We spend a good majority of our time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being inside makes up 90% of our time. However, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.

That’s since our homes are tightly sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your energy expenses, it’s not so fantastic if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outdoors ventilation is insufficient, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get captured. Consequently, these pollutants could aggravate your allergies.

You can improve your indoor air quality with fresh air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to help.

While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have landed on your furniture or carpeting, it can help purify the air circulating around your home.

And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be appropriate if you or someone in your household has a lung condition, including emphysema or COPD.

There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the distinctions so you can determine what’s appropriate for your house.

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your HVAC equipment to clean your full residence. Some models can work on their own when your heating and cooling system isn’t running.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Look for an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and deliver the greatest filtration you can get, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more useful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty mixture can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, evaluate a system that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household vapors.

Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the primary component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might worsen respiratory issues, even when discharged at small settings.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a list of questions to ask when buying an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger amount means air will be cleaned faster.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I complete that on my own?
  • How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?

How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic suggests doing other procedures to limit your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can worsen symptoms. If you must do these chores yourself, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outdoors.
  4. Use your air conditioner while at home or while in the car. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s HVAC equipment.
  5. Even out your house’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Prepared to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 715-301-0256 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal unit for your house and budget.