VALUE – Air Purifiers

What’s the Best Air Purifier for Someone with Pets? Air purifiers are becoming more and more important in our homes and businesses every day. For those of us who have pets, like dogs and cats, air purifiers can be even more important. Air purifiers help to take pet fur, odors and dander out of the air you breathe. The best air purifier for homes with dogs and cats should have a pre- filter, and a HEPA filter. It is very much worth it to buy an air purifier with this combination, since it will grant you the best quality air for the longest duration of time for your specific needs. We will tell you exactly why you will need an air purifier with both a HEPA filter and a pre-filter, the benefits of owning an air purifier and why you need an air purifier. Indoor Pets Do you own a dog or a cat? How much time does this pet spend indoors? If you are like most Americans, your pet spends at least the night inside. Those of us who have their pets indoors for any period of time know that they can start to smell. Our guests remark on the smells of our homes, saying it smells like “wet dog” or “cat litter.” Some of you are left asking yourselves, “What can I do to cut down on my pet’s odors?” Fortunately, there are air purifiers that eliminate odors from your home’s air. These air purifiers utilize activated carbon filters, which have porous surfaces that absorb the unwanted smells. Check out our article Do I Need an Air Purifier, where we go more in-depth into air purifiers and odor reduction. Activated carbon filters are generally very affordable, and don’t always require an expensive air purifier unit to operate either! Activated carbon odor reducers are oftentimes just a few dollars, and can be purchased online. These super affordable, and effective filters can even be bought in a lot of home improvement stores as well! Nowadays, many people suffer from allergies to pet dander. Many times, those who are allergic to pets have to either take a few decongestants before going into a home with an indoor pet, or they will choose to avoid it. This makes entertaining guests difficult, but an air purifier can actually save the day. Pet Allergies Air purifiers are great at capturing pet dander, and pet odors. This means that your home’s air will be clear of these things, which will save you either the embarrassment of comments on pet odors or for triggering your friends’ allergies. For those who live with someone with pet allergies, this is great news, you don’t have to get rid of your furry friend! Undoubtedly, this will save you a lot of heartache, since you won’t have to lose your cat or dog just for allergies. Pet allergies are so problematic (and hard to get ahead of) because your pets kick up so many particles, which are then airborne-and no amount of vacuuming will clean the air itself. Between all of your pet’s scratching, rubbing, petting, shaking, and going to the bathroom, there are a plethora of particles in the air. Even if you don’t have allergies, this can be problematic, but for those with allergies, it can feel like the end of the world. All of these particles, many of which are accompanied by odors, can be eliminated with an air purifier. What no amount of housecleaning can fix, an air purifier can resolve (sometimes within just a few hours!). And there are countless pet air purifiers out there for you to choose from, all you need to do is take a look! Not all air purifiers are for pet odors and pet fur so you will have to be vigilant when you do your shopping. The biggest mistake you can make when you are doing your air purifier shopping is to buy a unit that doesn’t fix your specific need. But, this won’t be a risk if you do some research beforehand. We aim to help you along the way. WHAT IS AN AIR PURIFIER? AND HOW DO AIR PURIFIERS WORK? Air purifiers are essentially small fans with special filters that clean the air. There are several different kinds of air purifiers out there. These air purifiers come as combination units, which include built-in humidifiers, dehumidifiers, ozone generators, and ionizers, in addition to a variety of air filters within those machines. Most air purifiers utilize traditional solid filters, like a HEPA filter which you can learn more about here, while a few actually use water as their means of air filtration! Every air purifier works to clean the air, but they may do it differently. The overarching way that air purifiers work is they draw the air in the room into themselves, and then they funnel it through whatever filter they have, and then push it out the other side, clean and fresh. For the basic models, it really is that simple. More intricate air purifiers have additional systems that can sanitize the air, mitigate smoke, airborne chemicals, and even dangerous gasses like radon, which may be necessary for you depending on your needs. For pets, you probably won’t need an air purifier with all of the bells and whistles. However, if you have a family member with asthma, or if you run a business, you may want to purchase an air purifier that does have some extras. See our other article for information in Air Purifiers Are Worth the Buy, and for our business owners, see this article on air purifiers for the office. WHAT IS THE BEST AIR PURIFIER FOR PET ODORS? If you have odor control in mind, we recommend finding yourself an