We spend a lot of time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors comprises 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.

That’s since our homes are firmly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your utility costs, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outdoor ventilation is insufficient, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get trapped. Consequently, these pollutants could irritate your allergies.

You can boost your indoor air quality with fresh air and regular cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms while you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to help.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have settled on your couch or carpeting, it might help clean the air moving throughout your home.

And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be useful if you or a family member has lung issues, including emphysema or COPD.

There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can figure out what’s appropriate for your house.

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your home comfort equipment to clean your entire home. Some kinds can clean independent when your HVAC unit isn’t on.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Go after a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and provide the best filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more beneficial when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over a system that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household smells.

Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may worsen respiratory issues, even when discharged at low settings.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to ask when getting an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger number means air will be purified faster.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I do that by myself?
  • How much do new filters or bulbs cost?

How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic recommends doing other steps to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have other household members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you must do these chores yourself, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re done.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outside.
  4. Run your air conditioner while at your house or while you’re on the road. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC unit.
  5. Equalize your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Want to progress with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 715-301-0256 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right equipment for your home and budget.