Not sure what the benefits of an air purifier are? You may want to get one if you stay in an urban area. Where it’s not possible to have fresh clean air from the outdoors!
A 2018 survey among 511 Malaysians found that 60% face poor indoor air quality, and 75% are urbanites!
And because it is easier for bacteria to grow in closed environments with humans, we should be making indoor air quality a priority!
Read on to find out what else an air purifier can help you with!
Table Of Contents:
How Do Air Purifiers Work?
The main goal of an air purifier is to provide healthy air for us. Most air purifiers work by drawing in air around them with a fan, and filtering this air.
By trapping contaminants in their filter(s). While the filtered air (i.e. purified air) goes back into the room!
A HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter greatly increases the efficiency of an air purifier.
Because they are finer than their non-HEPA counterparts (which are also mechanical filters). In fact, a fiberglass strand in a HEPA filter is even thinner than a strand of human hair!
To capture particles down to 0.3 microns in size! For reference, stuff that we can see are at least 50 microns big.
It is common for air purifiers to incorporate an activated carbon filter as well for absorbing odors. Or a pre-filter to prolong the life of the HEPA filter!
What Are The Benefits Of Air Purifiers?
Having an air purifier around has long-term health benefits to our lungs and will also bring down the infectivity rate of the common cold (and some other airborne sicknesses) in your home.
We’ll go over the main benefits in a bit more detail below.
And as for whether or not an air purifier or an air humidifier might be better for you, check out our article on air purifiers VS air humidifiers for all you need to know.
1. Remove Contaminants (Sanitize)
You’d be surprised at how many things can contribute to poor air quality when you’re indoors! Some of these unseen chemicals are known carcinogens!
Air purifiers can reduce the presence of the following contaminants in our home:
- Germs – Not all but the ones that are not smaller than what the air purifier filter is stated for!
- Nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide from air pollution in Malaysia – especially due to haze and also if you live in a high-traffic zone, or smoke a lot
- Radon gas (carcinogenic) from common building materials like cement
- Asbestos – Apparently, asbestos is not completely banned in Malaysia for use in private building materials!
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from cleaning chemicals, aerosol sprays, air fresheners, paint, and other solvents; Includes aldehyde (i.e. formaldehyde) emissions from cooking fumes – also carcinogenic
2. Minimize Allergens
Airborne pet dander (i.e. fur), dust mites, mold spores, cigarette smoke, and pollen are all common triggers for hay fever (i.e. allergic rhinitis) and asthma!
Air purifiers can suck some of these airborne allergens so we don’t breathe as many (or any)! HEPA filters in particular, can remove more than 99.9% of allergens.
Thus, air purifiers can provide relief for asthma sufferers. And for those that struggle to sleep at night because of nasal congestion related to allergic rhinitis!
Air pollutants don’t just affect our airways. They can also affect our skin! And may contribute to skin conditions like, eczema, contact dermatitis, and urticarial.
3. Reduce Odors
Keep pets? You can reduce natural pet odors with an air purifier! The same goes for any noticeable chemical smells.
What about smoking and cooking?
We would suggest that if possible, refrain from smoking indoors at all! Because air purifiers do not completely rule out the risks that come with secondhand smoking! As this study shows.
And for frequent cooking, you should install a ducted exhaust system over your stove! Air purifiers are not meant to collect oil!
Can An Air Purifier Reduce Dust?
The short answer is yes. With prolonged use of an air purifier, you may even notice that you need to clean less!
However, it’s important to note that having an air purifier does not mean that you can skip cleaning your home altogether!
Dust will always accumulate! Fun fact: Visible dust is mainly dead skin cells shed from our skin!
So you’ll still need to whip out your vacuum cleaner every so often!
Because air purifiers only remove airborne dust. That means dust that is still floating around the air which has not yet come to rest on your furniture, floor, carpet, etc.
In that way, air purifiers can reduce the dust build up in our homes!
As long as you remember to change out the filters in your air purifiers accordingly. This is typically between 3 to 6 months.
A dirty filter can significantly impair the air purifier’s efficiency at removing dust!
Conclusion
The benefits of an air purifier are numerous. We did not include the indirect benefits.
Like prolonging your lifespan, improving your stress levels and sleep, protecting those with weaker immune systems, or preventing headaches caused by sinus!
And there are some manufactures that claim that their air purifiers can catch mosquitoes too!
See reviews for recommended air purifiers in Malaysia (and how to choose an air purifier that suits your needs)!
