We spend a good majority of our time inside. In reality, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined being within a building makes up 90% of our days. Although, the EPA also has determined your indoor air can be three to five times dirtier than outdoors.

That’s because our homes are securely sealed to boost energy efficiency. While this is fantastic for your heating and cooling bills, it’s not so fantastic if you’re amid the 40% of the population with respiratory allergies.

When outside ventilation is restricted, pollutants such as dust and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) may get stuck. Consequently, these pollutants could aggravate your allergies.

You can improve your indoor air quality with crisp air and usual cleaning and vacuuming. But if you’re still having issues with symptoms during the time you’re at home, an air purifier may be able to provide relief.

While it can’t get rid of pollutants that have settled on your couch or carpeting, it may help purify the air circulating around your residence.

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

There are two models, a portable air purifier or a whole-home air purifier. We’ll examine the advantages so you can learn what’s correct for your house.

Whole-House Air Purifier vs. Portable Air Purifiers

A portable air purifier is for a lone room. A whole-house air purifier works alongside your heating and cooling system to clean your entire house. Some models can clean on their own when your heating and cooling unit isn’t running.

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Allergies?

Look for a model with a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter. HEPA filters are placed in hospitals and offer the best filtration you can find, as they catch 99.97% of particles in the air.

HEPA filters are even more useful when combined with an ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light. This powerful blend can eliminate dust, dander, pollen and mold, all of which are general allergens. For the greatest in air purification, think over equipment that also has a carbon-based filter to eliminate household smells.

Avoid buying an air purifier that makes ozone, which is the primary ingredient in smog. The EPA advises ozone may irritate respiratory issues, even when emitted at low amounts.

The Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America has created a checklist of questions to think over when buying an air purifier.

  • What can this purifier remove from the air? What doesn’t it extract?
  • What’s its clean air delivery rate? (A bigger amount means air will be purified more rapidly.)
  • How frequently does the filter or UV bulb need to be switched]? Can I finish that on my own?
  • How much do spare filters or bulbs cost?

How to Reduce Seasonal Allergy Symptoms

Want to receive the {top|most excellent|best] results from your new air purification equipment? The Mayo Clinic recommends taking other procedures to reduce your exposure to seasonal allergy triggers.

  1. Stay inside and keep windows and doors shut when pollen counts are heightened.
  2. Have someone else cut the lawn or pull weeds, since these jobs can trigger symptoms. If you must do these jobs alone, you may want to consider wearing a pollen mask. You should also shower immediately and put on clean clothes once you’re completed.
  3. Avoid drying laundry outside your home.
  4. Use air conditioning while at your house or while you’re on the road. Consider adding a high efficiency air filter in your house’s HVAC unit.
  5. Equalize your house’s humidity saturation with a whole-house dehumidifier.
  6. Hardwood, tile or linoleum are the best flooring materials for reducing indoor allergens. If your house has carpet, install a HEPA filter on your vacuum cleaner.

Let Our Professionals Handle Your Indoor Air Quality Requirements

Ready to move forward with getting a whole-house air purifier? Give our experts a call at 812-200-5844 or contact us online to request an appointment. We’ll help you choose the right equipment for your residence and budget.