pretty fast.

Winix PlasmaWave 5500-2

is the latest greatest air purifier by the company and it generally gets outstanding reviews.

The first thing you notice right off the bat is the fact that it says it creates no harmful ozone.

Now I know that there are air purifier companies that make ionic air purifiers that do not list any type of ozone production simply because the amount of ozone created is below the federal limit of .005 parts per million.

And if it is a negligible amount of ozone and it doesn’t cross over the Federal limit, then who am I to say that there needs to be a disclaimer.

But that’s not the case with the Winix PlasmaWave, It actually says it creates no harmful ozone.

Plasma wave technology is one of the best air cleaning technologies available. But any type of technology that creates ions is going to create at least a small amount of ozone.

And it’s not like you can hide the smell of ozone either. It’s hard to say it doesn’t create ozone when you can smell it pretty easily. And many of the reviews for the Winix PlasmaWave say they can smell ozone coming from the machine.

The keyword here is “harmful”. The Winix plasma wave advertises that it creates no harmful ozone. It doesn’t say it doesn’t create any ozone at all. Just not a harmful amount.

Yes it’s a great technology. But that’s pretty misleading.

I think that’s pretty obvious why, ozone is a word that strikes fear and so many people’s minds that having an air purifier that says it creates ozone is like signing a death warrant for it.

The second thing about the Winix advertisement that is misleading is the fact that it says it has a washable carbon filter.

Activated carbon filters that are used in air purifiers have to go through the activation process in order for gases and odors to bind to them. The problem is that the activation process involves heating the filter to around 1000°.

Carbon filters are very much like a sponge with thousands of pores that adsorb gases and binding them to the walls of the pores.
Once the area of the carbon is used, it can only be replaced and washing it with soap and water will not reactivate it.

The carbon filter in the Winix plasma wave is more like a container that has carbon granules in it. So it does lend itself to vacuuming and brushing any debris off of it.

But saying that it has a washable carbon filter
is misleading and probably is only done for advertising purposes to set the air purifier apart from the pack of HEPA and carbon filter air purifier makers that don’t make any outlandish claim about their carbon filters.

Technically they can say these things, because like I said before, the amount of ozone being generated by the Winix is not enough to be dangerous or cross over the federal limit.

And though you cannot wash the carbon filter in the Winix with water, it can technically be vacuumed and brushed off.

But It’s hard to come to terms with an air purifier company that tows the line of advertising like that.

But then again…There are few competitors that can compete with the Winix PlasmaWave on Performance.

Winix PlasmaWave might have slipped through the cracks being that it is an electronic air purifier with ionic technology that somehow made it to the forefront and is sitting on the front row as one of the best air purifiers available.

Personally, it is the PlasmaWave function that the controversy is about, that would make me purchase this air purifier over the other top Air purifiers like the Levoit or the Blue Air.

There are scores of air purifiers listed on Amazon alone. You can look on the Walmart app and see another huge list that is not on Amazon.
But they all have one thing in common, or should I say Three?

They all use a three-stage filter that combines a pre-filter for large debris, a carbon filter for gases and odors, and a true HEPA filter for contaminants and particles floating in the air.

Winix PlasmaWave also uses the standard true HEPA the filters allergens as small as 0.3 microns and Carbon with a pre filter.

These are hands down the most popular and effective air purifying technologies on the shelf. Almost every air purifier uses these three filters.

But when it comes to viruses, airborne mold, bacteria and germs, Hepa filters can only capture the contaminants and that’s only if they are not smaller than .03 parts per million. Which unfortunately viruses are.
Which kind of makes the true HEPA useless.

The plasma wave function of the Winx 5500-2 will eradicate bacteria and germs as well as viruses.

Plasma air purifiers work by emitting positive and negative ions simultaneously. Polarity causes the ions to snap together instantly which traps bacteria in the air inside of the newly formed atom. This technique is known to leave viruses dormant. You can read more on Sciencedaily.

Having the plasma wave option on an air purifier is the exact reason I want to own an air purifier.

Yes I am aware that too much ozone can cause breathing difficulties in too high of quantities.

But I am prepared to turn the Winix plasma wave function on and leave the house if needed. I’m also ready to let the house air out if I were to need to.

It’s because the plasma wave can do what the other air purifiers cannot do, actually kill the bacteria, not just capture it.

And one of the biggest points is, the PlasmaWave function can be turned on and turned off whenever you want it or vice versa.

There’s one other thing that I like about the Winix PlasmaWave that most of the other top Air purifiers do not have is that the HEPA filter is completely separate from the carbon filter.

I know that the directions state that a HEPA filter cannot be cleaned and I also understand that that is probably true for the most part.

But compared to say the Levoit Core 300 which has a replaceable filter that combines the HEPA with the carbon, which makes it non washable right out,

The HEPA filter on the Winix plasma wave is completely separate which gives me the option of at least soaking it, which may help me extend the life of the filter.

And like I said, yes I know that the filter will not be as effective. But at least I have the option.

Q&A

What is the Winix air quality indicator?

The Winix air quality indicator is a light that shows the quality of air currently in your room.

What are the air quality indicator colors?

The air quality indicator colors on a Winx PlasmaWave are Blue, Amber, and Red. When the light is shining Blue, your air quality is good. When it is shining Amber, you have normal to Fair air quality. Red means poor air quality.

What does it mean when the Winix air quality indicator stays Blue?

Blue is the best you can do. It means your air quality is very good.

Summary

Do I think Winix’s PlasmaWave advertisement is misleading?

Yes I do believe that it is meant to misconstrue on a couple of points. Being that it says it creates no harmful ozone but that’s only when the plasma wave function is not on or they’re really trying to say that it doesn’t create enough ozone to be considered harmful.

And it says it has a washable carbon filter. But washable in this case can only really mean vacuuming or brushing it off. It will still have to be replaced.

But on another level, I have to agree that this air purifier is much better than most of the most popular brands listed at the top of the page right now.