air purifier with a HEPA filter. HEPA filters do wonders at odor control because they are made to sift out some of the smallest particles in the air. What do particles have to do with odors? Everything. All of the smells you smell are actually microscopic particles in the air, which your nose can pick up on! HEPA filters also filter out at least 99% of the particles in the air, so that means you’ll have clean air in a snap! To crack down on odors, we recommend purchasing an air purifier with a carbon filter. These filters go the extra mile in odor control, as they scrub the air itself! What we mean by this, is that a normal filter scrubs the air of particles, while carbon filters, especially impregnated carbon filters, clean gasses out of the air. This means that what a normal HEPA filter misses, a carbon filter will lock down on. If you would like more information on odor mitigation, our article addressing the need for an air purifier can shed even more light on the subject. Odor mitigation can be a very complex issue. Sometimes, you will need to hire out professional help to deal with some issues (namely moisture-related ones). However, as far as pet odors are concerned, an air purifier with a carbon filter will likely be all you need. Dehumidifier And/Or Ozone Generator It may also be wise to invest in an air purifier with a dehumidifier and ozone generator depending on where you live, or what you do. If you operate a pet grooming business, for example, you would be doing yourself a great service by investing in an air purifier with a dehumidifier to help reduce odors and other undesired airborne contaminants. If you live somewhere with a lot of moisture in the air (high humidity) it is also best to get a dehumidifier. Get the correct unit, it will be cheaper to buy the two-in-one option, rather than two separate units. If you own a pet grooming business or a pet-friendly business, an air purifier with an ozone generator may be worth more than gold to you. These air purifiers are great at killing airborne pathogens, fungi, and mold. Even if you don’t think you have any of these, we can assure you that you do. Pets track literally everything indoors. Operate the ozone function when your business is vacant, such as when you are closed for the night, and you will return to even cleaner air! CAN AIR PURIFIERS REMOVE PET HAIR FROM AIR? Yes, air purifiers take pet hair out of the air. And they do an amazing job at it! Air purifiers are made to get things that are a lot smaller than pet hair out of the air as well, which means they are doing everything you need them to, and more! We all know that pet hair is not the only issue with pets, and an air purifier can help you in your fight for a clean home. If pet hair is a real issue for your home or business, then we strongly recommend finding an air purifier with a pre-filter. Even if it isn’t a major issue, a pre-filter can still save you money down the road. An air purifier’s pre-filter catches large things in the air, like hair, saving your main filter for more important tasks. A pre-filter is usually a screen you can clean, so there aren’t replacement filters you have to buy. Your main filter, on the other hand, will likely need to be replaced from time to time, and a pre-filter will serve to increase this filter’s lifespan, saving you money in the long run. It is helpful to purchase an Air Purifier for Someone with Pets. WHAT IS THE BEST AIR PURIFIER FOR PET ODORS? As we already stated, a HEPA filter is a great starting point in pet odor mitigation. These filters are designed to fix this issue, along with countless others. The next level in odor mitigation will be a carbon filter, dehumidifier, and possible an ozone generator. As we already said, a good carbon filter cleans the air on a smaller level than even a HEPA filter can clean, and they can even help to sterilize the air. A dehumidifier can also help to reduce odors since many odors depend on high humidity so drier air will be your friend. Finally, an ozone generator may be needed if you have high moisture in the air. Ozone kills mold, along with countless other stinky things that no one likes. However, ozone is not a force to be trifled with, vacate the room you are filling with ozone, as it can be dangerous, and can damage your lungs. However, this function can usually be turned off, so you can operate your air purifier by itself. And rest assured, you will know if your ozone generator is on, because it has a distinct smell. WHAT IS THE BEST AIR PURIFIER FOR SOMEONE WITH PETS? The best air purifier for someone with pets will have a pre-filter, and a HEPA filter. Think of this combo as the base model for anything you will be buying for cleaning the air. This combination will grant you the cleanest air for the longest duration of time, which means it’ll save you money in the long run. Pre-filters, if you haven’t already noticed, are your best (and we’d argue your only) smart option in controlling airborne pet hair. It is both a cost effective, and easy to clean option in your fight. To learn more about pre-filters, check out our article that will tell you all about what a pre-filter is, and why you need one. WHAT IS THE BEST AIR PURIFIER FOR PETS? The best air purifier for someone with pets will have a pre filter, and a HEPA filter. Think of this combo as the base model for