We spend a good majority of our time indoors. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being inside comprises 90% of our days. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.

That’s because our residences are securely sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is good for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so good if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outdoor ventilation is restricted, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get captured. As a consequence, these pollutants may aggravate your allergies.

You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and routine housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to help.

While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furniture or carpet, it can help freshen the air traveling around your home.

And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It might also be helpful if you or someone in your household has lung trouble, like 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 correct for your home.

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

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

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Seek an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can buy, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty combination can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the best in air purification, evaluate a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household smells.

Avoid getting an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone might worsen respiratory problems, even when emitted at small concentrations.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to think over 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 higher number means air will be purified more rapidly.)
  • How often does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I complete that on my own?
  • How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?

How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests doing other measures to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can worsen symptoms. If you must do these chores alone, you might want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
  4. Use air conditioning while at your house or while driving. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling equipment.
  5. Equalize your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring types for decreasing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Want to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 509-284-4265 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal system for your house and budget.