Without exception, all the air purifiers use the exact same technologies: true HEPA, activated carbon, and a pre filter. Winix PlasmaWave actually gives me the option of using Bipolar ionic that the other air purifiers do not. And it’s not like I can’t turn the function off when I do not need it.

And did I mention that the HEPA filter in the Winix PlasmaWave is separate from the carbon filter. A big plus if you want to do a DIY cleaning job on it.

Do Air Purifiers Dry Out The Air? – Update 2021

Keeping the climate inside the home at an even kill is sometimes a little hard to do.
Too much moisture has its set of problems, too little moisture has its own.
And finding the right device to helping either situation can be confusing.

For instance,

Do air purifiers dry out the air?

Air purifiers do not dry out air. Air purifiers are responsible for removing pollutants from the air like allergens, spores, dander, and dust. But they do not have any mechanism to either add or take moisture from the air. They will clean your air but they can do nothing to reduce the humidity.

Dehumidifiers are the device needed to dry the air and remove excess humidity. Dehumidifiers will bring the level of humidity in a room down to a comfortable level and reduce indoor air quality issues like dust mites and mold spores.

Refrigerated air conditioners also help dry the air out and many of them come with a setting called “dry mode”. Using the dry mode setting will essentially turn your air conditioner into a dehumidifier while it is in that mode.

Typically if the air in the room is extra dry it can be related to the air conditioning or heating.

Air conditioners use the humidity in the room to lower the temperature. But sometimes depending on the climate, can pull too much humidity out of the room and cause the air to be dry.

Heaters on the other hand can just plain dry out the air like a hair dryer.

Does an air purifier cause dry throat?

No an air purifier does not cause dry throat. The function of an air purifier is to clean the air, not to add or take away moisture from the air. Dry throat usually happens when the air is to arid.

Air conditioning in your home is more likely the culprit for dry air. Though the main point of an air conditioner is to cool off the room, it will also dry out the air in a room when there is not enough humidity in the air.

In the winter though, running the heater all the time can also dry out the air causing dry throat, dry cough, clogged nasal passages, and many more.

Do air purifiers dry out sinuses?

Air purifiers do not dry out the sinuses. Air purifiers do not humidify or dehumidify the air in any way.

Air purifiers simply move air through a series of filters to rid the air of airborne molecules such as pollen.

Sitting too close to a air purifier however may make you feel “sinusy” because that’s the point that all the dust and germs are being pulled to from around the room.

In other words the air directly around the air purifier is the most polluted air in the room.

Can air purifiers cause breathing problems or make allergies worse?

Sitting or sleeping next to an air purifier can in fact make your allergies worse and cause breathing problems. The reason is because when you are sitting or sleeping near the air purifier, you are in the line of fire of all the contaminants that are being pulled towards the air purifier.

Air purifier should be placed on the opposite side of a room from where you are sitting. The idea of the air purifier is to filter the contaminants in the air away from you so that you are not breathing in the pollutants.

When you are sitting or sleeping near a air purifier, the pollutants in the air are being drawn by the air purifier to your side of the room. That means that you are more likely to be breathing polluted air in the vicinity of the air purifier

Air purifiers however do not do anything to help dry out the air or dry out your sinus cavities.

Different seasons of the year require different approaches to humidity.

The humidity in the summer, especially in the hottest months of July and August can be overbearing and require different methods of lowering the humidity in order to be comfortable and reduce the strain that high humidity has on air conditioning equipment.

When the humidity is too high, a dehumidifier is a machine that can take moisture out of the air.

As opposed to the winter months when humidity can actually dip under the point of comfortability.

Especially low humidity can cause your home to be extra dry especially when the heater is running non stop to combat the freezing temperatures outside.

During these times of the year, a humidifier will add moisture back into the air.

Do air purifiers help with moisture?

No. Air purifiers do not do anything to add or reduce the humidity in a room.

Do air purifiers dehumidify?

No. Air purifiers can help reduce airborne allergens housing inside of the humidity but they cannot reduce the amount of humidity in the air.

A dehumidifier is a device that is specifically used to lower the humidity in a house.

A humidifier will add humidity back into the air.

Do air purifiers make the room cold?

No. Air purifiers do nothing to cool or heat a room. Air conditioners and heaters are devices that change the temperature in the room.

But on the subject of humidity, a dehumidifier can help cool a room that has too much moisture.

Humidity not only feels hot in the summer, it also causes the air conditioner to feel like it is not running.

A dehumidifier will lower the humidity and take the strain off the air conditioner and return your indoor climate to a level of comfortability.

Do air purifiers create moisture?

No. Air purifiers do not create moisture. They work to clean the air regardless of the humidity or lack of humidity in the air.

Low and high humidity can be corrected by using either a humidifier or a dehumidifier.

An air purifier is a air cleaning device and will do nothing to add or take away moisture from your air.

Can you use a dehumidifier and an air purifier and the same room?

Yes. You can absolutely use a dehumidifier and an air purifier in the same room.

They do not work against each other in any way

There is a caveat.

Though an air purifier cannot do anything to dehumidify a room,

A dehumidifier on the other hand can help cleanse the air of airborne allergens and act like a air purifier.

The reason is, high humidity not only is uncomfortable, it also facilitates the growth of mold spores and dust mites.

By using a dehumidifier to bring down the level of humidity inside the home, you are also inadvertently lowering the capacity for mold and dust mites to thrive. Inadvertently creating cleaner air in the process.

So just purchase the dehumidifier instead of the air purifier?

Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.

There’s only a few of months of the year when a dehumidifier is needed.

A dehumidifier in the winter can actually cause the opposite effect, and dry the air too much. Which leads to a bunch of coughing and swollen nasal passages.

An air purifier, on the other hand, will work anytime of the year to reduce airborne allergens including mold spores and dust mites.

Can you use a air purifier and a humidifier at the same time?

