There’s nothing quite like finding yourself in the midst of an airborne-virus pandemic to cause you to consider the air quality of your home. Most people understand that clean air is important for a healthy life. Knowing what to do to keep the air in our homes breathable is where the questions start. Read on to find out how to keep the air in your home healthy.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) & Air Filters
The EPA mentions two main ways to keep indoor air healthy for breathing: remove indoor pollutants and ventilate with clean outdoor air. As a supplement to these two methods, they also suggest air filtration. This is accomplished by upgrading the filter in a whole house HVAC system and/or adding an air filtration device, or air purifier, to a specific room.
Purifying the Air
Air purifiers work for a specific amount of space. Each filter will have a clean air delivery rate (CADR) number. The higher the CADR, the more particles a machine can filter and the larger the space the filter can clean. Typically filters using HEPA filters are most effective. In larger rooms you may need more than one unit. Consult the manufacturer information to learn what size room the filter will clean. All air purifiers have filters that will need to be cleaned regularly, usually after a certain number of hours of filtration. For specific information on purchasing air purifiers, check out the EPA’s product guides that are located here.
The EPA says “when used properly, air purifiers can help reduce airborne contaminants including viruses in a home or confined space.” They emphasize that an air purifier alone cannot protect against any particular virus, so good cleaning routines, appropriate mask-wearing, and frequent handwashing are necessary.
Additional Air Purifying Tips
According to Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Medicine, use actual air filtering machines, and “Steer clear of chemical disinfection methods such as foggers, fumigators, or other “air cleaning” devices, which may emit compounds that cause respiratory or cardiovascular problems, and which have not been proven to reduce disease transmission.” They also suggest wiping down surfaces with mild detergents or soap water since using harsh chemicals like bleach or other disinfectants adds to the pollution in our homes.
The path to clean air in your home is relatively easy to obtain. Ventilate your home with clean, outdoor air, when possible, keep chemical use to a minimum inside your home, and consider air filters on your HVAC system, as well as possibly adding air purifiers in specific rooms where they are most needed. A little consideration about the air in your home will have you breathing easier in no time.
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