We spend a good majority of our time indoors. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being indoors accounts for 90% of our schedule. Although, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times worse than outdoors.

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

When outside ventilation is restricted, pollutants like dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants may worsen your allergies.

You can boost your indoor air quality with fresh air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still struggling with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to provide assistance.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have landed on your couch or carpeting, it can help clean the air moving across 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 might also be useful if you or a family member has lung trouble, such as emphysema or COPD.

There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll go over the advantages so you can figure out 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 accompanies your HVAC equipment to clean your entire house. Some types can clean independent 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 provide 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 dynamic combination can wipe out dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the ultimate in air purification, consider a unit that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household smells.

Avoid buying an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top element in smog. The EPA advises ozone might worsen respiratory issues, even when released at low amounts.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a list of questions to consider 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 faster.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I finish that by myself?
  • How much do new filters or bulbs cost?

How to Lessen Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] performance from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic suggests taking other procedures to decrease your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are heightened.
  2. Have other family members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs yourself, consider using a pollen mask. You should also shower immediately and put on new clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
  4. Use air conditioning while indoors or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s heating and cooling unit.
  5. Balance your residence’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring materials for lowering indoor allergens. If your home has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Ready to move forward with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our professionals a call at 573-635-3547 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal equipment for your house and budget.