Yes. Air purifiers clean the air and humidifiers add moisture to the air so there is no conflict of interest. Both will work well independently of each other.

There are times when humidifiers and air purifiers work well together to create a climate that is conducive to wellness.

For instance, adding a humidifier to a dry room will help reduce swollen nasal passages and an air purifier will help reduce airborne allergens that are entering in to the nasal passages.

So both working together help create a much more comfortable area to catch your breath and sleep easier.

Do air purifiers need water?

No. Most all air purifiers do not need water to work.

But there is a type of air purifier called an air washer that uses water as a filter.
These air purifiers are considered air purification- humidifier combos.

As an expensive humidifier, these units cannot be beat.

But as an air purifier, they are not as effective as a HEPA filter cleaner and also are not suitable for the entire year since there are times of the year when adding humidity through the air is not wanted or needed.

Many people find them desirable because they do not require any sort of filter replacement. But there is the usual filling the water tank and keeping the unit clean of mold that is usually associated with humidifiers.

Summary

Air purifiers do not do anything to add humidity or take away humidity from the air.

They are devices that reduce airborne allergens regardless of the moisture in the air.

Dehumidifiers reduce the moisture in the air.

Humidifiers increase the moisture in the air.

The effects of dry air in the home can cause dry throat, dry sinuses, coughing, and swollen nasal passages.

But dry air is usually caused by either the air conditioner or the heater running overtime it has nothing to do what is an air purifier.

An Air purifier on the other hand can help reduce allergens in the air that would also help reduce the symptoms created by dry air.

Can I Use Essential Oil In An Air Purifier? 2021 Update

Essential oils are a great way of adding atmosphere and healing qualities to surrounding air in a room. And also there are many essential oils that have air purifying qualities.

Essential Oil Diffuser and Air Purifier

Though not an air purifier in the traditional sense in that it uses a filter to capture particulates ,
An Essential Oil Diffuser is Already an Air Purifier. By using the right essential oils can hinder the production of the germs and bacteria that trigger household allergies and allergy symptoms.

Essential oils like eucalyptus and lavender have anti bacterial properties that can help purify your air as well as add a fresh and calming atmosphere to the room.

Can I use essential oil in air purifier?

You can use essential oils in an air purifier in a specific air cleaner called an Air washer or Air revitalizer. This type of air cleaner uses water to clean the air and provide their own essential oils to be used in the system. Unfortunately, with other types of air purifiers, there is no place to add essential oils.

Air Purifiers With Essential Oils

Air washers and revitalizers are both hybrid multi-tech machines that combine the air purifier with a humidifier and a essential oil diffuser. Sharp also has a bowl air purifier and air freshener product along the lines of the revitalizer.

The revitalizer is actually marketed as a air purifier, humidifier, and a essential oil diffuser.

It has a unique bowl design that draws air into a chamber where the water is basically thrown around and against the inside of the bowl to clean the air. Check it out here.

The provided essential oil is added right into the water. The key word here is “provided”. Most essential oils wont work well as an additive to water.

When the air purification process is done, humid, aromatic water exits the machine.

These machines are meant to be a jack of all trades type of appliance and as hybrid are probably not as good at doing any of its functions individually as they could be done by purchasing the right appliance for the purpose.

Essential Oils On Air Filter

Putting essential oils directly on the air filter of your home heating and air system can turn your ductwork into a whole house diffuser.

The HVAC (central heat and air conditioning unit) in your home is actually performing the function of an air purifier by filtering debris and germs(depending on the quality of the air filter) and dehumidifying when the AC is running.

The inside of the duct work running through your home is also notorious for being full of contaminants like mold spores and dust.

A great way to introduce aromatherapy to the filtration process of your HVAC is to add essential oils directly onto the surface of the filter when you replace it.

How do you add essential oils to an air filter?

Purchase a brand new replacement filter.
And 15 to 20 drops of essential oil directly to the face of the filter.
Install the filter like normal.

Recommended essential oils for your air filter:

Cinnamon oil.
Cinnamon will add a delicious fragrance to your home and has antibacterial properties that make it great as an additive to your air quality

Lemon oil.
Lemon smells great and it has germ and bacteria killing properties that make it a great whole house essential oil.

Eucalyptus and tea tree oil.
Eucalyptus and tea tree oils both aid with breathing better especially when there are other things in the air trying to make you congested

Diffuser vs. Air Purifier vs. Humidifier

The difference between a diffuser and an air purifier and a humidifier is how they affect air.
The diffuser disperses aromatherapy oils into the air
A humidifier disperses moisture into the air
And an air purifier filters contaminants from the air.

Take the Revitalizer for instance, as an air purifier, they’re much more limited at reducing household contaminants and odors then say an air purifier that uses a HEPA and carbon filter design.

As a humidifier, they are also limited and only really claim to lightly humidify the room as the air is being released from the machine.

As a diffuser, they do a good job of spreading out an aromatic scent throughout the room. They get a B+ for odors. But the essential oils that go in the unit are specially designed it may not have the same anti germ properties.

Air washers on the other hand do a much better job at cleaning the air than an air revitalizer. And even better than there air purifying capacity, they are one of the best humidifiers that money can buy. See it here.
But as for a diffuser, they are pretty much an afterthought. You can add scents to the water just like a revitalizer but they have to be the scents that they provide.

Diffuser and Humidifier Difference

The difference between a diffuser and a humidifier is that the purpose of diffuser is to disperse aromatic essential oils scents into the air.

Whereas a humidifier disperses water mist to add moisture or humidity to the air.

But..

Also there are many humidifiers that have a essential oil tray to add a few drops.

So essentially, the right humidifier is already a hybrid humidifier and diffuser.

If it weren’t for the climate, buying a humidifier with a essential oil tray would be a simple solution for everything.
Diffusers can be used anytime of the year where humidifiers are mostly only useful during the dry months of winter.

There are also some similarities between diffusers and humidifiers though,
both must be cleaned often in order to avoid the appearance of mold in the machine.
And both provided it’s the right kind of humidifier can disperse essential oils into the atmosphere.

