We spend a good majority of our time indoors. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being indoors makes up 90% of our schedule. However, 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 houses are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy costs, it’s not so great if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outside ventilation is insufficient, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. As a result, these pollutants could worsen your allergies.

You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier may be able to provide assistance.

While it can’t remove pollutants that have landed on your furniture or flooring, it could help clean the air traveling throughout your home.

And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be helpful if you or a loved one has lung trouble, like emphysema or COPD.

There are two kinds, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the differences so you can figure out what’s right for your residence.

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 system to purify your full house. Some kinds can clean by themselves when your HVAC system isn’t on.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Go after a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid using an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone may aggravate respiratory problems, even when emitted at minor amounts.

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

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

How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic advises completing other steps to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have other household members mow the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can irritate symptoms. If you must do these jobs alone, consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and put on new clothes once you’re finished.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
  4. Turn on the AC while indoors or while driving. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling unit.
  5. Balance your home’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for decreasing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Pros Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Ready to take the next step with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 740-344-5497 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right unit for your house and budget.