Most people will tell you that you need the best air purifier for bacteria and viruses if your home suffers from allergens and people getting sick. But what exactly are its benefits for you and your surroundings? In this article, we break down some facts about air purifiers, how they kill bacteria and viruses, and how they can help you as a whole.
Air purifiers have been renowned as a technology that can be used by any household that’s often polluted by the outside world. Having an air purifier at home can be a step forward to helping your household keep away sickness, allergies, hay fever, asthma attacks, and the like, simply because of its allergen-reducing filters, known as HEPA or true HEPA filters.
Do air purifiers kill bacteria?
Yes, indeed, air purifiers can kill bacteria and viruses that can lurk in your household. Thanks to their HEPA filters, your air gets through different stages of filters, which may include carbon filters and other extras so that your indoor air gets totally stripped of potential health hazards.
In fact, when we wrote about the best air purifiers to buy, we found out that the Surround Air Intelli-Pro XJ-3800 has a UV lamp. This UV lamp is present in most air purifiers that can help sterilize bacteria and mold that are in your indoor air.
What is the best air purifier for germs?
Air purifiers that have HEPA filters can be effective against germs and bacteria that lurk in your indoor space. Most of these even have multi-stage filtration processes that can help thoroughly clean the air in your home.
We’d recommend a HEPA air purifier for you, such as what we wrote in our guide to the best HEPA air purifier to buy out there. Brands such as LEVOIT, AeraMax, and Winix can be choices for you.
Do air purifiers help with sickness?
Yes, they do! Air purifiers are equipped with HEPA (or sometimes true HEPA) filters which feature a series of cleaning stages to thoroughly filter your air. When your air gets cleaned from viruses, bacteria, and the like, you will less likely have a sickness.
Air purifiers work best for:
- People who get allergies
- Asthma and difficulty in breathing
- Prevention of flu, fever, cold, and cough
- Reducing the likelihood of other airborne diseases
In fact, we wrote an article about choosing an air purifier for asthma and allergies, so if you ever catch any of these, maybe an air purifier can help you out!
Is it OK to leave an air purifier on all night?
Yes, most air purifiers have automatic shutoff features so you can just set their timer. In fact, even budget air purifiers, as we mentioned before, have such timers and they are also Energy Star certified – which means you won’t be consuming as much electricity as you think when using an air purifier to clean your room overnight.
Air purifiers have low power consumption. For example, the Alen BreatheSmart FLEX Air Purifier, the one we mentioned in our hospital-grade whole house air purifier reviews, only consumes 36 watts.
However, to further reduce the power consumption of your air purifier, you could do the following as well:
- Turn it to a lower fan speed before sleeping
- Have the automatic modes do their job
- Use a timer
- Buy an air purifier that is Energy Star certified
- Make sure your air purifier is rated for your room size
It’s also worth noting that some air purifiers, such as the Blueair Blue Pure 211, have a low noise level so you can sleep soundly throughout the night. This is especially important for light sleepers.
Can air purifiers remove viruses?
Yes, air purifiers can be made for that purpose. Most of these units have germicidal UV lamps that can also remove viruses in the air. This is aside from their true HEPA filter, which can be replaced every 6 months or so, and can really pick up to 99.97% of particles in the air- viruses included.
As a matter of fact, hospitals use them. This is because hospitals have the most likelihood of you getting sick due to the airborne particles, and also that it is a public place where different sick people gather. If you want to find out more, check out our article about hospital grade whole-house air purifiers.
It’s also worth mentioning that air purifiers can be used for different establishments other than hospitals and your home, such as the following:
- Restaurants and fast food. Anything that involves food needs to be free of viruses, germs, and bacteria. Therefore, it makes sense to put up an air purifier you own a restaurant, a fast-food chain, or anything where you sell or prepare food.
This is so that your guests will be pleased (and their food will be free of potential contaminants from the air as well). In fact, an air purifier could also reduce odors, as we wrote in our article on what absorbs bad smells.
- Airplanes. Since it is public transport, airplanes with air purifiers could also help make the ride enjoyable and more relaxed. Just make sure it’s not a Wi-Fi-powered unit if you know what I mean.
- Corporate offices. Especially lounging areas, clients and guests of your company or corporate office will feel more refreshed if they are surrounded by clean air.
- Schools. Air purifiers can also be put in daycare and schools that have a lot of children. This is because kids are more prone to sickness and viruses, so it could be helpful for them to have clean air in their surroundings.
Conclusion
To wrap it up, air purifiers are definitely worth buying for removing bacteria and viruses, thanks to their true HEPA filter, UV lamps, and other filter components in between. We suggest that you start looking for an ideal air purifier for your home that has these features so that you can free your indoor space from sickness-causing germs and the like!