But humidity can also facilitate dust mites and mold spores which is contrary to the reason you would want a essential oil diffuser.

Air revitalizer vs. Diffuser

A air revitalizer is a hybrid machine that combines and air purifier, a humidifier and diffuser in one.
A diffuser is specifically made to disperse essential oil scents into the air.

This may be a good solution if you need a humidifier running while you are diffusing essential oils,

But if your air is already humid enough, you may not want to add a humidifier to the mix especially in the warmer months when the humidity is already high.

Diffuser and air purifier? Same time?

No. The reason is most air purifiers come with a carbon filter that is designed to adsorb odors.
Running an air purifier with a carbon filter and an essential oil diffuser at the same time will reduce the effectiveness of the diffuser.

Also, air purifiers most always have a HEPA filter installed. HEPA filters are very dense filters better woven together so as to not allow anything above .03 microns to filter through.

Though a HEPA filter it’s not likely to interfere with an aromatherapy diffuser, being that the essential oils that go in the diffuser are oily, you may find that the HEPA filter in your air purifier will get extra grimy from filtering out oil from the air. And reduce the life of the filter.

Do diffusers clean the air?

Yes they can. There are many essential oils that have air cleaning properties.
Eucalyptus oil for one is great for making breathing easier.

Essential oils are often placed in humidifiers to help the recipient be able to breathe better and get a good night sleep when they are feeling stuffy or have a cold.

Tea tree oil is another essential oil they can be used for many anti bacterial purposes including everything from taking the sting out of a mosquito bite to fighting airborne mold spores.

The reason it is possible for essential oils to help with air purification is because essential oils are plant based, and plants are one of the best way to naturally keep your air oxygenated and clean.

Plants are also a great way to add a little humidity to a dry room without going the distance of purchasing a humidifier. Believe it or not, just keeping your plants watered will actually humidify your air.

Summary

Adding essential oils to an air purifier is possible if you have the right type of air purifier. Either a Air Washer or an Air Revitalizer.

Because both of these air purifiers combine air purification with a humidifier, They also come with their own essential oil scents that you can add to the water.

But most air purifiers are not made to disperse essential oils and do not have any place to add them.

There are also many humidifiers though, that actually come with a tray to add essential oil drops and will act as a diffuser.

This is a good idea when you need a humidifier running, but a humidifier is not something you typically need to run all year long.

And though there are some air purification qualities that come with many essential oils, running an air purifier and a essential oil diffuser is not a good idea because most air purifiers reduce odors with activated carbon, which will also reduce the scent of the essential oils.

Kind of defeats the purpose.

Also anything that is oily in the air while the air purifier is running is going to absorb into the HEPA filter and potentially reducing the life of the filter.

The best of all worlds in one machine is probably the revitalizer.

But a diffuser or a humidifier or a air purifier is a much better machine individually then trying to combine them all into one unit.

What is a Humidifier Ionizer?

Lately a mysterious button has started to pop up on a variety of different appliances. The “ION” button has made its way onto air conditioners, tower fans, and dehumidifiers.
Another appliance that has gotten the Ion treatment is the Humidifier.

What is a Humidifier Ionizer?

An Humidifier Ionizer or sometimes called “Anion” humidifier is a humidifier that disperses negative ions and also disperses moisture. Essentially it is a combination appliance that incorporates a humidifier and a ionic air purifier.

An article in the US National Library of Medicine states that when:
Based on the “Lenard effect”, water shearing appliance has been designed to generate NAIs. Water shearing produced only superoxide ions (O₂⁻) which was bound to clusters of water molecules to form the structure O₂⁻(H₂O)_n , and was essentially regarded as a natural source of NAIs. NAIs generated by the “Lenard effect” might improve erythrocyte deformability, thereby aerobic metabolism.
Also “The ionizer had the ability to kill the bacteria, and ion capture dramatically reduced its bactericidal effect”

In Layman’s terms:
Negative Ions can help reduce airborne bacteria

What does an ion humidifier do?

An ionizer on a humidifier serves two purposes.

Clean the surrounding air as the humidifier adds moisture to the air.
Reduce the level of mold and bacteria associated with humidifiers.

Humidifiers are notorious for the amount of cleaning and maintenance they need to ensure that they do not become a breeding ground for mold and other organisms.

Adding an ionizer function to a humidifier can reduce and even destroy much of the contamination related to this issue.

In Layman’s terms:
Negative Ions can help reduce airborne bacteria.

Anion humidifier benefits

1.Cleaner air2.Comfortable humidity levels3.Less chance of the humidifier to become a germ farm4.Negative ions make the atmosphere feel lighter

Humidifier vs. Ionizer

The purpose of a humidifier is to add moisture to a room. Low humidity is usually associated with winter because the climate is typically more dry during those months.

It’s not only the climate dictating the humidity in the winter, it’s also the fact that the house is usually closed up with the furnace running non stop and drying out the air.

And having the house closed up in the winter introduces more problems than one.

Not only does the air become very dry and miserable especially when you have a cold, the air quality begins to become very unhealthy to.

The first place people start with to solve the problem is buying a humidifier.

A humidifier is a must in the winter. Keeping a cool mist humidifier near your bed in the winter can be the difference between getting a good night’s rest or not.

But a humidifier does not solve the problem oh the recirculated air quality in your home becoming a breeding ground of germs on its own.

And compounding the issue is the fact that the humidifier must be cleaned often to keep it from becoming a mold distribution machine all on its own.

When a humidifier gets dirty with mold and other organisms then turned on, it disperses mold spores and bacteria into the air and is able to travel further because it is contained in humidity droplets that act like small vehicles for the germs.

An ionizer is a machine that cleans the air by emitting ions. this works because ions have both negative and positive polarities.

When the ions are dispersed from the ionizer they snap together and trap anything in their way inside of the new bond.

