We spend a good majority of our time indoors. As a matter of fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being within a building comprises 90% of our days. However, the EPA also has found your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.

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

When outdoors ventilation is insufficient, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can get captured. As a result, these pollutants may worsen your allergies.

You can enhance your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or carpeting, it may help freshen the air circulating around your house.

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 helpful if you or a loved one has lung issues, including emphysema or COPD.

There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss 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 single room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your home comfort unit to clean your complete house. Some types can work by themselves when your HVAC unit isn’t running.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

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

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

Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA advises ozone could worsen respiratory problems, even when emitted at minor settings.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a checklist of questions to consider when buying an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better amount means air will be cleaned faster.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I complete that without help?
  • How much do new filters or bulbs cost?

How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

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

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs on your own, you might want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also bathe without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re done.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outdoors.
  4. Use air conditioning while at home or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s heating and cooling unit.
  5. Equalize your home’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring kinds for decreasing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Specialists Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Ready to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our specialists a call at 360-255-5857 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you locate the right equipment for your house and budget.