Our health is continuously affected by the air we breathe, especially in recent times with industrialization moving in gigantic steps, thus making air purifiers one of the most important devices in our daily lives.
Air purifiers have become very popular today because users see results in them. If you have been searching for an air purifier, you might wonder: Are air purifiers worth it? This article will show the benefits of owning an air-purifying machine and its direct impact on our daily lives.
What Does an Air Purifier Do?
Most people spend a high percentage of their time indoors, where the air is easily polluted, mainly due to industrial changes. Luckily, an air purifier can fix that.
An air purifier contributes to our well-being by sanitizing the air and removing dangerous particles from it. It works differently from filters because it doesn’t only move the polluted air away, but it cleans it and then releases it back into circulation. Cool, right? Keep reading if you want to learn more about air purifiers and their benefits.
Do Air Purifiers Really Work?
The effectiveness of air purifiers depends on many factors. The amount of polluted air that comes into your house because of your windows or doors being open for a long period of time, the air quality in the area you live, your home hygiene in general, and more.
High-efficiency air purifiers clean the air of viruses, bacteria, and other pollutants, but only in the air; other surfaces need to be cleaned manually. In addition, air purifiers also help remove toxic pollutants from the air. That can be accomplished by choosing the air purifier with the filter that you mostly need.
Are Air Purifiers Worth It?
Air purifiers do work and can undoubtedly make a difference in the air quality inside your home by removing allergens and pollutants from the air. But air purifiers aren’t that cheap, ranging from $50 to well over $1000, not including the maintenance costs. But let’s take a look at the advantages of an air purifier to know whether or not it is worth it.
Reduce dust
The presence of dust in the outdoor and indoor environment is very high, especially during the upcoming days of summer. Unfortunately, dust can produce unpleasant effects on the human body, starting from sneezing, mouth-drying, eye rash, etc.
While we can do very little for the air outdoors without a well-organized effort, we can do much for the air indoors with personal effort. Using a good air purifier will remove a high percentage of dust floating around the air and give the home a clean and fresh feeling. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter can capture 99.97% of particles as small as 3 microns of dust, pollen, and mold, proving that air purifiers have an outstanding contribution to removing dust.
Lower the risks of allergies and asthma
Air cleaners also contribute to reducing the risks of allergies and asthma. The HEPA filter, as said before, removes pollen, dust, and mold spores, with pollen being one of the most allergic particles. By reducing the presence of these harmful matters, the air purifier reduces the risks of asthma or allergies, making our life easier.
Neutralizes smoke
Another fantastic effect of air purifying devices is the neutralization of smoke. Smoke can be produced by many factors: smoking, burning of coal and other materials, fireplaces, cars, etc. These high levels of smoke travel through the air and negatively affect people’s lives.
An air purifier with a carbon-activated filter works best in this case, according to EPA Victoria. They can remove smaller particles that the HEPA filter cannot successfully catch and kill.
Remove household odors
EPA Victoria suggests that the best odor remover is the molecule technology that destroys molecules of airborne odors. Together with carbon filters, the molecule technology makes for a good remover, with the second being more effective than the first.
Remove pet dander
Pets’ bodies secrete some products, with one of them being dander. Because pet dander can become an allergen for some people, its removal is very important. However, pet dander particles can simply pass through some filters because of their size. In this case, the most effective filter is the HEPA filter, which can effectively remove pet dander. It is important to know that the filters must be changed regularly to stay effective longer.
Reduces the chances of airborne diseases
Dust, smoke, odors, pet dander, and other air pollutants increase the possibility of people having airborne diseases. Some of them contribute to allergies, asthma, and other health problems. Air purifiers are the solution for reducing the chances of airborne diseases, as their filters fight against them with perseverance.
Eliminates hazardous asbestos particles
Hazardous asbestos is one of the most dangerous house habitants and can cause severe damage to human health, even cancer. Air purifiers help remove hazardous asbestos throughout the house, but proper usage is the key to their effectiveness. Levoit suggests that their LV-H132 Purifier is able to eliminate particles down to 0.3 microns which makes it effective in removing asbestos from the air.
Because of the danger that asbestos opposes, we need to know that the air purifier must be used in the same room where the asbestos is located because it is not adequate for an entire house. Still, to completely remove asbestos from your home, you may need physical intervention by experts that test and remove it.
Removes harmful radon
The presence of radon in a home is very dangerous. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists radon as one of the materials that contribute to lung cancer if exposed to it for a long time. Radon can enter your house through tiny spaces, like the floor or wall cracks.
People worldwide use different systems to reduce the presence of radon in their homes. The most common method is to strengthen the isolation of the foundation, but air purifiers with carbon-activated filters can undoubtedly help. They are very effective in removing toxic matters from the air due to the high ability of carbon to the filtrate, as mentioned before.
Improves sleep
The presence of odors has a bad influence on your sleep quality, and knowing that air purifiers remove most of them once again proves the need for one. Dust, pollen, mold, spores, and pet skin flakes negatively affect sleep quality, and fortunately, all of the listed can be removed with an air purifier. Your mornings will be fresher, and your sleep quality will increase every night.
Solve other issues related to poor air quality
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences lists air quality as one of the essential factors in human life. Air pollution, besides asthma, can cause other respiratory conditions, including emphysema, bronchitis, cancer, and more. Considering many diseases that become possible because of polluted air, it is urgent to intervene.
Air purifiers have a massive contribution in cleaning the air out of particles that cause the air quality to drop. Chances of getting respiratory and lung diseases, if not eliminated, at least are significantly reduced with the usage of air purifiers, so we suggest you invest in one.
Can increase life expectancy
The diseases mentioned above can negatively impact life expectancy. Air purifiers clean the air, which reduces the chances of health issues, reflecting the rise in life expectancy.
The Bottom Line
Air purifiers increase the air quality in the indoor environment where people spend most of their time. Improving air quality equals improved sleep, increased life expectancy, and better health. So, the bottom line is: invest in air purifiers because not only do they make your life healthier and easier, but they can go all the way and save your life.
