air purifiers for mold

Air purifiers for mold can be an important tool for people with mold allergies, asthma, or other health conditions that are easily exacerbated by exposure to mold. Microscopic mold spores are inhaled into your nose, where they can cause allergy symptoms like sneezing, itching, and a runny nose. Mold spores can also get into your lungs, where they can trigger an asthma attack. You can read more about the symptoms of mold-related health problems.

Symptoms may be reduced or prevented altogether with a good air purifier. Mold spores are removed from the air and trapped in a filter, so they cannot be inhaled.

It’s important to understand that an air purifier won’t remove mold that is growing in your home. It will only remove mold spores from the air. That’s important because mold spores are everywhere around us and it is impossible to keep all mold spores out of your home. If you’ve got mold growing in your home, though, an air purifier won’t get rid of the mold and it won’t eliminate the risk to your health. You’ll need to have the mold removed. You can follow this link to read more about mold removal.

Do You Need an Air Purifier for Mold?

While anyone can benefit from one, some people find air purifiers for mold particularly useful, including:

People that are allergic to mold
People with other environmental allergies, such as allergies to dust or pet dander
People with asthma or other chronic breathing problems
People with other health problems, such as disorders of the immune system, that might be made worse by exposure to mold (ask your doctor if an air purifier might benefit you)
Infants and elderly people, both of whom are at increased risk for mold-related health problems
Pregnant women, for whom mold-related illness may be particularly severe (you can read more about exposure to mold during pregnancy)

What Should You Look for in an Air Purifier?

If you’re going to invest in one, you’ll want to make sure you get an effective air purifier. Mold particles are very tiny, microscopic. To make sure an air purifier will remove them from the air, choose an air purifier with a HEPA (high-energy particulate air) filter, as recommended by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.

HEPA filters consist of a mat of fiberglass fibers that trap particles in the air as the air moves through the mat or filter. They must meet strict standards established by the U.S. Department of Energy and they must remove from the air at least 99.97 percent of all particles measuring 0.3 micrometers or more. What this means in plain English is that almost all mold spores, dust, pet dander, and all sorts of other allergens and irritants will be caught in the HEPA filter.

Other factors to consider when choosing an air purifier include:

Is it energy efficient?
Does it run quietly?
Is it easy to clean?
Does it include a carbon filter to remove odors from the air as well as mold and other debris?
Are replacement filters affordable and readily available? And are the filters easy to replace?
Does it have easy-to-operate controls?
Is it affordable?
Does it come with a warrantee?
Does it get good reviews from other people who have used it?

You’ll also need to choose an appropriate-sized air purifier. Air purifiers come in different sizes and the right size for you will depend on the size of the area in which you want to remove mold spores and other debris from the air. You may need more than one air purifier in order to keep the air pure throughout your home, especially if you have a large home or more than one story.

Our Top Recommend Air Purifiers for Mold

Our favorite air purifiers for mold are those made by Honeywell. This is the number one brand recommended by allergists. Honeywell air purifiers contain HEPA filters and many also contain carbon filters to remove odors from the air (those are great if anyone in the household smokes). Several models are available and they range in price based on the features you choose, but all are affordable and provide an easy way to reduce exposure to mold and other allergens in the home. You can learn more about Honeywell air purifiers and also read reviews from other people who have purchased them by following this link to Amazon.com.

Return From Air Purifiers For Mold To Our Allergy Treatment Page

Ref:
Asthma and Allergy Foundation