As the new bonds clump together, they become too heavy to float and fallout of the ambient air. (The air you breathe)

Can you use an air purifier and humidifier together?

Absolutely, and you should. Indoor air pollution and dry air are both associated with keeping a house closed up with the heater running.

When the furnace is running non-stop it dries out the air which dictates the need of a humidifier.

Keeping the doors and windows shut to keep the furnace doing its job means that the indoor air quality is suffering.

The air in your house must be kept clean as much as the relative humidity kept in the 30 to 50% range.3 ways a humidifier actually performed as a air purifier

3 Ways a Humidifier can Clean Air

A Humidifier actually effects the air in more ways than just adding moisture. Humidifiers can actually have a cleaning effect on the air as well as adding humidity.

Dust. When the air is dry, dust control can be much more problematic. By adding humidity to the air in a room through the use of a humidifier, the moisture emitting from the humidifier will moisten the dust in the air and cause it to fall to the surface. Similar to a rainstorm that can leave the air feeling fresh after washing the air, a humidifier can have the same effect, especially in the vicinity of the device
Viruses and bacteria. Though much is said about how humidifiers can be the source of germs when they are not properly maintained, very little as mentioned about how adding humidity to the air can cause bacteria to be encapsulated inside of humidity droplets and become too heavy to float, thereby removing the bacteria from the ambient air that you breathe.
The Lenard Effect. Water can actually be a source of negative ions. The Lenard effect is the discovery of the formation of negative ions through shearing water. Though the amount of negative ions created in a humidifier maybe miniscule, the potential for the creation of ions in a humidifier is still there.

Recap

Have you wondered what the ion button on a humidifier is?

Some humidifiers incorporate a ionizer along with their moisturizing function.

Ionizers disperse ions into the air the make the contaminants in the air too heavy to float so that they fall out of the air you breathe.

An Anion or Ion humidifier adds moisture to the air and gives you the option of adding ions to the air as it is doing so.

Do they work?

A ionizer humidifier is a good ideal because both a humidifier in an ionizer are useful when the house is shut up for the winter.

Both a humidifier and a ionizer fan work best in a relatively small space. So that is another area that they seem to be congruent in.

Both humidifier and ionizers utilize a small fan to.

And lastly, these humidifier ionizer devices all seem to be using the plasmacluster ion system which is easily the most effective ionizers on the market.

My takeaway is that a humidifier and an ionizer combined,
is a better combination of two technologies that actually complement each other,
than say a fan ionizer that blows entirely too fast and hard to get any good use out of ions.

Ion humidifiers are not exactly setting the world on fire and the selection if you wanted to purchase one is pretty miniscule.

There’s a brand called lMXDCS that is selling a travel combination device that includes a humidifier and an ionizer. This is a great idea for people who do a lot of traveling and stay in a lot of different hotels.

Not only are hotels full of contaminants in the air, the climate from City to City can be humid or arid at any point.

Having a humidifier handy that you carry in your suitcase is an excellent ideal.

Another device is called a revitalizer. The Revitalizer he is a humidifier, air purifier, and a aromatherapy diffuser all in one device.

The revitalizer doesn’t have a built-in ionizer but it uses the water shearing technique by pulling air into the bowl and flinging water against the inside of a bowl walls.

Air washers use water as a filter to clean air in a process similar to the “Lenard effect”.
These appliances are natural humidifiers also that come with their own aromatherapy scents that are formulated to place into the water without clogging any equipment.

Why Good Ventilation Is Necessary in a Nail Salon?

Image Source: Air Purifier Geek

For doing nails, a nail salon is the best place. But have you ever thought about why

good ventilation is necessary in a nail salon? Well, let me explain why. If I am not
over exaggerating, the salon comes with a strong smell of different chemicals. All
these are used in the solution that is working to clean and shine your nails. You
will feel the strong odor whenever you go to the salon.

As many people gather in the salon, you have to think about the air quality in the
space. To avoid different health problems that are caused by the chemical vapors
and dust, your salon requires proper ventilation, be it a small one.

Why good ventilation is necessary in a nail salon? – it works

The nail salon is one of the rapidly growing businesses which is leading as a
multi billion-dollar industry. In a salon, you have to provide different services like
nail polishing, nail finish, hand and foot care treatments, etc.

So it is quite evident
that you have to use a huge amount of products like glues, removers, polishers and
the list goes on. All these products come with different chemicals and they have
other harmful side effects.

For this, you have to ensure good ventilation that will
provide quality air for your staff and customers in your beauty salon.
With proper ventilation, the contaminants will get removed for good. So no one
will suffer from breathing problems or allergy attacks.

Why Nail salon ventilation system is required

Before talking about nail salons, you have to know if nail salons are safe or not.
The fact is in the salon, all the staff and customers stay exposed to the
environment. We all know that the reused chemicals are reused in a salon on
various persons and workers also get exposed to those.

Thus, harmful bacteria
spread during exposure and people suffer from different skin problems, severe
allergy problems, and environmental diseases. All these problems occur only for a
poor ventilation system.

Now let’s talk about the chemicals that are common in the salon and responsiblefor hampering the air quality.

The chemicals are:
Toluene: This chemical is an essential ingredient in nail glue and nail polish. It is a
clear and colorless chemical. If you use this chemical at an excessive level, then
you will face dizziness, damage to the nervous system and more harm.
Formaldehyde: you will find formaldehyde in the nail polish. Overuse of this
chemical creates a problem in kin, eye and throat. Also, you may suffer from
severe allergic problems with this chemical.
Dibutyl Phthalate: This chemical is available in polish hardeners and nail polishes.
It is harmful to respiratory tracts and eyes.
Methacrylate Compounds: in the artificial fingernail, you will find this chemical. It
is prone to dermatitis, asthma and allergies.

So you can guess why you have to stay alert while using these chemicals in your
salon.

