An air purifier helps clean the air in your home or office. Some air purifiers claim to remove 99.99% of particles and contaminants from the air of a business or home. They are marketed for being highly effective for people with allergies or asthma. Some air purifiers are also good at removing second-hand smoke. They have different capacities, as some can purify a room only while others work well for an entire home. People who have not installed an air purifier yet often ask, "Do air purifiers work?" Come discover your answer.

Do Air Purifiers Really Work?

Depending on the quality of air purifiers, they are capable of removing at least 90% of the particles from the air. They prove quite effective in reducing the effects of dust mites and cat dander. Air purifiers are available in different types and sizes. Some of the most popular ones use the HEPA filter and actually work to improve the air quality within your business or home.

It is important to follow certain recommendations offered by the EPA to use portable air purifiers. You need to place them away from walls or any other obstruction. Place them in a way that they blow the clean air into open areas. For maximum effects, you need to keep all the windows and doors of the room closed.

Can Air Purifiers Remove Mold?

Yes, some air purifiers are capable of removing mold particles from the air, but they are not effective when it comes to killing mold spores. Even UV light treatment is not effective against mold spores. However, these spores may trap in a filter, which keep them from proliferating in your home. It is for this reason that you need to be very careful when disposing of used filters. Change all filters outside your home to ensure you do not release trapped spores and particles in the air.

Can Air Purifiers Work for Pet Allergies?

They do work for pet allergies to some extent. Most good quality purifiers can remove pet dander and hair from the air, but it is possible for heavier pet dander particles to fall out of the air column and find their way onto surfaces. Therefore, you need to clean your purifiers often. Also, ensure that you do not let pets enter your bedroom to prevent pet allergies.

Can Air Purifiers Prevent Hay Fever?

It doesn’t just depend on the quality of a purifier you are using, but it also depends on what causes hay fever allergy in your case. Various fungi, pollens, dust mites, mold spores, and cockroaches can cause hay fever. Most air purifiers are effective against pollen. It means that if your hay fever is due to pollen allergy, air purifiers will work amazingly well to prevent this complication. If your hay fever is due to dust mites, pet dander, or cockroach body parts, air purifiers may not prove that effective because these particles are rather heavy and fall out of the air column.

You can help prevent hay fever by using a high quality air purifier and HEPA filter equipped vacuums to remove particles from all the surfaces. Using allergen covers on pillows and bedding may also help. Moreover, you should not allow pets to enter your sleeping areas if pet dander and hair are the reasons behind your hay fever allergy.

Do air purifiers work? Yes, they do, but they have their limitations. Still, they are an effective tool to help improve the quality of air in your home and office. You will have to take other steps as well to limit your exposure to allergens and prevent allergic attacks and complications such as hay fever.

5 Types of Air Purifiers: How Do They Work?

As mentioned, there are different types and sizes of air purifiers available in the market today. It is important to learn a bit about how they work to answer the question, "Do air purifiers work?" and "What type of air purifier should you have installed in your room?"

1. HEPA Filters

It uses a cloth filter that is 99.99% effective in filtering particles. It can filter particles that are 0.3 microns or larger. It has a fan that circulates air throughout the machine. It is capable of retrieving almost all types of harmful particles from the air. The filter can last many years. It is effective but uses a lot of energy.

2. Ozone Purifiers

Ozone, a reactive oxidant, is capable of destroying different types of chemicals and bacteria. It reacts with different substances in the air and breaks them down into smaller particles or materials. An Ozone purifier picks those smaller particles or pollutants and eliminates them from the air. These purifiers are usually quite effective in fighting odors, but they are not that useful against allergens.

3. Carbon Air Purifiers

These purifiers are effective against particles such as smoke, gas, and odor. It contains small pores, which are highly absorbent. It reacts to particles when they pass through it, but the purifier is not that effective against allergens and other microorganisms.

4. Ionic Air Purifiers

They work by ionizing air and making particles to gain negative or positive charge. It consists of many plates that contain an opposite charge from the air particles. The air particles get attracted toward the plates. These purifiers are quite effective in removing very fine particles, but they cannot kill germs or remove odors.

5. UV Light Air Purifiers

These air purifiers work by sterilizing microorganisms when they pass through. They prove quite effective in sterilizing germs, viruses, mold, and bacteria, but they do not work as effectively against odors, smoke, chemicals, or allergens.