One of the best air purifiers is a worthy investment during hay fever season. They work by filtering the indoor air in your home, removing unsightly particles such as pollen. But to ensure that they can work effectively, there are certain things you need to do.
We spoke with Melanie Carver, CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), who offered some advice on the mistakes to avoid when using an air purifier to reduce hay fever symptoms.
Place the air purifier next to an open window
For those with hay fever, an air purifier can make a big difference by reducing the amount of allergens in the home, including pollen. However, it is important to ensure that they are used correctly so that they are most effective.
The article continues below
During the hay fever season, patients are advised to keep their windows closed to reduce the amount of pollen that can enter the home. While you don’t need to follow this advice, and may prefer to let some fresh air into your home, having an air purifier on while it’s near an open window may mean it can’t do its job as effectively.
Melanie Carver, CEO of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), explains: “When pollen counts are high, AAFA recommends keeping windows closed. Placing an air purifier next to an open window will cause the unit to filter outside air, meaning it will be less effective at cleaning indoor air. Air purifiers should only have appropriate capacity limitations for air filters.”
Does not change filters
While air purifiers can do a good job of removing allergens from the home, it’s important that necessary maintenance is performed on them regularly to ensure they perform at their best. Part of this maintenance is changing the filters.
Each brand and model of air purifier will have its own recommendations on when to change the filter, and it is important that these are followed. An ineffective filter can mean that the air purifier is not capturing as many of the allergens in your home as you think, and for hay fever sufferers, this can lead to more sneezing, itchy eyes and coughing than if the filter was effective.
“AAFA recommends changing the filter on your air cleaner/purifier according to the manufacturer’s recommendations – usually once every 2 to 3 months,” said Melanie Carver. “A dirty air filter is less effective and can cause allergens to be sent back into the air.”
Do not run the cleaner continuously
Air purifiers work best if you run them continuously. During hay fever season, this can be particularly useful as it means the air purifier can continue to circulate and filter the indoor air, constantly reducing the amount of pollen particles in the home.
If they are only run for a few hours each day, they may not be as effective in ensuring that pollen levels remain low. This applies especially if windows and doors are open or pollen is brought into the home via clothing or on dog and cat fur, for example. By running them continuously, the pollen level will be controlled much more effectively.
“Continuous operation of an air purifier helps remove pollen and other allergens from your indoor air. If you use a portable air purifier, you should place it in the room where you spend the most time. For example, in the bedroom while you sleep. Depending on the size of the room and the rating of the air purifier, it can take up to several hours to cycle through and filter the air in a room from MelanieFA,” said MelanieFA.
Place it in a corner
Air purifiers come in many shapes and sizes and can be effective for rooms of different sizes. A top tip is to make sure you buy one that is suitable for the size of the room you need to clean. Another tip is to make sure to place it in a good place where it can circulate the air effectively. Placing it behind or next to furniture, or in the corner of a room, can make it harder for the air purifier to circulate the air effectively, reducing the pollen level in the room.
“AAFA recommends placing an air purifier in the room or rooms where you spend most of your time. For example, you should place an air purifier in the bedroom while you sleep to reduce your exposure to allergens,” said Melanie Carver.
“When choosing a location for your air purifier, you want to place it somewhere that supports optimal airflow. Putting it behind a door, a large piece of furniture, or against a wall will impede airflow. Choose an open location about 1 to 3 feet away from obstructions and raised off the floor for better circulation.
“When using an air purifier, it is important to pay attention to the CADR rating. CADR stands for Clean Air Delivery Rate and indicates how effective a purifier is at removing air pollution from a room. Placing an air purifier in a room larger than the CADR rating will reduce its effectiveness. Additionally, air purifiers that achieve the Asthma & Allergy Certification Friendly standard and the Allergy Certification Friendly standard. to ensure that allergen reduction is a result of removal rather than just redistribution.”
Do not clean other surfaces
Yes, air purifiers can work well to remove allergens from the home, but the buyer must also take some responsibility to ensure that their home is of a habitable standard.
Air purifiers work by filtering the air, so if surfaces become dusty, there is more dust to be moved around the home. This makes the air purifier work harder – it will constantly fight to try to filter the air. Likewise, if surfaces are not kept clean, pollen particles can stick to surfaces, meaning that no matter how hard the air purifier works to try to bring down pollen levels in the home, it will always struggle to do so.
“Keeping surfaces clean helps reduce dust and pollen that can become airborne,” said Melanie Carver. “These are tiny particles that are picked up in the air by walking by, using a vacuum cleaner, blowing a fan or air purifier or even cleaning. One of the best ways to manage allergies like pollen or dust mite allergies is to prevent, capture and remove allergens that can accumulate in your home. Keeping surfaces clean helps reduce the amount of work an air purifier needs to clog the air in the home, which will also clog the air filter in the home. extend the lifetime of the air filters/machine.”
