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

That’s since our residences are tightly sealed to enhance energy efficiency. While this is great for your heating and cooling costs, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outdoor ventilation is limited, pollutants including dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get trapped. As a consequence, these pollutants might aggravate your allergies.

You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and regular cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms during the time you’re at home, an air purifier could be able to provide assistance.

While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have settled on your furnishings or carpeting, it might help freshen the air circulating around your house.

And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be useful if you or a family member has lung trouble, including 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 determine what’s correct for your house.

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your heating and cooling equipment to clean your entire home. Some kinds can clean on their own when your HVAC unit isn’t on.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Seek an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and provide the best filtration you can buy, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid using an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the top ingredient in smog. The EPA cautions ozone might irritate respiratory troubles, even when released at low settings.

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

  • What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger number means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
  • How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be replaced]? Can I finish that without help?
  • How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic recommends taking other procedures to limit your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can aggravate symptoms. If you must do these chores alone, consider using a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and put on clean clothes once you’re done.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outside.
  4. Run your air conditioner while at home or while in the car. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s home comfort unit.
  5. Even out your home’s humidity percentage with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities

Prepared to progress with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at (815) 914-6197 or contact us online to get an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right unit for your family and budget.