People purchase air purifiers for many different reasons. Since a lot of studies have shown that indoor air can be just as unhealthy as the air outside, more and more people are choosing to have air purifiers in their homes. For the most part, air purifiers are made to clean the air of certain contaminants so that it is healthier for you to breathe, and this, fortunately, includes dust.
Since these devices vary from one brand to the next, the first thing that you should do before buying one is determine exactly what you’re planning to use it for. If you’re looking for one that specifically reduces the amount of dust in the air, you’re in luck because they are easy to find.
Air Purifiers and Dust
Air purifiers remove a lot of different allergens from the air and this includes dust. They can also remove pollutants such as bacteria, pollen, fungus, mold, and other volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. If you have a specific allergy to something that you are breathing in the air, you should check the description of the air purifier you’re researching to make sure that it will get rid of that particular allergen. For the most part, though, air purifiers do a great job of getting rid of most allergens so that you can breathe better and be healthier. This includes dust and dust mites.
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
Since there are numerous types of air purifiers, they each work a different way and therefore offer different advantages. All of these devices work in essentially the same way: they attract and then eliminate certain allergens and contaminants so that they are no longer in the air to harm you. Before you run out and buy your own purifier, you should know what the different types are. They include the following:
- HEPA filter purifiers: These purifiers have special filters that must attract a minimum of 99.97% of particles that are 0.3 microns or larger and they must have a fan that works to draw the pollutants through the device in order to eliminate them. These purifiers remove the dust my attracting the dust particles and keeping them inside of the filters, then the filters are thrown away at some point.
- Carbon purifiers: When it comes to absorbency, carbon filters are some of the best. They have tiny pores that are able to pick up the smallest contaminants, which bond with the charcoal so that they go no further. They eliminate the dust particles, which are ten attached to the charcoal so they don’t go anywhere else.
- Ultraviolet (UV) light purifiers: Once UV light hits a microorganism, it is sterilized and therefore cannot grow or breed. This is how these purifiers work. They make getting rid of germs and bacteria much easier. Many of them combine the UV light with a high-quality HEPA filter for the absolute best effect in the end. The UV light kills the dust particles and doesn’t allow them to get any bigger or go anywhere else.
- Ionic air purifiers: These purifiers are quiet and work without filters, which is why they are many people’s favorites. They ionize the air and cause particles to turn either positive or negative so that they can be collected and eliminated. One of their biggest advantages is their ability to attract even the tiniest particles so they can be destroyed, which works well with minute dust particles.
- Ozone purifiers: Ozone purifiers work because they contain a strong oxidant, which turns chemicals, bacteria, and odors into non-contaminants. They can eliminate things like dust particles efficiently and quickly and they even come with different settings, although most manufacturers recommend that you use a low setting most of the time.
- Purifying hydroxyl radical purifiers: Hydroxyl radicals are great cleansing agents and work much better than ozone does. They essentially eliminate and destroy dust and other contaminants, being a very efficient way to purify the air. Air purifiers that utilize hydroxyl radical technology are also some of the least-expensive purifiers on the market.
Why Should You Own an Air Purifier to Get Rid of Dust?
Getting rid of dust with an air purifier is efficient and fast. Purifiers use different methods to remove dust particles so they are eliminated from the air, but most experts agree that these devices are some of the easiest and most comprehensive ways to eliminate dust in your home so that you can breathe better and feel better. If you have young children or elderly individuals living in the home, these purifiers are even more important to own.
If you’re curious about the exact makeup of dust, it is interesting to note that dust is made up of numerous contaminants, including dead skin cells, insect body parts, food debris, human and pet hair, pollen, dust mites, mold, organic materials, and all types of plant materials. Unfortunately, dust is not just an inconvenience and makes cleaning your home more of a challenge, but it is also potentially dangerous for people who already suffer with any type of upper-respiratory problems.
Air-conditioning systems can circulate dust particles in the air, and dust can even get into your home through doors and windows that have slight cracks in them. Carpet also makes dust worse, because it gets trapped between the fibers and can be difficult to remove, even with regular vacuuming. If you’re trying to get rid of dust with an air purifier, it is recommended that you check how big of a space it can accommodate, which is usually described in the square footage it can clean. Getting more than one air purifier to remove dust from your home is not that uncommon.
Because your house is always smaller than the great outdoors, dust and other contaminants tend to concentrate in certain areas throughout your home, meaning that their effect is even greater than dealing with these contaminants when you’re outside. If you’re healthy, an air purifier isn’t as crucial as it is if you’re in less-than-perfect health; however, the truth is that all people can benefit from having high-quality air purifiers in their homes regardless of how healthy they are.
Why Is it So Important to Get Rid of Dust?
Dust is a problem for most people at one time or another. In addition to it being difficult to get rid of and even harder to ignore, it can also cause a host of physical problems that can affect you even if you are perfectly healthy. Dust can cause excessive sneezing, coughing, all sorts of nasal and sinus problems, and even asthma attacks and problems with lung infections if you’re prone to upper respiratory problems. Naturally, the situation is made much worse for young children, the elderly, and people whose health is not exactly up to par but anyone can suffer with these types of problems at any time.
Ways to Reduce Problems with Dust in Your Home
Dust is virtually impossible to get rid of completely but the good news is that there are steps you can take to eliminate some of it so that the physical problems associated with dust can be greatly reduced. Ironically, dust doesn’t just appear on top of furniture and shelves; in fact, you can find dust practically anywhere. The following tips should help you eliminate most of it.
- Reduce the amount of clutter found on your floors. It is easy for clothes, shoes, and other items to get stacked up on your floor in various spots. The more you get rid of these items and put them in their proper place, the less dust will have a chance to build up in the area.
- Make sure that your bedding is changed once a week. It’s always tempting to keep sheets and pillow cases on your bed for weeks at a time but weekly bedding changes go a long way in preventing dust and dust mites from building up inside of these items, including your mattress, which should be enclosed in an allergen-proof cover of some type.
- Clean from the top down. When you clean your room starting at the top, dust has a chance to fall down so that you can always be one step ahead of it. Cleaning furniture and anything else from the top down makes sense in many ways.
- Don’t use feather dusters. Feather dusters don’t soak up dust but merely redistribute it to other areas of your home. Although it may sound a little odd, you should try to use a moist towelette or damp washcloth instead because items such as these pick up the dust so that you can throw it away along with the cloth.
Conclusion
Dealing with dust can be a never-ending battle but purchasing an air purifier and keeping your home clean goes a long way in helping to get rid of that dust so that you feel better and stay healthier year after year. There are a lot of websites available that provide you with practical, simple tips to improve your home in many ways, including ways to get rid of dust and find the perfect air purifier for your needs.
Keep in mind that keeping your air its cleanest usually requires more than just purchasing a purifier or cleaning with the right materials. It is usually a multi-step process that consists of many different actions, all of which work together to keep your home as healthy as possible.
