Do air purifiers help with dust?
Yes, and it can also help with pollen and pet dander.
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Air purifiers are helpful devices that improve home air quality.
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Yet, some people wonder, “Do air purifiers help with dust?”
Kenneth Mendez is the president and CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA).
What to Know About Home Air Quality
Poor air quality impacts your health.
Clean air positively affects quality of life, sokeeping the air in your homeas clean as possible is essential.
One of the main factors contributing to poor indoor air quality is dust.
Seemingly innocuousfilms of settled dustcan become airborne during cleaning or after a gust of wind enters a room.
But dust, dust mites, and their droppings can quickly end up on your clothes or lungs.
An air purifier can help remove dust from your home and avoid dust-related irritation.
What Are Air Purifiers?
Air purifiers are devices designed to clean and sanitize the air in your home.
They remove impurities in the air, including dust, smoke, odors, and other air pollutants.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Most air purifiers sanitize the air by pulling indoor air through a filter.
The filter then traps dust and other airborne particles before releasing clean air back into the room.
Filters are usually made of fiberglass, paper, mesh, carbon, foam, or aluminum.
“These particles can irritate the lungs or trigger asthma or allergies when inhaled,” Mendez says.
However, some air purifiers release harmful levels of ozone.
“Ozone is also an air pollutant that can harm people with asthma,” he says.
Do Air Purifiers Help with Dust?
The answer is yes.
By filtering particles, air purifiers remove pollutants, allergens, and other toxins from the air.
However, how effectively they eliminate dust will depend on the equipment’s specific features.
McKeon says you should place an air purifier in the room where you spend most of your time.
For example,dust and other allergy triggersarecommon in bedrooms.
But anywhere that street-traffic pollutants or external allergens enter is ideal.
What Are the Benefits of Air Purifiers?
The bigger the room, the higher this rate should be.
Size:Look for models that willwork for your room size.
Ensure that the purifier you choose has filters to cater to your needs.
Also, considerhow frequently you must change the filters, as that affects the overall operational cost.
Reusable or washable filters help keep costs low.
Fan speed:Some purifiers have fans that adjust according to the air quality.
Others lower the speed at night so it doesn’t disturb sleep.
Certification: Look for certifications, like from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM).
AHAM standards ensure home care appliance safety, efficiency, and performance.
Also, ensure that your home has adequate ventilation.
No, they are not removing moisture from the room and will have no impact on the humidity.
They are simply meant to remove dust, pollen, and pet dander from the air.
The more you run your air purifier, the better the air quality in your home will be.
“What is a HEPA filter.”
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2022
