Category: Air Purifiers

Do Air Purifiers Work for Kitchen Smells?

Kitchens are one of the rooms which are most likely to have odor builds up. The smell of spices, searing or browning foods, fish, meat, and all the other things are enough to ruin your day. So, if you are tired of having a smelly kitchen and are searching for a solution, you have landed in the right place.    

Air purifiers work great to remove smells or unpleasant odors from your home air. And, in this guide, we will show you how do air purifiers work for kitchen smells and how to find out the best one. So, stay with us to explore how an air purifier can free you from your smelly kitchen.   

Do Air Purifiers Work for Kitchen Smells?

do air purifiers work for kitchen smellsAs per the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPS) indoor air is 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. In this case, air purifiers are the best ever solution to purify indoor air. They remove all the harmful pollutants, chemicals, and odor from the indoor air. But, do air purifiers work for kitchen smells also?

The answer is YES, air purifiers definitely can help you with the musty kitchen smell. It can be the ultimate kitchen odor removal machine and ensure smell free air in your kitchen. Here are the facts for how air purifiers remove the kitchen smell.

  1. Air purifiers are usually designed with activated carbon filters which are odor neutralizers. These filters trap and lock down the kitchen smell and eliminate the bad smells immediately from the air. 
  2. Another thing is true HEPA filters which not only clean the pollutants but also remove the bad smell effectively from the kitchen air. With the fine filter mechanism that can even remove the smallest particles. 
  3. Some air filters have UV lights and these are best for killing odor-causing molds, dirt, and other pollutants. 
  4. This device either uses electric attraction or a series of fans with multiple speeds that helps the air move faster. Once sucking in all the contaminated air from the room these fans pass them through the filters. You can speed up the fan if the smell is really tough to beat.   
  5. The automatic detection feature of most air purifiers can sense the dirt or smell of your air. Then automatically adjusted the device’s setting and started working to remove the smell from the room.    

Using an air purifier for the kitchen can ensure your overall cooking environment and experience fresh and smell free. In addition, your kitchen will be free from allergens and germs. 

What To Consider Before Buying an Air Purifier for Kitchen Smells?

Air purifiers work amazingly to keep your home air bacteria-free and odor-free. But when it comes to removing kitchen smells, not all air purifiers can do this. To make sure, your air purifier can eliminate your kitchen smell effectively, you must consider some features. So, while buying one for your kitchen do consider the following features.

Odor Filtration

The most effective method for odor elimination in the kitchen is using an air purifier with an activated carbon filter. This filter is well known as the best absorption media filter. Usually, activated carbon can easily trap cooking odors, gases, vaporized oils, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This filter becomes saturated quickly and is better for absorbing odorous elements efficiently.  

There are some other odors filtration technologies available and these are Plasmawave and Photocatalytic Oxidation (PCO). Photocatalytic oxidation air purifiers use ultraviolet radiation and a photocatalyst, to produce hydroxyl (OH) radicals that are purportedly generated to destroy gaseous contaminants.

HEPA Filter

When you cook something, the food releases tiny particles alongside VOCs. In this case, the true HEPA grade filters come in very handy to trap all the fine and even the tiniest airborne pollutants. However, HEPA filters are designed to capture the pollen, dust, dander, bacteria, and smoke from the air. 

Once capturing the smell-causing particles and gaseous vapors, they pass right through the HEPA filter. In this way, it prevents the smell from spreading over the kitchen or around your house.     

An Ionizer 

Generally, ions latch onto particles and make them weigh down. As a result, they fall onto the floor or stick to the surfaces and create bad odors. Here, ionizers emit all these negatively charged ions. It works as a supplemental feature that boosts the effectiveness of an air purifier to reduce the bad smell. 

Keep in mind that ionizers release Ozone which is harmful to your health. But, as per the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) if the ozone level remains less than 0-0.05 ppm, it is considered safe for the human body. So, while buying make sure the level of the ozone.  

VOC or Particle Sensor

Mostly, kitchen odor is caused due to vaporized or volatilized oils, and tiny particles. Therefore, you can look out for an air purifier that is designed with built-in air quality, particle, and VOC sensors. This combination will be great for eliminating your kitchen odor.   