anything you will be buying for cleaning the air. This combination will grant you the cleanest air for the longest duration of time, which means it’ll save you money in the long run. If you don’t have a HEPA filter, you won’t be cleaning the air as effectively as you can. If you lack a pre-filter, you will be burning through air filters a lot faster, which will likely become costly. Pre-filters are usually cleanable, and they will need to be cleaned several times before you ever have to replace the main filter in many cases. If you have a lot of dust and pet hair in the air, you’ll have to clean your pre-filter pretty often, but bear in mind that this work is saving your main filter for odor and allergen control. There are plenty of other extras you can invest in, as far as air purifiers go, and you can shop around to see if any interest you. However, as we said, a HEPA filter and a pre-filter are musts if you really want to get control over pet dander and pet odors for the long run. If you are on a tight budget, but you know that you need an air purifier, then there are some cheaper options out there for you. Check out our post on cheap air purifiers worth buying for details on these. These cheaper options aren’t nearly as effective as the costlier air purifiers out there, but they can help with all of your pet’s hair at the very least. Water-based air purifiers can even cut down on some of your pet’s odors, in addition to dealing with your pet’s hair. Check out our article on what water-based air purifiers do for more information on them! WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO CONTROL PET ODORS? It can make all the difference if you designate just a few rooms in your house as ‘pet rooms.’ Just by keeping your pet in one part of your home, rather than letting them roam about, you can greatly increase the air quality in your pet-less rooms. The best part about this method is that you can put your air purifier in one of these pet rooms, and take care of the allergens and odors at the source. Bear in mind that the fewer rooms you let your cat or dog into equates to fewer rooms with pet messes. If you own a business that revolves around pets (i.e. pet daycare, pet grooming, pet-friendly hotel), it is wise to use these same pet rules. Not all pet owners can handle all of the allergens that are undoubtedly in the air! There are lots of people who are allergic to pet dander, so they get hypoallergenic pets or pets that don’t particularly trigger their allergies. But, when these people try to provide you business, they will quickly be overcome by the allergens in the air. It is wise to invest in an air purifier for your pet-oriented business for those with allergies. Additionally, pets do have quite a lot of odors, and just because you don’t pick up on them doesn’t mean your customers won’t. Running a business with pets is not an excuse to let things smell like a barn! We recommend having air purifiers in your business’s waiting areas at the very least, as this is where your customers will likely spend the bulk of their time. WHERE CAN I FIND AN AIR PURIFIER FOR HOME? You can find an air purifier almost everywhere these days. Big box stores, home improvement stores, and especially online stores have a large selection for you to choose from. It is best to do your research online, as you will see all of the specifications for your air purifier (what size room it is for, what it is good for, electricity needs), and you will also have customer reviews to browse through as well. We recommend finding an air purifier with about a 4 to 5-star range. This indicates that customers are most happy with this air purifier. We also recommend at least glancing through the 1-star ratings so you can see what may happen, in a possible worst-case scenario. If for nothing else, 1-star ratings can provide you some amusement as well! Check out our article on the importance of checking out reviews for more information on this. It can be hard to find an air purifier worth buying, especially if this is your first time looking at one of these machines. You may even be wondering if they are even worth buying at all (although we hope we’ve convinced you by now). If you’re still on the fence, check out our article on if air purifiers are worth the buy. And if you would like some more information before making your purchase, check out our buying guide! IS IT WORTH IT TO BUY AN AIR PURIFIER? Air purifiers are worth buying just about wherever you live. If you have an indoor pet, they are even more valuable. These machines will reduce pet odors, take dander out of the air, and do a lot more. You will notice the difference in air quality quickly if you buy the correct air cleaning machine. Some air purifiers may be expensive, and they may not be worth the buy if you don’t need all of the extras. But there is good news, there are cheap air purifiers out there, which will get the job done. If you are on a tight budget, these air purifiers can do what you need them to, they just may not be the best ones on the market. If you are wondering if air purifiers even work, then we have an article for you as well. A lot of people have their doubts when it comes to air purifiers. After all, you can seldom see what they are doing! Check out our post that answers the question of if air purifiers work, and we hope this