We spend a good majority of our time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being indoors comprises 90% of our schedule. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outside your home.

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

When outdoor ventilation is insufficient, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could get captured. As a result, these pollutants might worsen your allergies.

You can enhance your indoor air quality with crisp air and routine dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier might be able to provide relief.

While it can’t remove pollutants that have landed on your furnishings or carpeting, it may help clean the air circulating throughout your house.

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 helpful if you or a family member has lung trouble, like emphysema or COPD.

There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the advantages so you can learn what’s right 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 accompanies your home comfort system to treat your entire house. Some models can clean by themselves when your heating and cooling equipment isn’t on.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

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

HEPA filters are even more beneficial when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful mixture can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are standard allergens. For the greatest in air purification, consider equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household smells.

Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the primary ingredient in smog. The EPA warns ozone could worsen respiratory problems, even when emitted at minor amounts.

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

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

How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other procedures to decrease your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.

  1. Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have someone else mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can worsen symptoms. If you must do these chores alone, you might want to consider using a pollen mask. You should also bathe right away and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outside your home.
  4. Turn on air conditioning while indoors or while in the car. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your home’s home comfort unit.
  5. Balance your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring types for decreasing indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Pros Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Ready to move forward 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 find the right equipment for your residence and budget.