Air Intake and Output Design

Considering the design of air intake and output is essential for ensuring accurate placement of the air purifier. You should lookout for a compact, sideways, and flat design. With this shape, it will be convenient to place the air purifier nearby to the wall. One more thing, the 360° air intake purifiers are also considered best for better air circulation

Benefits of Kitchen Air Purifiers

kitchen air purifiers
It will be the most wise choice to get an air purifier for your kitchen. Having a kitchen air purifier is essential to get all the healthy benefits. In addition to keeping your kitchen odor-free, this device can do a lot more things for your kitchen. So, here are all the additional benefits that you will get from your kitchen air purifier.

  • Removes all the allergens from the kitchen air caused by spices, smoke, and other food ingredients. 
  • Ensuring filtering the kitchen air constantly to prevent the musty smells, especially when you cook for a longer time. 
  • It will protect your family member who suffers from respiratory disease caused by inhalation of smoke and contaminants.
  • This device effectively reduces VOCs from your kitchen caused by gas leakages or burnt food.   
  • Air purifiers extract particles that cause lung diseases, allergies, asthma, mesothelioma developments, and many more. 
  • The major advantage is, it reduces the level of carbon dioxide from your indoor environment.                                           

Final Verdict

Cooking is fun but when it comes to the lingering smell, it feels very unpleasant. Over time, the cooking smell started to stink and even spread to the other rooms, which is very irritating. In this awful situation, an air purifier can help you out. If you don’t have one, getting a purifier will be a wise choice.   

With the air cleaning technology, this useful device can make your kitchen atmosphere fresh and absolutely odor-free. For your better convenience, we have shared how do air purifiers work for kitchen smells, in this guide. Hopefully, you have enjoyed this guide and we are able to help you out.  

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.

  1. Negative ion generator
  2. Photo catalytic oxidation
  3. 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.

iadaptairAir 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.

  1. They do not operate the machine in an occupied room. Be it humans, pets, or even plants.
  2. 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:air purifier vs air sanitizer

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.

Ficus Benjamina - weeping fig4. 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:

  1. Replacement filter cost and the amount of filters you’ll need to replace per year
  2. How many square footage can you get out of one air purifier
  3. 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.

Click here to Check It Out the Honeywell HPA 300 Amazon

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.

Click here to View the Bissel air400 on Amazon

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.
Check Out the Winix 5500-2 Here

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.
View the Levoit Core 300 Here

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 sinusesDo 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 dry out sinusesDo 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

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

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?

  1. Purchase a brand new replacement filter.
  2. And 15 to 20 drops of essential oil directly to the face of the filter.
  3. 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.

Can I use essential oil in air purifier
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?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.

 

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.

Do Air Purifiers Need UV?

Ultraviolet light is highly effective at reducing mold and bacteria when it is targeted and allowed to remain focused on its intended target.

But the problem remains. How can that translate to cleaning air since there is no way to actually target air?

Are UV air purifiers effective? How so?

Do air purifiers need UV?

Most air purifiers work independently of UV and do not need or require UV to operate. The most common purpose of Ultraviolet light in an air purifier is as a method of sterilizing the filter to prevent it from becoming populated with live bacteria and germs.

But the air purifier will still work without the UV.

 But… Another type of UV air purifier that DOES require UV to work is Photo catalytic Oxidation. 

Also called PCO and tio2 air purification, these air purifiers create a reaction between Ultraviolet light and Titanium Oxide that produces an ionic plasma that kills mold spores and bacteria.
UV is central to the operation of these air cleaners and they will not work if the uv bulb is burned out.

Photocatalytic oxidation is commonly used in the Central AC ductwork. Which ties into the next way UV is used in air cleaning.

The third way UV is most commonly used in air purification is the HVAC system.

In this case, ultraviolet lamps are used to destroy mold and germs inside of the central heat and air system before they get a chance to enter into the home through the ductwork.

This is done by targeting the UV sterilizing lamp primarily onto the evaporative coils and drip pan in the air handler.

Though this method of air cleaning with Ultraviolet light works well,

It is not entirely necessary because both the AC coils and drip pan can be cleaned and maintained by making sure there is not any stoppage in the drain line that would cause moisture to build up in the drain pan and ultimately produce mold.
In other words it can be kept clean without the use of UV and ultraviolet light is not a component needed for a AC to run.

Photocatalytic induct air purifiers can also be inserted into the plenum and ductwork to destroy mold and bacteria inside of the air handler.

 This is one of the best uses of UV air purification because it essentially turns the HVAC Central Heat and Air system into a whole house air purifier. 

Though these UV induct air purifiers are usually on the expensive side, the expense does not even compare to what it would cost to place air purifiers throughout the house.

