We spend a lot of time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has estimated being indoors makes up 90% of our time. However, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outside your home.

That’s due to the fact our residences are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is good for your utility costs, it’s not so great if you’re among the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outside ventilation is insufficient, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might get stuck. As a consequence, these pollutants may worsen your allergies.

You can boost your indoor air quality with fresh air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having problems with symptoms when you’re at your house, an air purifier may be able to provide assistance.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have gotten trapped in your couch or flooring, it might help purify the air moving around your residence.

And air purification has also been scientifically confirmed to help lessen some allergic symptoms, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. It may also be helpful if you or a family member has lung trouble, like emphysema or COPD.

There are two options, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the advantages so you can figure out what’s appropriate 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 works with your heating and cooling system to treat your complete house. Some types can work on their own when your home comfort system isn’t operating.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

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

HEPA filters are even more useful when installed with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This mighty mixture 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 smells.

Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the top component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone could worsen respiratory troubles, even when emitted at low settings.

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 take out from the air? What doesn’t it take out?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher figure means air will be cleaned more quickly.)
  • How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I do that by myself?
  • How much do new filters or bulbs cost?

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to have the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification unit? The Mayo Clinic suggests doing other steps to decrease your exposure to things that can trigger seasonal allergies.

  1. Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are elevated.
  2. Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can irritate symptoms. If you have to do this work on your own, you might want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower without delay and put on clean clothes once you’re done.
  3. Avoid hanging laundry outdoors.
  4. Use your air conditioner while at your house or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your home’s HVAC system.
  5. Even out your home’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the suggested flooring materials for lowering indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Pros Manage Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Ready to take the next step with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 843-485-0967 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you choose the ideal equipment for your home and budget.