If you suffer from asthma you know how invaluable clean air in the home can be. Indoor air contains allergens like pet dander, dust, and may even contain mold spores. These pollutants not only can cause an asthma attack but can cause an adult to develop asthma later in life. If you have found your home starting to smell or feel stuffy, there are several things you can do to improve the situation.
Keep your home clean
Regular indoor hygiene habits can massively reduce dust, animal dander, and other allergens in the air.
We recommend vacuuming once a week with a vacuum equipped with HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filtration. HEPA filtration traps allergens you don’t see. They also trap pollen, droppings from dust mites, pet dander, mold, and tobacco particles.
If possible, replace carpets with hard floors as they trap fewer allergens and are easier to clean.
Try to limit the number of ornaments, cushions, and overall clutter. This makes your home easier to clean and fewer places for dust to become trapped.
You should also clean your bedding once a week and use a dust-mite-proof pillow and mattress cover. It is recommended that you clean drapes and cushion covers on a regular basis as well.
Air Purifier
The best way to keep the air fresh in your home is to have a steady airflow from outside. However, this is not always possible due to allergies such as hay fever or simply living in a city with high levels of air pollution. If this is the case, you should consider buying an air purifier.
An air purifier is a machine that removes pollutants from the indoor air to improve its condition. These appliances are considered beneficial to asthmatics and allergy sufferers. They also reduce secondhand cigarette smoke.
Air purifiers can be either portable or static. Pound for pound, the Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier is the best air purifier on the market. This device has a three-part filter system for fabric particles and carbon particles. It clears up to 99% of common airborne contaminants and is extremely quiet. It covers a large space of 540 square feet, a wide enough reach to cover a large office, master bedroom, or family room. At around $300, the Blue Pure 211+ Air Purifier is not the most inexpensive purifier, but it is certainly one of the best money can buy.
If you are looking for a portable air purifier, the GermGuardian Pluggable Air Purifier should serve you well. This machine is small and plugs into any standard AV-C outlet, making it perfect for switching between rooms. It also uses UV-C light to kill airborne viruses. At only $34.99 as of this publishing, this air purifier offers fantastic value for money.
Dehumidifiers
Dehumidifiers prevent the growth of mold in damp areas by sucking excess moisture from the air. Touching or inhaling mold spores can trigger allergic reactions such as shortness of breath. If your home smells damp or you see mold on your wall, you should consider buying a dehumidifier.
We believe the best dehumidifier available in 2021 is the Eva-Dry Electric Petite Dehumidifier. This machine is so quiet, you would not even know it was switched on. It is also portable, lightweight, and can absorb up to 16oz of water from the air.
Humidifiers
When you use central heating during the winter months, it can dry out the air. Pollutants in the air are not reduced by increased moisture. However, by adding moisture to the air you can relieve symptoms of asthma. You also reduce the risk of getting a sore throat. A humidifier should be used alongside our other recommendations and should not be used if you have mold in your home.
In our opinion, the best humidifier is the Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier. This humidifier is one of the quietest on the market and it can add adequate moisture to a small or mid-sized room for a full day, even on its lowest setting. It can run for up to 15 hours on its highest setting, so you can run it at the night without worry. The Crane Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier will cost you around $40.