But there is one downside to this method is that the blower on the HVAC needs to stay on throughout the year.

Not too much of a problem in the winter and the off months but running the fan continuously when the AC is on does not allow the dehumidification function of the AC to work properly resulting in more humidity in the house.

The reason for this is that the condensation created in the air conditioning coils evaporates back into the house instead of exiting the house through the drain line.

One the main concerns when it comes to UV air purifiers is the danger of ozone being produced by the lamp.

 Which begs the question ” Does UV remove odors?” since ozone has a distinct sharp odor when it is created. 

The answer is the type of UV used in filtration air purifiers is not in the range to create ozone and is further protected by the type of glass that the UV is encased in.
This type of UV will help reduce the musty odors caused by mold and mildew without producing the smell of ozone.

PCO- tio2 UV induct air cleaners typically create more ozone because of the photocatalytic oxidation process. But the amount is below the .05 ppm acceptable level of ozone put in place by the EPA.

And though the musty smell of mold as well as other odors can be expected to be minimized with the UV PCO air purifiers, it is likely that the smell of ozone will be noticeable.

Many stand alone Photo Catalyst air purifiers like Molecule and Air Oasis use  a UV that creates little to no ozone.
But it is also worth noting that companies like Oasis that used full ozone UV bulbs in their machines in the past also were able to make the claim that their units cleaned up to 3000 sq ft.
But with reduced ozone bulbs have reduced the amount of air that can be cleaned to areas more like 300 to 500 sq ft.

Recap

 The typical UV air purifier is basically just a HEPA filter based air cleaner that has a ultraviolet light aimed at the filter to keep bacteria and germs from living and growing in the filter. 

 This type of air purifier can work without a UV lamp as it is not necessary to the primary function of the air purifier which is to filter contaminants from the air. 

But in the case of HVAC air purification and photo catalytic oxidation induct air purification, the UV is Central to the ability to function of the air purifier to clean the air.

If the UV Burns out on a photo catalytic oxidation air purifier then your air purifier will not work until the UV is replaced.

In the case of an HVAC UV system, the UV is basically used as a sterilizer targeted on areas of the air handler that can produce mold.

If the UV lamp is broken or burned out, it will not do anything to aid in the this process and will have to be replaced.

uv sterilizerDo I need a UV light for my air conditioner?

The air conditioning and heating system works independently from any type of UV device and does not need an Ultraviolet lamp to operate properly.

Out of the three methods in which UV is successfully utilized in air purification, PCO induct air purifiers make the most sense because they essentially turn your HVAC central heat and air unit into a whole house air purifier that cleans the air every time it cycles on and off.
The only downside is that it requires the fan on the AC to run continuously which can result in a humid house when the air conditioning is in use.

Does an Air Purifier Help with Mold Spores?

 Mold is a household problem, that if you find inside of your home, should be taken very seriously and dealt with very quickly.

Mold when it is left unchecked can cause more destruction than many people give it credit for and faster than you may have believed.

Mold can develop in as little as 24 hours once spores find moisture. Walls can be inundated very quickly because of how porous drywall is. It can call us and become a problem in 1 to 12 days.

It is also a problem that can exasperate allergies, respiratory issues, and trigger asthma attacks. According to this study, mold is instrumental in the development of asthma in children.

Does an Air Purifier Help with Mold?

An air purifier will help with allergy symptoms related and caused by mold because it can filter out the spores from the air that are breathable.

But mold itself is caused by an inappropriate source of moisture and dirt somewhere in the area.

And there will still be a constant supply of mold spores in the air til the source of the water is found and stopped.

Regardless, having clean air to breathe when you are dealing with a problem like mold is still essential, and a mold spore air purifier is perfect for that reason.

But in instances like a damp basement where moisture is more pervasive, using an air purifier is more like putting a Band-Aid on the problem instead of addressing the real issue.

An area that has excessive humidity like the basement would benefit more from a device like a dehumidifier rather than an air purifier, at least initially.

Though an air purifier can help reduce the mold spore count in the air, it will do nothing to fix the problem that is resulting in poor air quality caused by mold.

Unless the source of the mold is fixed and the air is dried out, using an air purifier for the mold is like taking an aspirin for a headache but never addressing the reason you are having headaches.

Thank God for the aspirin, but fixing the problem is better than covering it.

To sum it up, an air purifier will help reduce the amount of mold spores in the air and in doing so reduce the symptoms related to breathing mold spores, and it will also reduce the chance of mold growing somewhere else.

