Spring is usually the start of allergy season and given that many people in the country will now be working from home, a clean and comfortable environment is essential. We look at how a high-quality air-purifier can help make life more comfortable.
Chris Michael, Director of Meaco, a leading UK air purifier manufacturer, advises the use of an air purifier to help reduce the misery caused from allergies, and to help support overall wellness as families spend more time indoors and in close proximity.
There is a lot of talk about why people should use a HEPA air purifier for health benefits. Air pollution caused by a range of pollutants can be detrimental to health. The very young and elderly are particularly vulnerable. Pollution is most obvious in large cities, along busy roads and in industrial areas but there are also many sources of pollutants that we bring into our own home.
Smoking, faulty boilers, chemicals given off by new furniture, perfumes, air fresheners and candles, paints and cleaning products, all commonly known as VOCs (Volatile organic compounds), dust mites that live in our beds, mould spores, and dander from family pets can all trigger allergic reactions. At this time of year, there is also pollen from a range of plants that can trigger asthma and cause discomfort. On top of this, we also have to contend with airborne viruses.
The Government is urging people to work from home where possible, and with uncertainty about future directives, it is likely that more of us will be confined to the home.
So why should you use an air purifier with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter? An air purifier works by removing allergens from the air.
A True HEPA filter has been made to strict international regulations and traps most bacteria, pathogens, microbial spores, pollens, and some virus particles. Capturing harmful particles and circulating clean air throughout a room, will help in keeping people healthy, so their immune system is a tiny bit stronger to fight off any viruses.
People should not rely on an air purifier to protect them from the coronavirus, as air purifiers have not been designed or tested to that level. Instead, they should follow the latest government guidelines to protect themselves. But if families are going to spend more time indoors and in close proximity then using an air purifier will help the family’s general health and will provide protection from VOCs that are common in the home and airborne pollutants from outside.
One filter removes dust, another deals with particles such as dust mites and pollen. A charcoal filter eliminates smells, and an ultraviolet system (UVC) will destroy bacteria. Finally, an ioniser is said to encourage dust particles to stick together and fall to the ground or into the air purifier. Air filters are an important part in managing airborne allergens, and for serious sufferers, can make life a lot more bearable, particularly if used in the bedroom.
Meaco’s research has shown that air purifier selection often goes wrong as people do not match the allergy to the filter required, or they buy an air purifier that is too small for their room, and it cannot clean the air efficiently.
The only way to reliably remove pollutants from the air is by circulating the entire volume of air in a room several times an hour, ensuring particles will enter the airflow of a filter, and the air will become cleaner.
To select the correct one, you need to know what you’re allergic to and the cubic air volume of the room you want to clean. This would be calculated from the height, width and depth of the room in metres. Make sure that the air purifier can actually remove what you are allergic to from the air and make sure that it can clean your air volume three times an hour for a mild allergy, five times an hour if you are on medication and eight times an hour if your allergy is serious.
Let the air purifier run 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Put it on high fan speed when you are not in the room and turn it down to one of the quieter fan speeds when you are in the room.
Meaco has developed a next-generation air purification range that includes the MeacoClean CA-HEPA 119×5 and MeacoClean CA-HEPA 47×5), both ‘state of the art,’ offering a bespoke air purification experience to suit the allergy and room size. Both have an Allergy UK seal of approval.
The MeacoClean range is more advanced than many standard air purifiers. Meaco uses True HEPA filters, to provide a high standard of air cleaning, as part of a multistage filtration package, along with activated charcoal which helps to remove odours and VOCs from the air. It has a PCO (Photocatalytic Oxidation) system, which is the most advanced ant-bacterial/virus system to date. PCO technology speeds up the reaction time to help kill bacteria and viruses. Another advantage of the MeacoClean is that the multiple filters cover the vast majority of allergens.
The larger MeacoClean CA-HEPA 119×5 has one of the highest CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) scores in Europe and is suitable for rooms from 74 to 198m³ depending on how severe the allergy is, while the smaller MeacoClean CA-HEPA 47X5 works in rooms between 29 and 78m³.
Here are some other ways to help stay healthy
- See your doctor before the season starts so that you have your medication right before the allergies start.
- Get used to checking the pollen count on a daily basis so that you can plan your day.
- Avoid drying clothes outside when the count is high as the pollen will stick to the clothes.
- Plan outdoor activities after any rain as the pollen count is lower after a shower.
- When you come home, change your clothes so that you are not wearing clothes with pollen indoors and allowing the pollen to spread around the house.
- Spring clean the house, so you are not sneezing and suffering whilst disturbing dust.
- Clean mould in the bathroom regularly to avoid the spread of mould spores.
- Ensure you have good ventilation in the bathroom and kitchen to remove excess moisture to avoid damp.
- Lower damp levels mean fewer mould spores and dust mites. If necessary look to buy a dehumidifier to reduce moisture levels.
- Make your bedroom an allergy-free haven where you can rest and get a good night’s sleep. Air purifiers provide a solution that can provide relief from these allergens.
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