So to recap, run your air purifier unit for at least 12 hours a day. This is a good rule of thumb. Again, it's okay if you don't stick to this schedule every day, but be aware that the more you run your air purifier the fresher and cleaner it will be all year long.
It can take your air purifier 30 minutes to clean air in a small room. For larger rooms, it can take up to 2 to 3 hours. Invest in an air quality monitor to test your air quality. The worse it is, the longer you'll want your air purifier running.
Because they force air through their filters to clean it, leaving an air purifier on consistently is the only way to maintain the highest possible level of air quality in a room or home. When your air purifier is turned off, it will stop filtering the air in that space.
When should I run my air purifier? We recommend that you run your air purifier 24 hours a day. However, if this is not practical for your situation there are proper ways to use your air purifier to maximize its performance.
Keep your purifier running
We recommend running air purifiers 24/7 on their highest “quiet” setting—usually medium. (By “quiet” we mean below 50 decibels, though on many machines the medium setting produces much less noise, in the low 40s.)
Room air cleaners are portable, electric appliances that remove fine particles, such as dust and pollen, from indoor air. A standard room air cleaner, operating continuously, uses approximately 450 kWh per year in electricity. This is more than the energy used by some new refrigerators!
Bottom Line: Can I Turn on My Purifier and Open a Window? Will the Air Purifier Still Work? Even with a window open, air purifiers can work decently and still meaningfully reduce particulate air pollution in the home – by 60% in 20 minutes in our tests.
Running your purifier while you sleep is a great way to spend many hours each night breathing air that was cleaned with your purifier. Overall, removing contaminants from the air will not have a negative impact on sleep.
Do Air Purifiers Remove Dust? The answer is yes. By filtering particles, air purifiers remove pollutants, allergens, and other toxins from the air.
Should I Sleep With an Air Purifier On? The short answer: yes. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) recommends an air purifier during bedtime to promote better breathing while you sleep.
Do air purifiers remove dust or not? The short answer is yes, most air purifiers on the market are designed to remove large dust particles from the air. Many feature mechanical filtration, which is a method of capturing pollutants on filters.
The simplest way to see if your air purifier is working properly is to check the fan. Put a hand near the air purifier's intake or outlet. If you can feel a strong, steady flow of air, your unit is functioning normally. If not, you may have a clogged filter that's making it difficult for air to pass through.
Air Purifier Placement Tips and Takeaways
Keep your device away from heat sources. Keep your device away from moisture or areas with high humidity. Place your device at least 6 inches from walls, furniture, or other items while in use. Place your air purifier near the most likely source of indoor air pollution.
One of the most effective ways to keep your home smelling fresh is running a high-quality air purifier. Essential oils, diffusers and houseplants can help cover up bad smells, but air purifiers can actually remove many of the contaminants that cause them.
While air purifiers may not directly or immediately improve a person's health, studies indicate that these devices can help to reduce your exposure to harmful pollutants, which may have long-term health benefits.
Specific effects may include throat irritation, coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath, as well as an increased risk of respiratory infections. Some ozone air purifiers are made with an ion generator, sometimes called an ionizer, in the same unit. You can also buy ionizers as separate units.
The best place to put an air purifier is somewhere in your breathing zone. The closer the unit is to your head, the shorter distance clean air has to travel before it reaches you. In the bedroom, this usually translates to putting the air purifier on a nightstand or small table close to the bed.
Do air purifiers help with mold? Air purifiers help capture mold spores from the air, preventing them from reproducing and spreading throughout your home. While air purifiers won't help treat active mold that's already present on surfaces, they are a great way to control the spread of airborne mold particles.
Close to you - Placing an air cleaner close to where you most often sit ensures you're breathing in the cleanest air in your house. Because we spend so many hours asleep, the bedroom is another good location, particularly if you're managing seasonal allergies.
Yes, you should run your air purifier 24/7 and you shouldn't turn it off anytime. In fact it's recommended to not switch off your air purifier at any time of the day or night, even when you're sleeping or not at home.
Make the arrows face the ceiling or wall. If your filter is on the ceiling, the arrow should face the ceiling. If your filter is on the wall, the arrow should face the wall.
When used properly, air cleaners and HVAC filters can help reduce airborne contaminants including viruses in a building or small space. By itself, air cleaning or filtration is not enough to protect people from COVID-19.
When used properly, air purifiers can help reduce airborne contaminants including viruses in a home or confined space. However, by itself, a portable air cleaner is not enough to protect people from COVID-19.
Air purifiers work by filtering and removing particles that may cause bad smells. However, the EPA states that no air cleaner or filter will be able to eliminate all the particles that can cause foul odors.