How the ventilation will work:

To ensure a protected environment in your salon, you have to keep knowledge
about Salon ventilation requirements. To improve the air quality, you have to work
on breathing space, building and space.

The breathing space:

You can invest in a capture system that stops the dust and vapors from going into
the salon. Thus, the breathing space gets better and all people in the salon will have
clean air to breathe.

Space in the salon:

Try the Nail salon air purifier to emit all the bad and strong smells from the salon.
It is better to use it in the opening time before starting the busy day.

Building space:

Invest in a Portable ventilation fan for nail salon building. This ventilation system
controls and improves the air quality of the salon building.

Legal requirements to install ventilation in the nail salon.

There are some legal requirements you have to follow to ensure good ventilation in
your salon.

Massachusetts State Building Code:

The building department prescribes this code. Per this code, the nail salon has to
use mechanical or natural ventilation for open air space.

Massachusetts Board of Cosmetology:

According to this regulation, every salon will have to ensure adequate and proper
ventilation.

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

OSHA works with health and protection in every workplace. Per this regulation,
the workplaces that work with different chemicals have to ensure proper exhaust
ventilation. There are OSHA limits that every salon has to follow; if not, different
health problems will occur among the people who work and take service from
there.

What to follow while installing good ventilation:

You have to follow some specific steps to make your salon environment clean and
healthy. The steps are:

Proper measurement of the salon

You have to install the right ventilation system that has the capacity to cover your
salon space. So before installing one, measure the salon in height and area.

Check out the floor or furniture:

There are some furniture and floors that tend to capture the environment, dust and
chemicals. So try to pick the items that capture the less environmental
contaminants and make sure they are frequently vacuumed.

Maintaining the aeration system:

You have to maintain the ventilation system properly to make sure of its longevity.
By cleaning it regularly, the air circulation will get better day by day and so will
your salon environment.

Conclusion:

If you are planning to set up a nail salon, make sure your salon has proper
ventilation. Maybe your partners will ask you why good ventilation is necessary in
a nail salon. Ensure you have proper knowledge about the system and the
regulation to make them understand the importance. By ensuring healthy and clean
air circulation in your salon, not only have you secured your and your worker’s
health but also for the customers. A healthy environment is very much required to
stay healthy and happy for a long time.

Negative Side Effects of Air Purifiers (11- Disadvantages)

Negative Side Effects of Air Purifiers

There’s no doubt that air purifiers are one of the most marketed items that you can find anywhere. The claims about the effectiveness of air purifiers seem to reach new heights every year. Some of the claims made by some advertisers make air purifier sound more gimmicky or scammy than an actual appliance that has a real function.

Whichever side of the fence you fall on, there is more than enough ammunition to argue your side. Here we’ve laid out what we think are the biggest negatives and side effects as well as advantages to owning an air purifier.

1. Air purifiers are Expensive

Air purifiers are one of the more expensive appliances available for purchase. The price tag on many air purifiers makes you wonder how they could come up with such an exorbitant price for a filtering machine.

2. Replacement parts

Air purifiers require replacement parts.
Typically it’s the HEPA filter that you have to keep updated for the air purifier to work efficiently. But other air purifiers employ UV lights and modules that also have to be replaced yearly to keep the air purifier working right.

3. It’s hard to tell if they’re working

Unless you’re having a problem with indoor allergies and can pinpoint the exact spot or room where the allergies tend to affect you the most, it’s hard to tell if an air purifier is actually working. Most of us just go along our daily lives breathing the air we’re givin with no real issues. Sometimes owning an air purifier so that we can say we are breathing healthier air is like taking a multivitamin. You know you need it, but you may not even ever be able to tell a difference in the way you are feeling by taking it.

4. Ozone

Air purifiers that clean the air with negative ions and UV tend to make ozone as a by-product. Whether you believe that ozone is straight from the devil or you don’t mind a little ozone if it is a necessary evil for reducing airborne viruses, the fact remains that breathing too much ozone can aggravate your lungs.

Which kind of defeats the point of getting a machine to help you breathe better.
Most ionic air purifiers create will below the amount of ozone that would be harmful. But there is the problem of putting to large of an ionic air purifier into too small of an area and getting a Overkill of 03.

Ozone also has a sharp odor that is reminiscent of bleach. Another defeats the point type of scenario. If you’re using an air purifier to help reduce odors then you don’t exactly want a machine that adds an odor in return.

5. Make the Room Dusty

Air purifiers tend to make the area around the air purifier extra Dusty. And they’re purifiers that use negative ions can cause dust to settle throughout the whole area.

6. Require Regular Maintenance

An air purifier with a dirty filter is not much use. In order for an air purifier to do its job correctly, the filters need to be cleaned and replaced regularly. Same goes with UV lights and modules. If they are not burning bright, then they will have to be replaced.

7. Noisy

Most air purifiers are filtering machines that run similar to a fan that pulls dirty air and exhaust clean air. And just like a fan, they come with different speed settings that allow you to turn the fan up higher or lower. Many larger Hepa air purifiers advertise “white noise as part of their benefits

8. Concentrate germs and bacteria

Air purifiers generally work like a fan in reverse that attempt to pull the allergens from the air into a filter. That makes the area around the air purifier that much more full of local debris in the air since the flow of the air is towards the air purifier. This is one of the reasons that sleeping next to an air purifier is not the best ideal.

9. Air purifiers can make allergies worse

Air purifiers can make allergies worse because they tend to pull the airborne allergens in the room toward the air purifier. This can create a local area around the filter that is highly concentrated with airborne allergens.

10. Useless for immediate odors

Though there are many air purifier brands that do work well for removing odors, the fact is that air purifiers are pretty much useless to get rid of immediate odors. By immediate, I mean, fresh kitchen odors, chemical odors, or even someone blowing up the bathroom.
True, if you leave your carbon filter equipped air purifier with a stench in the house, you’ll come home to a fresher smelling area. But if you’re trying to get rid of a strong smell quick, good luck getting it done with an air purifier.

