Do Air Purifiers Help with Smell?
Smells are all around us, and when unpleasant odors linger in our homes, it can leave us feeling unsettled. Have you ever wondered where these odors come from? How can we get rid of them? And do air purifiers truly help eliminate these pesky smells? Join us as we uncover the answers to these questions and discover effective strategies to banish odors, helping you create a cleaner, fresher home you will love coming back to.
What is An Odor or Smell?
An odor is something that you can smell. Odors or smells can come from natural things, such as plants, flowers, or animals. Sometimes, an odor comes from a specific chemical that can cause or worsen physical symptoms in sensitive individuals. Some smells, such as vinegar, are harmless when used appropriately. However, there are gases, such as radon and carbon monoxide that, despite being odorless, can pose significant health risks. While we should not rely on odor to evaluate the indoor environment’s healthiness, the presence of unpleasant smells can certainly raise our concerns and anxieties.
Sources of Indoor Odors
Common indoor odors often arise from the following factors. By understanding the sources of these odors, we can take more effective measures to improve our living environment.
Smoke
No one enjoys a home filled with smoke, whether from cigarettes or the lingering scent of extinguished scented candles. Compared to other odors, smoke is difficult to eliminate, especially when it seeps into furniture, curtains, and carpets.
Pets
No matter how often you bathe your pets, they have unique natural odors. Cats, dogs, and all our furry friends leave behind dander and hair, frequently filling the home with unpleasant smells—especially problematic for allergy sufferers.
Cooking and Food
Lingering cooking smells, particularly from spices and frying, can remain in the home long after a meal, making them hard to disperse.
Mold and Mildew
Stale indoor air and accumulated moisture can foster the growth of mold, leading to a pungent and musty smell.
Trash
Forgetting to take out the trash can result in a nauseating odor of rotting meat or spoiled vegetables permeating the home.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Household chemicals, cleaning products, and paints often release volatile organic compounds and chemical fumes. These persist in the air and negatively impact indoor air quality.
Do Air Purifiers Help with Smell?
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
The air purifier benefits indoor air quality. Air purifiers are intended to remove pollutants from indoor air. Most air purifiers work by drawing indoor air through a filter. The filter captures dust and other airborne particles and then releases clean air back into the room. According to the EPA, air purifiers equipped with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters can remove at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns (µm). The HEPA air purifier can even capture some of the smaller particles found in smoke and pollution.
How Do Air Purifiers Remove Odors?
In fact, a HEPA air purifier can even capture some of the smaller particles found in smoke and pollution, effectively removing odors, but the air purifier with HEPA filter cannot filter out all odor-causing particles, especially those with diameters smaller than 0.001 microns. According to the EPA's Guide to Air Cleaners in the Home, an air purifier with an activated carbon filter is better at filtering gases. Activated carbon can adsorb roughly 50-65% of its weight in gases, smoke, and other chemical vapors, neutralizing these substances. “Adsorption” refers to the process by which materials cling together through chemical attraction, binding to the surface of the carbon. Activated carbon is treated with oxygen, creating millions of tiny pores within the carbon. The huge surface area makes activated carbon an ideal choice for adsorbing gases and odors. Therefore, choosing an air purifier with a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter can effectively remove odors.
How to Use an Air Purifier More Effectively to Remove Odors?
Choose the Best Air Purifier for Home
- HEPA Filter: When choosing the best air purifier for pets, having a High-Efficiency Particulate Air filter (HEPA filter) is essential. The HEPA air purifier can capture at least 99.97% of particles with a diameter of 0.3 microns, effectively filtering out some gaseous particles.
- Activated Carbon Filter: When choosing an air purifier for smoke, having an activated carbon filter is important. Many efficient air purifiers also come with activated carbon filters, which help eliminate smaller gas particles and odors caused by chemical gases.
- CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate): Choose an best air purifier for home with a high CADR value, which indicates the amount of air the air purifier can filter per minute. The higher the value, the better the purification efficiency.
- Coverage Area: Select an air purifier for home that is suitable for the size of your space, ensuring it can effectively cover the entire room.
Regular Maintenance
- Replace Filters: Regularly replace or clean the filters according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and your specific usage conditions to ensure the air purifier operates efficiently.
- Clean the Exterior: Periodically clean the exterior of the air purifier to prevent dust and debris from affecting its performance.
Additional Strategies for Removing Odors Beyond Air Purifiers
Air purifiers can help make the air in your home cleaner and fresher. However, we need to take further action to effectively address household odor issues.
Maintain Ventilation
Generally, outdoor air quality is better than indoor, so introducing fresh outdoor air can significantly improve the air and circulation in your home. Open windows and use fans to allow smells to naturally disperse. Pay special attention to ventilation in the kitchen and bathroom.
Keep Floors and Surfaces Clean
When cleaning surfaces in your home, it's recommended to work from top to bottom. For hard surfaces like shelves and cabinets, using a damp cloth or duster is more effective for removing dust rather than moving it elsewhere. For walls and painted surfaces, a dry sponge works well. Follow up with thorough vacuuming, especially of carpets, as they can trap pet hair, dander, mold, dirt, and dust, all of which can emit unpleasant odors.
Maintain Pet Hygiene
Bathe your pets at least once a month, with an ideal frequency of every one to two weeks, to effectively reduce odor buildup.
Clean the Kitchen
- Fridge Management: Regularly clean out expired or spoiled food from the refrigerator.
- Ventilate While Cooking: Turn on the exhaust fan while cooking to help keep the space well-ventilated and reduce odors.
Keep the Bathroom Clean
- Mold Prevention: Areas with water residue are prone to mold growth, such as toilets, sinks, and showers. You can clean sinks and showers with bleach regularly.
- Toilet Cleaning: Clean the toilet at least once a week with a toilet cleaner to keep it sanitary.
Undoubtedly, the HEPA air purifier benefits odor removal. The Provirtec ClearBreathe air purifier features a 5-stage filtration system that includes both a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter, designed to significantly tackle household odors and improve air quality. The Provirtec ClearBreathe air purifier is the ultimate choice for eliminating odors in your home, thanks to its exceptional performance. By combining this best air purifier with regular cleaning, proper ventilation, and attentive care of our pets, we can cultivate a healthy and comfortable living environment where every breath is a joy.
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