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What is an air purifier?

Want to add the freshness back? Breathe easy with our air purifiers FAQs.

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You may spend hours cleaning your home, but don’t forget about the air you breathe. While it’s difficult to tell, you might have lots of nasties floating around your house – whether that’s pollen, pollution, chemicals or dust mites. According to Asthma + Lung UK, breathing poor quality household air can lead to all kinds of health problems. It can also affect the quality of your sleep.

Air purifiers for your home are a great way to give household air a good clean. Get an air purifier with a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter, and you’ll be able to trap all the tiny particles that you really don’t want to be breathing in. We’ll also talk your through air purifier benefits, answer common questions and help you find the best air purifier for you.

What do air purifiers do?

Air purifiers remove smoke, dust, pollen, odours, allergens, mould spores, bacteria and viruses from the air. If your house suffers from musty air, an air purifier can help make your place feel and smell much fresher and a nicer place to be.

How do air purifiers work?

Air purifiers work by sucking in air with a fan and then pulling that air through a filter to purify it. The pollutants stick to the filter and the clean air is then pushed back out into the room.

Do air purifiers help with allergies?

Yes. Because most air purifiers have HEPA filters, they’re able to trap tiny particles like pollen, pollution and dust mites – which are some of the main culprits when it comes to flaring up allergies.

The best air purifiers for allergies should have a clean air delivery rate that matches the size of the room where you plan to use it. Look for the air purifier’s CADR rating – it should be at least two thirds of your room size. For example, if you’ve got a room size of 120 square feet, look for a CADR rating of at least 80.

Tech tip:

Rather than having to buy lots of replacement filters, one option is to look for an air purifier with washable filter, like this Philips Series 800 air purifier. You’ll be warned when its time to clean the filter – which you can do with a vacuum or damp sponge. Another great thing about the air purifier is that it has an air quality monitor, so you’ll always be able to see how clean the air is.

Do air purifiers remove smells?

That’s one of the best things about air purifiers. Smells come from tiny particles, which air purifiers suck in and trap. So air purifiers can help remove smells, but to tackle the source of the smells, you’ll need more than an air purifier.

Does an air purifier cool the room?

That’s not their purpose. For one thing, air purifiers suck in air rather than blowing it out – so it’s not another form of air conditioner. However, there are a few exceptions. Dyson’s Pure Cool™ Fan is one of them. Not only does it create a cool breeze of filtered air, but it also removes irritants from your room too. It also comes with a screen letting you know fan speed and when the filter needs replacing.

Does an air purifier also dehumidify the air?

Air purifiers and dehumidifiers are generally two different things. While, air purifiers remove particles, dehumidifiers remove moisture. But again, there are always some exceptions. One example is the Russell Hobbs Fresh Air Pro. It sucks in air and removes both moisture (into its tank) and then filters the air through its HEPA filter. And because it’s so small, it’s a great portable air purifier that can be easily moved from room to room.

What are the benefits of an air purifier?

While we’ve talked smells and allergies, air purifiers have loads of benefits that may not be immediately obvious. Harsher cleaning products can linger in your home longer than we’d like – but air purifiers can remove them from the air.

By purifying the air in your house, you can reduce the chance of catching colds – as the filters capture bacteria, viruses and dust mites. Left to float around your house, these can even settle into your mattress – making breathing more difficult and affecting your sleep.

Plus, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your air purifier is eliminating these invisible nasties.

Top tips to improve your household air quality

While a home air purifier is a great help in keeping air quality good, it’s not the only thing you should rely on. Here are some other things you can do to breathe easier…

Open your windows every day

While we don’t want you to let the heat out in the colder months, opening your windows for just 5 minutes a day can help clear the air and reduces the risk of catching a virus. Just don’t do it during peak traffic times.

Don’t use cleaning sprays

While they’re convenient, sprays linger in the air. Stick to solid or liquid cleaners to keep chemicals out of the air.

Prevent condensation

Damp and mould thrives when there’s lots of condensation around the house. You can cut out condensation by not drying clothes inside (use an outside line or tumble dryer). Also, turn on an extraction fan when you’re cooking or showering.

Vacuum and dust regularly

If you’ve got carpets, it’s really important to vacuum your house often. And if you’ve got lots of wooden furniture, be sure to dust regularly. A slightly damp cloth is best – since it’ll trap the dust rather than just letting back into the air.

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