11. Useless for smoking

Along the same lines as strong cooking smells, you’re not going to have much luck clearing out the smell of smoke quickly. And if you were talking about a house that has a history of cigarette smoking, the lingering smell is not something that an air purifier will be able to get rid of very easily.
Cigarette and tobacco smoke tends to have a sticky residue texture to it that binds it to the furniture, curtains, walls, and floor.
Ozone generators are you usually used for these types of situations.

Advantages Of Air Purifiers

11 Ways in Which Air Purifiers Are Really Effective.

1. Save you money

Allergies are big business. And getting relief from indoor allergies is not cheap.

Antihistamines can run you up to 40 bucks a pop at the local pharmacy. And to get the good stuff you have to have a prescription from a doctor.

Factor in the time missed from work and you get the point. Money and more money.

A quality air purifier can filter out as much as 97% of household allergens.

By capturing airborne allergens before they become a reason to see a doctor or a purchase medication, an air purifier can work to save you money.

2. Great for Babies

Babies are very susceptible to all types of allergens and bacteria.

Using a HEPA air cleaner with a activated carbon filter included will help your baby breathe better without introducing anything into the air that might have an adverse effect.

An Air purifier can also reduce the need for using germ sanitizing wipes in which chemicals can stick around much longer than you might imagine.

Activated carbon in an air purifier can also help reduce the abundance of odors that can gather in the baby’s nursery or room.

Ozone producing air purifiers should be avoided to ensure that the babies developing lungs are not harmed.

There can be no doubt that clean air is important for a baby to grow strong.

3. Government Statistics

Statistics. You gotta love em.

But did you know that according to the CPSC Consumer Product Safety Commission,

Indoor air can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air even largest industrialized cities?

The same research found it people spend as much as 90% of their time indoors and that indoor air pollution is more of a health risk then outdoor air pollution.

Modern building techniques not only provide tightly sealed buildings to better ensure that the temperature remains a constant,

They also keep indoor air pollution sealed inside as well.

Do air purifiers work? Yes, The right air purifier can help you is your family avoid being a statistic.

4. Help Reduce Allergy Symptoms

Allergies affect us all at some point and for some of us, it can be downright miserable.
And the first line of defense is usually to get an allergy medication.

Medications like antihistamines are expensive and most people experience side effects like fogginess and feeling drowsy when using them.

A high quality air purifier can work to filter as much as 97% airborne dust, pollen and pet dander, mold spores and bacteria before they have a chance to turn into an allergy problem.

5. Reduce Asthma Tiggers

Many of the same household allergens like dust mites and pollen, mold spores and pet dander can result in much worse symptoms for an asthma sufferer.

Airborne pollutants that otherwise may be the norm can result in narrowed airways and not being able to your catch your breath for an asthmatic.

Reducing triggers that can cause an attack is essential for an asthma sufferer.

A good air purifier can go a long way to help reduce airborne asthma triggers.

6. Help Control Pet Dander

How many people have to alter their lives because they can’t exist in the same house as a cat?

Pet dander can produce awful symptoms in people that are allergic to it.

Uncontrollable sneezing and swollen eyes are typical for people allergic to dander.

What a lot of people do not know though, is that airborne pet dander can be controlled.

Dander is actually the bacteria left on a Pet’s fur after they lick and groom themselves.

Once it dries, it becomes airborne.

An air purifier with a true HEPA filter can work wonders when it comes to capturing pet dander out of the air.

7. Germs and Bacteria Reduction

Controlling germs and viruses in the home is usually delegated to using antiseptic sprays and bleach wipes.

But according to the National Library of Medicine, there are air cleaning technologies that can leave viruses and bacteria inactive.

Bi polar ionization is a technology that when used in concert with a HEPA filter can effectively reduce germs and viruses in a room.

Adding an air purifier equipped with these technologies to your sanitizing arsenal can make a real difference when it comes to germs and viruses in your home.

8. Mold Spores

A great deal of the population is allergic to mold spores.

Many of the problems that people have with mold or due to leaky pipes. Finding the area where the moisture is getting in and fixing it is the first step to control mold allergies.

But there are also many other areas that mold grow that are practically impossible to eliminate.

Though the use of an air purifier will not clean mold off of your walls, it can be very effective at reducing the populations of mold spores in your air.

One type of air purifier that is highly rated for reducing mold in the air is Photocatalytic Oxidation. Photocatalytic oxidation or PCO for short oxidizes mold spores and removes their ability to cause an allergic reaction.

9. Odors

Foul odors or not only annoying and off-putting, they can be symptomatic gases and fumes lingering in the area.

Activated carbon is a type of air cleaning technology that is able to adsorb the the VOCs and gases that are at the root of the odor and leave your house feeling fresh again.

Do Air Purifiers Work? Yes, The Right Air Purifiers Really Work For Odors.

10. Help With Headaches

Dust in air can give you a headache. But it’s not just the dirt being kicked up in the air that’s the problem.

It’s what the dust is made up of.

Some of the ingredients that you can find in your average dust ball are dead skin cells, cockroach feces, dust mites, pollen and spores, and carcinogens from smoke.

No wonder you have a headache.

Intense smells can also give you a headache. Many people can develop an oversensitive sense of smell they can make even the smells like cologne and candles too strong.

An air purifier that uses a true HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter can be a game-changer when it comes to reducing airborne contaminants that cause headaches.

11. Help Manage COPD

Chronic Obstructed Pulmonary Disease or COPD is a lung disease that causes obstructed airflow to the lungs.

An air purifier is not a replacement for inhalers and other equipment for people with COPD but keeping the air as clean as possible is a must when everyday household allergens can interfere with catching your breathe.

Keeping quality air purifiers equipped with true HEPA and activated oxygen filters running throughout the home will help remove airborne irritants before they have a chance to be breathed in.

12. Chemicals and VOCs

VOCs are usually considered air pollution created by chemicals.

