If you have pets or suffer from asthma (or both), you have probably thought of purchasing an air cleaner. Many air cleaners cost between $30 and $350, and most of them come with air filters in order to suck out small particles. But what do the best air cleaners actually do?
Purifiers that are certified by the American Society for Testing and Materials are the most effective. They also contain the most powerful air freshening agents, so they don't only mask the smell of pet dander, but they are also able to get rid of dust mites, mold, pollen, and other small organisms. They can even clear out bacteria. A good air cleaner will use several different types of filters and a variety of elements to improve the air quality in your home.
A less effective air cleaner can use chemicals like chloroform or ozone in order to mask smells. These are not only less effective than the most effective purifiers, but they are also likely to cause long-term health problems, such as headaches, asthma, vomiting, diarrhea, and skin irritation. So if your air cleaner doesn't contain these chemicals, look for one that does. You may need to find a better purifier that contains them in order to get the kind of air that you want.
Air cleaners that are certified by the EPA to provide some protection from airborne pollutants, although this protection is not very strong. Air pollution can be caused by a variety of things, including the emissions from factories and cars, smoke from construction sites, and other pollutants emitted from power plants. This type of air cleaner will not remove as much of the pollutants as one that is certified by the EPA, but it will help reduce the amount of pollutants that are in your air. However, it won't be able to completely eliminate them.
There are also air purifying units that are certified by the EPA, but they are also not as effective at removing the pollutants that are in your air as those that are certified by the ASTM. The units that are certified by the EPA are also not as powerful as those that are certified by the ASTM, because they use a variety of chemicals instead of strong filters.
There are a number of other brands of air cleaners that are also available. In order to get the best possible results, you should buy an air cleaner that will not only clean your air and eliminate the allergens in your home, but that will also make it a little bit easier to breathe. In fact, if you live in a very humid area, you should consider buying an air cleaner that has an ozone generator built in. This way you won't have to worry about dealing with allergies or breathing in all those nasty odors from pet dander.