It is an all-too-common mistake. Many allergy sufferers put away their air purifiers between the fall ragweed and spring pollens. In reality, winter may be the single best season to keep them running! A good air purifier will simulate ventilation while using filters to trap particulates and harmful pollutants. Air purifiers are a great teammate in your battle against poor winter air quality, but they aren’t the end-all solution. Therefore, don’t just set it and forget it. Make sure you are aware of what an air purifier won’t do, too.
Air purifiers do not:
- Negate the need for dusting. The purifier’s fan that circulates the air isn’t strong enough to pull dust off furniture and fixtures.
- Neutralize odors. Only high-end models with a separate carbon filter can do this.
- Work the same at all speeds. Higher speeds increase the square footage of coverage.
- Kill Germs. While purifiers certainly help trap dust and particulates that carry germs, they do not have sufficient UV light properties necessary to actually kill germs.
- Trap all dust mites. Positioning the purifier in a bedroom will only trap dust mites that have become airborne. If this is of concern, a bed liner designed for dust mites is your best bet.
Clearly, air purifiers do not provide the complete solution. They are, however, a very nice addition to households where air quality is of concern. Winter is not the time to stow away the unit. Allergies or not, having an air purifier can be an important component in your overall strategy to keep indoor air clean in the winter.