Many household products including hair spray, aerosol cleaners, nail polish remover, and crafting items like paint and glue can be toxic to breathe.

Other VOCs occur through off gassing, exhaust fumes, and cigarette smoke.

Symptoms of VOC exposure range from allergy type issues like sneezing and runny noses all the through sharp headaches and memory loss.

Air purifiers that contain a large weight of activated Carbon are what’s needed to combat Chemicals in the air.

Other technologies like PCO reduce VOCs as well. Be aware though that air purifiers that rely on creating a ionic reaction should be viewed more as a air cleaning treatment rather than a 24/7 filtering machine.

To Sum It Up

Do air purifiers work? No doubt. Yes they work.

We have listed 12 ways and air purifier can work for you here but there are many more ways an purifier can enhance your life.

Sufferers of sleep apnea and snoring can you get a better night’s rest when there or less pollutants to breathe in you were are sleeping.

Also air purifiers are useful all year long.

Other appliances like air conditioners and heaters are only useful for about 3 to 5 months out of the year.

Humidifiers and dehumidifiers, same thing. About a 3-5 period where they are useful.

Good air quality is something you need every day of the year.

Do Air Purifiers Work? Really Work?
Yes.

Humidifier vs. Air Purifier

Air purifier vs humidifier.

Air Purifier vs UV Air Sanitization Machine

There are three ways in which ions are manufactured for use in indoor air pollution removal.

The second type of ion generator is photocatalytic oxidation.

Professionals that use ozone generators do so with two main rules.

The third way ionizers work is through plasma cluster technologies.

Machines that Cleans the Air- 12 Types

1. HEPA air purifier

Levoit Core is our pick for Best Hepa air purifier- See it Here

2. Negative ion Generator

3. Ozone Generator

<img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-4474" src="https://breathebetterair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Ficus-Benjamina-weeping-fig-681x1024.jpg" alt="Ficus Benjamina - weeping fig" width="681" height="1024" />4. Humidifier

Air Innovations are the Mother of All Humidifiers- See Them Here

5. Bi polar ionization

Winix Uses Plasmawave Bi-Polar in Their Units- Check Them Out Here

6. Dehumidifier

7. Air Washer/Water Air Purifier

8. Activated Carbon

Most Hepa Air Purifiers Combine a Carbon Filter as a Set- Blueair top the list of Best Air Purifiers With A Carbon Filter- See One Here

9. Ultraviolet Irradiation

10. Photo catalytic oxidation

See: Air Oasis for the Best PCO air purifiers

11. Air Conditioning

12.Essential oil diffusers

Best midsize HEPA air purifier?

When it comes to HEPA air purifiers,The main things you want to look for are:

Winix PlasmaWave 5500-2

Q&A

Summary

Do air purifiers dry out the air?

Does an air purifier cause dry throat?

<img src="https://breathebetterair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/face.jpg" alt="Do air purifiers dry out sinuses" width="780" height="523">Do air purifiers dry out sinuses?

Can air purifiers cause breathing problems or make allergies worse?

<img src="https://breathebetterair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/tractor-in-the-rain-861x1252-704x1024.jpg" alt="Do air purifiers dry out sinuses" width="704" height="1024">Do air purifiers help with moisture?

Do air purifiers dehumidify?

<img src="https://breathebetterair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/800px-Rain._Munich_Germany.jpg" alt="Do air purifiers create moisture" width="800" height="575"> Do air purifiers create moisture?

Can you use a dehumidifier and an air purifier and the same room?

<img src="https://breathebetterair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/rain-3518956_1280-1024x657.jpg" alt="Can you use a air purifier and a humidifier at the same time" width="929" height="596"> Can you use a air purifier and a humidifier at the same time?

Do air purifiers need water?

Essential Oil Diffuser and Air Purifier

Can I use essential oil in air purifier?

Air Purifiers With Essential Oils

Essential Oils On Air Filter

How do you add essential oils to an air filter?

Recommended essential oils for your air filter:

Diffuser vs. Air Purifier vs. Humidifier

<img src="https://breathebetterair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/woman-scratching-hair-blonde-683x1024.jpg" alt="Can I use essential oil in air purifier" width="683" height="1024" />Diffuser and Humidifier Difference

Air revitalizer vs. Diffuser

Diffuser and air purifier? Same time?

<img src="https://breathebetterair.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/girl-hair-blowing-blonde.jpg" alt="Do diffusers clean the air?" width="910" height="607" />Do diffusers clean the air?

What is a Humidifier Ionizer?

What does an ion humidifier do?

Anion humidifier benefits

Humidifier vs. Ionizer

Can you use an air purifier and humidifier together?

3 Ways a Humidifier can Clean Air

For doing nails, a nail salon is the best place. But have you ever thought about why

Why good ventilation is necessary in a nail salon? – it works

Why Nail salon ventilation system is required

Now let’s talk about the chemicals that are common in the salon and responsiblefor hampering the air quality.

How the ventilation will work:

The breathing space:

Space in the salon:

Building space:

Legal requirements to install ventilation in the nail salon.

Massachusetts State Building Code:

Massachusetts Board of Cosmetology:

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

What to follow while installing good ventilation:

Proper measurement of the salon

Check out the floor or furniture:

Maintaining the aeration system:

Conclusion:

Negative Side Effects of Air Purifiers

1. Air purifiers are Expensive

2. Replacement parts

3. It’s hard to tell if they’re working

4. Ozone

5. Make the Room Dusty

4. Humidifier

Most Hepa Air Purifiers Combine a Carbon Filter as a Set-

Blueair top the list of Best Air Purifiers With A Carbon Filter- See One Here

When it comes to HEPA air purifiers,
The main things you want to look for are:

Do air purifiers dry out sinuses?

Do air purifiers help with moisture?

Do air purifiers create moisture?

Can you use a air purifier and a humidifier at the same time?

Diffuser and Humidifier Difference

Do diffusers clean the air?

3. Government Statistics

9. Odors