And with less mold spores traveling through the air, there are less chances of it finding a new place to start growing.

But it will not fix the original problem and until the source of moisture is found and stopped and the area is dried out, you will continue to have an issue in your home with mold.

Some people worry that using a air purifier with a HEPA filter to capture mold spores will cause mold to grow in their air purifier.

That is a real concern if the humidity in the room is so high that it even makes the HEPA filter in the air cleaner damp.

But that is usually not the case, and since it takes moisture for mold spores too began to colonize, as long as you keep your air purifier dry, you should not have a problem with mold growing inside or on the filter.

What Causes Mold in a House?

moldMold inside of the house is more likely to be caused by a leaking pipe or windowsill. A leaky roof is also a common place where moisture is finding it’s way inside the house.

A leaking windowsill is pretty easy to identify but finding a leaking pipe or a drip in the ceiling is not as easy and may require a professional.

If you suspect you have a leaking pipe inside of the wall, oftentimes you’ll see the paper on the outside of the drywall begin to bubble or the whole area starting to swell and feel softer to the touch than the rest of the wall.

Leaks from the ceiling are pretty much the same but since it’s harder to get up and feel of the ceiling, you can most likely identify moisture coming in by searching for discoloration in the ceiling.

Another way mold spores become part of the air stream in your home is through the HVAC system.

HVAC which stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning

Though the heating and air system is vital to your comfort,  especially in some climates, it also has the capacity to produce mold because of the presence of moisture and dirt located in a dark area inside of the air handler.

This can become an issue very quickly if not addressed. Mold spores inside of your ductwork can be distributed through your whole house every time the air handler kicks on.

If you have a musty smell coming from your vents or if you can identify mold around the vent, chances are your air handler is developed mold in it somewhere.
Two of the easiest things to check if you think this may be the case are the drip pan and the evaporative coils.

Condensation drip pans can get clogged , causing a buildup of moisture that can turn into mold and feed mold spores into the house via the duct.

Evaporative coils are the coils on an AC that absorb heat and cools it off with a refrigerant. In the process the coils produce condensation which which drips into a drainage pan.

Mold can start in the evaporator coils when the coils get dirty. At that point the AC has everything it needs to produce mold. Dirt, water, and darkness.

Checking and keeping the evaporative coils on the AC clean is one of the easiest things to do to avoid mold buildup inside of your HVAC.

evaporative coilsRecap

An air purifier can help with mold because it will reduce the mold spores in the air. Which in turn will reduce the amount of chances that spores can come in contact with any moisture in the house and at the same time create less chances of breathing in mold spores which can be a source of allergies and a trigger to asthma.
Less Mold Spores traveling through the house also means less new outbreaks of mold.

But though an air purifier can be a very good device to use when you have an issue with mold, it is only a supplementive solution and will not do anything to fix the original problem causing the mold.

Finding the source of the mold, fixing the problem and cleaning it up, as well as drying the area out are all things that are needed to help control mold and mold spores.

Why Does My Room Smell Musty?

Musty is a word that is sometimes used to describe the feeling you get from a stale or a stuffy room. It’s usually a smell that you just can’t quite put your finger on, but you know that there is something that is not quite right. But in most cases that “not quite right feeling” is the presence of mold and mildew.

Why Does My Room Smell Musty?

A musty smell in a room is an indicator that you have moisture coming in somewhere that along with dirt or grime has become a source of food and nutrition for mold and mildew to take root. Mold can take root and grow very fast when given the right ingredients. A musty smell should be taken seriously as a warning that there is an issue with mold close by.

I’ve had a personal experience with this.

In my neighborhood there was an issue with heavy rains that washed over the curbs and went up the driveway and eventually seeped into the backdoor of the house.

It didn’t seem like much at the time so we really didn’t do too much about it besides put some towels down to soak up the water. And it was the very back of the house that doesn’t get a lot of traffic anyway.

A couple of months later I noticed a rotten smell coming from that area.

I pulled out a bookshelf that was in that corner and pulled up the edge of the carpet only to find that dark green and black mold had spread heavily underneath the carpet and had made its way all over the wall and the back of the shelf, including all the books on it.

It was pretty shocking to see how much the mold had taken over.

We had to take the carpet up and remove and replace the drywall on that side of the room.

Luckily the mold did not turn out to be the dangerous Stachybotrys or black mold.

All that to say that if you have a musty smell in your room, it’s a situation that you should take seriously.