will take care of any lingering fears. WHAT IS THE BEST AIR PURIFIER FOR ALLERGIES? If you are trying to crack down on your allergies, including pet dander, then a HEPA filter is your best bet. As we’ve already said, these filters do wonders at filtering out allergens. Now, what makes HEPA filters so special? Well, they have to meet special government rules to be able to use that title. HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Arresting (among other similar names), and they are just that highly efficient. They get more particles, smaller particles, and then do it better than many other filters on the market. In addition to helping people with allergies, air purifiers can also help people with asthma too! Allergic asthma is the most common form of asthma, and people of all ages can suffer from it. If you have a newborn in your home who has asthma, your pet’s fur and dander can really do a number to them. We have an article for air purifiers for babies with asthma, which is very informative. You may want to check it out, even if your baby doesn’t have asthma! ARE AIR PURIFIERS REALLY NEEDED FOR HOMES AND OFFICES? YES! Clean air is a must for any environment. If you have clean air, then you are doing a lot to ensure you have a clean bill of health. Both now, and in the future. If you have any pets in your home or office, then the need for an air purifier is even higher. Whether you are having guests or customers over, they will expect clean air. Just as much as they'd expect you to do some house cleaning before a party. An air purifier is just a part in what has become proper housekeeping. As more and more people develop allergies, we have to be vigilant in keeping up on our air’s cleanliness. And because pet dander is one of the most common allergies, an air purifier really is necessary. CAN AN AIR PURIFIER HELP WITH EVERY PET ODOR? As we already stated, a HEPA filter is a great starting point in pet odor mitigation. These filters are designed to fix this issue, along with countless others. The next level in odor mitigation will be a carbon filter, dehumidifier, and possible an ozone generator. As we already said, a good carbon filter cleans the air on a smaller level than even a HEPA filter can clean, and they can even help to sterilize the air. A dehumidifier can also help to reduce odors since many odors depend on high humidity so drier air will be your friend. Finally, an ozone generator may be needed if you have high moisture in the air. Ozone kills mold, along with countless other stinky things that no one likes. However, ozone is not a force to be trifled with, vacate the room you are filling with ozone, as it can be dangerous, and can damage your lungs. However, this function can usually be turned off, so you can operate your air purifier by itself. And rest assured, you will know if your ozone generator is on, because it has a distinct smell. Frequently Asked Questions What Room Should I Put my Air Purifier in? It is widely recommended to put your air purifier in your home office, living room, or bedroom. It all depends on where you spend most of your time when you are at home. After all, what would the point be in cleaning the air in your basement, if you never go down there? Just consider where you would be able to enjoy the benefits of your new air purifying unit the most! Are Air Purifiers a Waste of Money? Not at all, unless you’re lucky enough to be living somewhere without any pollution. Air purifiers are a great investment! If you have any allergies or dust in your home that you wish would go away, purchase an air purifier. Can Air Purifiers Take Care of Cat Hair? Yes, air purifiers take care of cat hair, dog hair, and hare hair! They can capture stuff a lot smaller than that too, including pet dander. Air purifiers also freshen up your home’s air, cutting down on common odors that plague pet owner’s homes. Now you can have your furry family members indoors and not have to worry about what guests will smell. It is helpful to purchase an Air Purifier for Someone with Pets. Should I Get an Air Purifier with an Ozone Generator if I Have Asthma? No! Ozone is a known irritant to people with asthma. Ozone has 3 oxygen molecules rather than normal O2 that we breathe, which may sound harmless. But it isn’t for asthmatics, although there are reasons to buy these ozone-generating air purifiers. You should never run them when someone especially someone with asthma, is in the room. What Are Charcoal Filters? Charcoal filters are one and the same as carbon filters, these phrases are used interchangeably. These filters mainly come in two different types activated and impregnated carbon. Impregnated does everything activated carbon does, but it also targets VOCs, which can be dangerous. What Are VOCs? VOCs, are also known as Volatile Organic Compounds. VOCs are chemicals that are released by everyday items such as cleaning solutions, aerosols, and paint. They are known to cause diseases later in life, and they can worsen the effects and severity of Asthma. Why Don’t Normal Air Purifiers Capture VOCs? VOCs are gasses, which means they are a lot smaller than the particles that even a HEPA filter can capture. VOCs have to be captured with impregnated carbon filters. These have special chemicals embedded into their structure so that they can deal specifically with VOCs.