We spend lots of time in our homes. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being inside comprises 90% of our days. Having said that, the EPA also says your indoor air can be three to five times more polluted than outdoors.

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

When outside ventilation is limited, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get captured. As a result, these pollutants can worsen your allergies.

You can enhance your indoor air quality with clean air and regular dusting and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms while you’re at your residence, an air purifier may be able to provide relief.

While it can’t remove pollutants that have settled on your furniture or carpet, it can help clean the air circulating throughout your residence.

And air purification has also been scientifically proven to help reduce some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It could also be appropriate if you or a family member has lung issues, like emphysema or COPD.

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

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier accompanies your HVAC system to clean your entire residence. Some types can clean independent when your heating and cooling system isn’t operating.

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 deliver the most comprehensive filtration you can find, as they trap 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more useful when used with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This dynamic blend can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are common allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to decrease household vapors.

Avoid using an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA advises ozone may aggravate respiratory issues, even when emitted at small concentrations.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has made a checklist of questions to think over when buying an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier extract from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher amount means air will be freshened more rapidly.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I complete that by myself?
  • How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?

How to Decrease Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to get the {top|most excellent|best] outcome from your new air purification system? The Mayo Clinic advises doing other steps to decrease your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have other household members cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can trigger symptoms. If you are required to do these jobs yourself, you may want to consider trying a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outside.
  4. Use air conditioning while indoors or while driving. Consider using a high efficiency air filter in your home’s heating and cooling system.
  5. Even out your residence’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring types for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Necessities

Want to take the next step with adding a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 308-321-4703 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you find the ideal system for your house and budget.