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Woman with air purifier sitting on window sill

Are Air Purifiers a Waste of Money?

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There are many different kinds of air purifiers that are available on the market, however, they all have the same goal, to clean the air you and your family breathe. We think little through the day about air quality, but the fact is that indoor air quality is often subpar and can lead to various health issues. Here you will learn why air purifiers are not a waste of money and how they can benefit your health and well-being.

Air purifiers work by using a filter or series of filters to separate particles from the air to improve air quality. Depending on the air purifier, the filters are able to trap particles as small as .3 microns (HEPA filters). In comparison, the average air conditioner can filter particles as small as 10 microns in size. As air purifiers can capture much smaller particles, they are very good at improving air quality throughout a home or room. Having an air purifier can benefit your home in a variety of ways including removing allergens and hazardous particles, improving sleep, and reducing dust throughout the home.

Woman sneezing into tissueBenefits of Air Purifiers

Remove Allergens and Hazardous Particles

One of the biggest benefits is that they remove allergens from the air. Even those that suffer from extremely mild allergies can benefit from the reduction of dander, pollen, and dirt in the air. When allergies are a constant issue it leads to the production of phlegm and mucus. This then creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and viruses in the body. By having cleaner air people report fewer illnesses in their homes and a higher quality of living.

It also has been shown that having a system in the home (find the right size air purifier for your home) that cleans the air can reduce more serious health issues. We do not often think about all of the materials that were used to build our home. However, over time these materials break down and become fine dust particles in the air. These particles often contain various carcinogens and other hazardous materials that are not healthy to be inhaled. An air purifier constantly cycles the air while cleaning it so that you can greatly reduce the risks that can be posed by these menacing particles. If you’re interested, take a look at our article comparing the best air purifiers for cleaning allergens.

Improved Sleep

They are also well known to improve the quality of sleep of those that have one in their bedroom. One reason is simply the noise that they produce. People tend to sleep best when there is white noise in the background. It is very soothing and blocks out the disruption of sleep that can occur from other noises through the night. Additionally, it only makes sense that those that are breathing in clean air while they sleep would enjoy a more restful night than those that don’t. Some people even report a reduction in snoring, which of course makes sleeping easier for that person as well as their partner. We spend one-third of our lives sleeping, which is one of the most important things we do for our health. There is nothing that we shouldn’t do in order to ensure we get the best rest possible each and every night.

Close-up of dust on woman fingerReduces Dust

They can also reduce the amount of cleaning that you have to do each week. Instead of dirt, dust, and fur depositing on your ledges, furniture, and in your carpet, it is collected by the machine. Of course, you will still need to dust from time to time but you will notice a significant decrease in the frequency in which you need to do it. It can also extend the life of your carpeting by collecting dust and dirt before it reaches the floor and is ground into the carpeting when people walk on it.

It can also help to extend the life of the appliances in your home. When dirt, dust, and fur collect in your appliances it leads to the motor having to work harder than it is intended to. This happens because air is brought in to run the motor. You surely have seen all of the dust bunnies that can collect in and around your refrigerator. When this happens it reduces the life of the motor, leading to you having to replace it sooner than you would have otherwise. By having a home with cleaner air this will not occur nearly as fast, which will save you a great deal of money on the replacement of appliances over a lifetime.

Your furnace will even benefit from having an air purifier in your home. Due to the fact that you are collecting all of the particles in the air before it reaches your ducts and furnace, you will be extending the life of your furnace filters. Dirty furnace filters lead to the furnace having to work harder to heat your home. The same is true when it comes to dirty duct systems that can eventually become built up with debris. Not only will you find that your family is breathing better, but that you are saving money by reducing the destruction that can be caused to various components of your home.

Final Thoughts

There really is no reason to not invest in having cleaner air in your home. It will save you money, improve your sleep quality, improve the health of everyone that lives there, and even reduce the frequency in which you have to dust surfaces. Think less about it being an additional cost (see how much do air purifiers cost) as it really is an investment in your home and your health that will pay of in the years to come.