We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approximated being within a building makes up 90% of our time. Having said that, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outside your home.

That’s since our houses are tightly sealed to increase energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your energy bills, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outdoors ventilation is insufficient, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants can irritate your allergies.

You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and regular housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms when you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to help.

While it can’t remove pollutants that have gotten trapped in your furnishings or carpeting, it might help purify the air traveling throughout your home.

And air purification has also been scientifically verified to help lower some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It can also be helpful if you or someone in your household has lung issues, including emphysema or COPD.

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

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

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

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Look for an option with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are used in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can buy, as they eliminate 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid buying an air purifier that generates ozone, which is the main element in smog. The EPA cautions ozone could irritate respiratory troubles, even when discharged at small settings.

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

  • What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A better figure means air will be cleaned more rapidly.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be changed]? Can I finish that on my own?
  • How much do replacement filters or bulbs cost?

How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests completing other measures to decrease your exposure to problems that can cause seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors closed when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have other family members trim the lawn or pull weeds, since this work can aggravate symptoms. If you have to do these chores alone, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off immediately and change your clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid stringing up laundry outside your home.
  4. Use your air conditioner while indoors or while driving. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your residence’s heating and cooling unit.
  5. Balance your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring kinds for decreasing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, add a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Pros Take Care of Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Want to take the next step with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 815-933-8213 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the right unit for your house and budget.