Air Purifier News

Prevent Indoor Air Pollution

Indoor air pollution can be a big problem in your home especially during the winter. So, the Good Housekeeping Institute has some recommendations when it comes to keeping the “indoors” air clean.

Sealing up your home against the chill of winter is a good way to save on energy bills. But it could also keep stale air in which can trigger allergies. So the Good Housekeeping Institute looked at portable air-purifiers as a solution.

"The best models on the market are those that use a motorized fan to move a lot of air in and out of the room," says John Kupsch, Technical Director, Good Housekeeping Institute.

To help choose the correct size unit for your room, look for a C.A.D.R. number on the box. "C.A.D.R. stands for clean air delivery rate and it’s a certified number that actually tells you how much clean air is being delivered to the room," says Kupsch.

Another factor is the choice of “filter” material. "One of the best filters on the market is typically a H.E.P.A. filter, and this particular filter also employs a separate carbon pre-filter which is better for odor reduction," explains Kupsch. "It also has the pleated cloth to help filter out smoke dust and pollen and pet dander."

Some products claim to clean the air using electrostatic means which is similar to taking a balloon and rubbing it on your hair and expecting the dust particles to be attracted to that. Air purifiers that have a H.E.P.A. filter and electric motor proved to be the most effective products in Good Housekeeping tests.

A final note: Good Housekeeping says that C.A.D.R. ratings on air purifiers range from 25 to 440. The highest number is the fastest clean air delivery rate, so look for as high a C.A.D.R. number as you can find.