We spend a good majority of our time in our homes. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being inside accounts for 90% of our schedule. Although, 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 fantastic for your energy bills, it’s not so great if you’re a part of the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

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

You can boost your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual housework and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms while you’re at your house, an air purifier could be able to provide relief.

While it can’t eliminate pollutants that have landed on your furniture or flooring, it could help purify the air traveling throughout your home.

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 can also be useful if you or a loved one has lung issues, such as emphysema or COPD.

There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll discuss the differences so you can learn what’s right for your residence.

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

A portable air purifier is for one room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your heating and cooling equipment to treat your full home. Some kinds can purify independent when your HVAC system isn’t running.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Go after a purifier with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are installed in hospitals and offer the greatest filtration you can buy, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.

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

Avoid getting an air purifier that creates ozone, which is the main component in smog. The EPA cautions ozone could aggravate respiratory troubles, even when emitted at low settings.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has compiled a checklist of questions to ask when purchasing an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier take out from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A higher figure means air will be purified more rapidly.)
  • How regularly does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I complete that on my own?
  • How much do new filters or bulbs cost?

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

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

  1. Stay in your home and keep windows and doors sealed when pollen counts are high.
  2. Have someone else trim the lawn or pull weeds, since these tasks can aggravate symptoms. If you must do these jobs on your own, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also rinse off right away and put on clean clothes once you’re finished.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
  4. Use air conditioning while at your house or while driving. Consider installing a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC equipment.
  5. Even out your residence’s humidity levels with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the ideal flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your residence has carpet, use a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Specialists Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Needs

Want to take the next step with installing a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 402-509-5940 or contact us online to schedule an appointment. We’ll help you find the best unit for your family and budget.