Room Air Cleaners

2024/03/11

For homes with no central HVAC, or if you have indoor pets, a HEPA room air cleaner may be beneficial. It is still important to take care of the settled dust reservoirs and keep pets out of the bedroom. The room air cleaner should be adequate to clean the air in the room where it is being used. Do not expect it to clean an entire home and remember – only the particles that pass through the air filter will be captured.

The appliance industry has established a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) to allow consumers to match the appropriate room air cleaner to the room they want to treat. Recently, laminar flow HEPA air cleaners have been introduced and may offer some benefit during sleep when used in special pillows.

Never buy ozone-generating “air purifiers.” According to the EPA and doctors, ozone is a respiratory irritant and may actually make your allergy or asthma symptoms worse.

Filters such as ULPAs (ultra-low penetration air) used in certain industrial or scientific settings or clean rooms are not suitable for the home environment. They are designed for closed settings where air is cleaned before entering the room, then vented out of the building. Normal family life with cooking, kids playing and pets doesn’t happen in sealed rooms, negating any additional benefit these filters may offer.

Remember: No air cleaner or filter can do it all. Cleaning up your indoor air is a multi-step process, and you first must go to the source of the allergen, whether it’s mold, dust mites, pets or critters. Air filtration is only one of several measures that may provide benefit to children and adults with allergies and asthma.

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