Mold can do more destruction than you may be giving it credit for. And do it much faster than you may think.

Mold can also exasperate allergies and is known to be a trigger for asthma.

What you are looking for in your room when you have a musty smell is an inappropriate source of moisture.

According to the National Library of Medicine , Mold spores are practically everywhere and there is really no way to get away from them or keep them out of your house. But without an adequate source of moisture, they cannot grow and colonize into a problem.

So the fundamental thing you’re looking for in the case of a musty smell is moisture and the supply of that moisture.

Wet moldy carpet

Why Does My Room Smell Musty in The Morning?

What could be some reasons your room smells musty?

  1. Wet carpet
  2. Wet drywall
  3. Window seals
  4. Excessive humidity
  5. Dew
  6. Leaves
  7. Moldy items in trash
  8. Moldy food laying around
  9. Mold inside of the HVAC duct work

1. Wet carpet

Remember that you are looking for the source of the moisture.

If you have wet carpet then the ideal is to figure out why it is wet.

Some reasons may be as simple as a soaking wet towel laying on the carpet or has there been a big spill that was not cleaned up?

If you have a large area that is damp, then there may be a leak that has sprung from a pipe beneath the flooring.

it will be worthwhile for you to peel the carpet back and make sure that your floor is not soaking wet beneath.

And if it is, you should make it a priority to have it fixed as soon as possible to avoid further damage and mold growth.

2.  Wet drywall

It can be a smell can be coming from the walls if a pipe inside of the wall has busted. Examine the walls and see if you can find any areas where they are bubbling, swelling, or peeling which would indicate that moisture has gotten inside of the drywall.

3.  Window seals

One area that moisture can get into the house easily is the windows. If the windows are not sealed properly, you can find moisture creeping in around the window. If it has been going on for a long time, you will also find the frame around the window rotting.

4. Excessive humidity

If you live in an area with a climate that is prone to high humidity, you may find that it is the humidity that is causing moisture to build up inside of your room. If this is the case, then mildew is probably showing up on your walls or ceiling somewhere.

This is the case in many basements. The level of humidity inside of the room causes condensation to build on the walls and create a natural food source for mold and mildew.

The best solution in that case is to use a dehumidifier to pull moisture out of the air so that it does not have a chance to become a problem in the form of mold.

Dew

5.  Dew

Many people claim to be more concerned with the dusty smell in their house in the morning time.

That morning musty smell is usually associated with the moisture that develops in the air in the early morning hours.

It’s the moisture that is commonly known as dew.

Dew can help turn the volume up on the smell of mold and mildew in the morning.

6.  Leaves

Leaves, specifically in the Autumn season can pile up in gutters and around the house and make an excellent environment for mold to take root. And once the mold has colonized inside of the leaves, any sort of rustling around caused by the wind or by kicking the leaves can unleash mold spores into the air.

7.  Moldy items in trash

Sometimes a musty smell is coming from a moldy item that has been thrown away and just sitting there stinking. The trash can is one of the first places to look when you smell something musty in your room.

8.  Moldy food laying around

Moldy food can cause a very pungent musty smell when it is laying out or in the trash can. Items like half eaten hamburgers and apple cores are best disposed of in the main kitchen area where the trash is taken out more frequently.
If you have a musty smell in your room, looking for any food that has been left out to mold is a good place to start.
Another place that you can find moldy musty smells is in the kitchen sink where the garbage disposal is. If the garbage disposal has not been cleaned properly in a while, you are liable to smell moldy food coming from there.

9. Mold in HVAC ductwork

If there is mold in your ductwork, you can be sure that it will be distributed throughout the house every time the heating or air conditioning comes on.

According to this study, mold can be commonly found inside of an air handler, specifically the wheel fan blades, the ductwork, and the cooling coil fins.

Another source of mold coming into the house through the ductwork is the evaporative coils. Dirty evaporative coils contain all the ingredients for mold to flourish and find its way inside of the house.

If you have a musty smell coming from your HVAC ductwork, cleaning the evaporative coils located on the outside section of your unit is a good place to start to reduce the volume of mold spores coming in.

Another trouble area for HVAC systems when it comes to mold is the drip pan. If the drip pan is not draining sufficiently, water can build up in the pan and become a source of mold.

Clearing any blockage from the drip pan to the outside drainage is also a good way to ensure that you do not have mold growing and coming in through your HVAC.

UV systems are often used to target areas like evaporative coils and drip pans so that mold does not have a chance to colonize and become a problem in your air quality.