The idea of purifying the air in your home makes a lot of sense, especially when various forms of germs and viruses are more common. Inside air tends to be dirtier than the air outside since a house can be a huge source of air contaminants without providing an easy way of clearing them away.
Pet dander, mold, outside allergens, and more can all become trapped in a home, collecting dust and creating various health issues for residents. Reducing the number of contaminants in a home by using an air purifier can help alleviate these health issues and create a more comfortable home environment, but are air purifiers good for dust?
How Does an Air Purifier Remove Dust?
It’s the obvious question when looking to improve the air quality of your home: will an air purifier help with dust? Generally, air purifiers are made with a filter, or even several filters, and a fan to suck in and circulate the air in the home. The air purifier pulls air through the filter, causing air contaminants and pollutants to get trapped. After contaminants have been filtered out, clean, fresh air is blown back into the living area.
Filters are usually made of fibers (such as fiberglass), paper, or mesh. To keep an air purifier efficient and the air in the home clean, filters must be replaced regularly. The frequency at which air purifiers need to be replaced varies depending on what type of purifier you have, how much it is used, and what load of contaminants need filtering from your home’s air.
If your home is seldom used, such as a vacation home, you could go without changing your air filter except once or twice a year. For the typical family home, however, you should expect to change your air filter every 90 days. For people with severe allergies, if your home has a lot of dust, or if you want to keep your air cleaner to keep away germs and viruses, you can change your air filters every 30 days.
So if you’re wondering if your air purifier reduces dust, then rest assured: a well-operating air purifier and a clean air filter can make a huge difference.
What is Dust Made Of?
Depending on where you live and the environment around you, the dust you see in a ray of light isn’t just dirt or dead skin. Dust is often irritating, especially to those with allergies, and it even has the potential to be dangerous if it carries pathogens or viruses.
But what is dust exactly? Obviously old skin follicles and dirt particles make up a small portion of home dust, but it’s more than just that. Dust comes from either the indoors or the outdoors, and it’s makeup changes depending on where it comes from.
Indoor dust obviously consists of the things found inside your home: animal hair or dander, textile fibers, human hair, clothing and furniture lint, food particles, dead skin cells, and more. Outside dust is made up of things outdoors, and it can be carried indoors on shoes, clothing, and wind, such as pollen, vehicular matter, insect follicles, soil particles, and more.
Why Do You Need an Air Purifier to Remove Dust?
Too much dust in your home might not sound like too big of a deal, but it can actually create many issues for you, your home, and your fellow residents. When dust sits in your home without getting cleaned out, you might breathe in the particles or potentially absorb them through your pores.
If you have small children or infants in your home, this can be exceptionally dangerous. Children crawl around on the floor and put their fingers everywhere, then put their hands in their mouths. They can easily ingest the dust that’s been collecting if you don’t clear it out.
Here are three reasons you should remove as much dust from your home as you can:
Allergies and Asthma
Dust causes many breathing issues and worsens others, such as allergies or asthma. Symptoms like red, watery, and itchy eyes, a runny or itchy nose, congestion, and even hives are all indicators of an allergy that might be caused by dust. Dust can also trigger an asthma attack by collecting bacteria particles. Reducing dust exposure can help alleviate these issues.
Fire Hazard
Dust can grow to be a fire hazard, especially if it collects in and around the floor heater, electronics, electric sockets, and other areas of the home where a spark could occur. Dust piles ignite quickly meaning they can easily cause a house fire if not cleaned. Dusting regularly, vacuuming often, and replacing your air filters can reduce dust in the home and help lower the risk of fire.
Dermatitis
For many people, especially those with more sensitive skin, inhaling dust or living around a lot of it can result in atopic dermatitis flare-ups or even harsher skin conditions like eczema.
What Air Purifier Will Help With Dust?
So if you’re hoping to purify the air in your home and are wondering if air purifiers are good for dust, then rest assured that a well-operating air purifier might be exactly what you need. You can get all the information you need about the professional installment of the Air Knit UV whole house air purifier from our site.
With more than 115 years of expertise, the John C. Flood team is committed to ensuring your indoor air quality is free of dust. To install a whole-home air purifier or learn more information call 703-214-5611 now.
