To put it simply, yes. Most air purifiers do work for dust. The HEPA purifiers are exceptionally known to capture dust floating in the air, whereas the probiotic purifiers can consume the dust sources and reduce the amount of dust. However, there is one type of air purifier that cannot remove dust effectively, and that is the one with carbon filters.
Do Air Purifiers Work for Dust
Dust is an inevitable fact of life. It doesn’t matter where you live or what type of home you live in, and dust will settle on the surfaces of your home. You can easily clean the dust under your couch, but what about the dust in the air? There will always be some dust particles floating in the air inside your house.
There are many ways to reduce the amount of dust in your home. The most effective way would be using an air purifier.
The dust particles were usually floating through the air until they settle on a surface. With an air purifier, most of the dust particles are trapped before settling on any surface. Thus, it reduces dust accumulation on shelves, tabletops, and books and makes the air more breathable.
Why Should I Care About the Dust in the Air?
Dust is a composition of many unexpected materials. You will be amazed to know where dust comes from. Asthma and allergy patients or people with other respiratory illnesses are more affected by dust. It can irritate your nose, throat, or eyes.
Dust can come from the things that do not come to your mind at first, like the fibers from your bedding or carpets. What should worry you the most is the tiny dust particles floating in the air. If they are small enough to enter your lungs, they can cause substantial health problems.
If you think that dust is only dead skin cells or dirt, then think again. It is more complex than you think!
Usually, the dust found inside your house is a mixture of
- Skin particles
- Soil tracked into your house
- Particles from the outside air
- Food debris
- Mold
- Pollen
- Insect body parts
- Pet dander
- Dust mite allergens
Which Type of Air Purifier Do I Need for Dust Removal?
The HEPA Purifier
An air purifier with a HEPA filter is good enough if it can capture tiny particles. Usually, dust particles are 2.5-10 micrometers in size. Some particles can be even smaller. You should know that 10 micrometers are smaller than the width of your hair!
A true HEPA filter can capture particles of .3 microns in size with an efficiency of 99.97%. It can capture both smaller and larger particles. But it is said to capture 0.3 microns size because it is the most manageable size to enter the lung and the hardest to trap.
However, there is a possibility of bacteria or mold formation on the filter. And they can be released into the air. Also, you must change the filters once they are saturated.
The Electronic Air Cleaners
The second type is not so common-the electronic air cleaners. You can say these are ionizing air purifiers or electrostatic air purifiers. These cleaners can capture dust particles on metal plates. However, it comes with a disadvantage. It creates a harmful lung irritant, ozone.
Molecule Air Purifier
This new type of air purifier is beyond the capabilities of a HEPA filter. It can destroy pollutants like mold, allergens, and VOCs (Volatile Organic Chemicals) with the help of Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (PECO) technology.
How Do Air Purifiers Remove Dust Inside the House?
An air purifier circulates the inside air and pulls in the air along with the tiny particles and dust floating in the air. The air can easily pass through the filter, but its particles are trapped in the fibers. These particles can turn into dust on surfaces or cause asthma or allergy symptoms when inhaled.
What Can I Do in the Meantime?
Large dust particles directly settle on the surface and can’t be addressed by air purifiers. Such particles are too large to float in the air.
You can do source control on your part. It means getting rid of the source of the pollution. You will be cleaning and dusting. However, you can’t spread more dust in the air. Replacing HVAC filters from time to time would be a good idea.
Also, you can track dust from the outside, like wiping your pets down before entering the house or changing clothes after entering the house. This way, you can reduce the number of outdoor particles entering inside, such as mold and pollen.
Some Tips to Consider:
- Vacuum regularly
- Mop the floor
- Dust properly
- Eat at the table
- Skip the clutter
- Clean bed linens
- Select non-toxic products as much as possible
Can Air Purifiers Completely Eliminate Dust?
Well, the answer is “no.” Even though you are using a good air purifier, you will still have to clean and dust. In simpler words, an air purifier can capture airborne contaminants. But dust can settle on surfaces complex for filter-based purifiers to capture if it’s not floating in the air.
Although probiotic air purifiers can reduce dust settling on surfaces, they can’t eliminate it.
Whether or not you still have to dust, using an air purifier can provide you with immense health benefits. You can breathe healthy and clean air. Most importantly, removing dust from the air means less chance of asthma attacks or allergic reactions.
FAQ
Q: What Do Air Purifiers Filter Out?
Ans: Air purifiers suck particles from the air like allergens, dust, pollen, pet dander, bacteria, soot, and fungal spores.
Q: How Does My House Get So Dusty So Quickly?
Ans: Dust accumulation in your house is the result of airflow. It can be due to too much dust-filled air inside your house. Not having enough air flowing through the house can also allow dust to settle.
Conclusion
You can’t avoid dust. What you can do is keep the air dust-free as much as possible. And using an air purifier is one of the most effective ways to do that. An air purifier promises to cleanse the air in your house. Although it can’t altogether remove the dust from the air, it can certainly ensure a healthy environment for you to breathe in.
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