From school to home—and everywhere in between!—parents are paying a lot of attention to air quality these days. And while there’s a whole big world out there, you can add a helpful device to breathe cleaner in your living space: an air purifier. Since you’re no stranger to wiping sticky hands, vacuuming endless cracker crumbs and tackling a plethora of household messes, this must-have gives your air a good cleaning too! Keep reading to get everything you need to know about in-home air purifiers:
Air purifiers work their magic by getting rid of odors, allergens, dust and other unwanted airborne substances. (Yep, there’s a whole bunch of stuff living with us we can’t even see!). The fan component sucks in air which is then forced out through a filter, trapping pollutants—some of which can cause adverse health effects or aggravate allergies and asthma. Simply put: dirty air in, clean air out. By minimizing contaminants, the quality of the air circulating around your home improves. How’s that for a breath of fresh air?
Cool! But Let’s Get Back to Those Pollutants… What Should the Air Filter Remove?
Sources of air pollution include:
Particulate matter: This is a mix of solid particles and liquid droplets of differing sizes suspended in the air (think dust and dirt). Since PMs are so small, people often don’t notice they’re even breathing them in.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): These can be found in cleaning products, disinfectants, paints and solvents, aerosol sprays and pesticides. Not all VOCs are harmful to our health, but some may cause an allergic reaction for those with sensitivities. Although they evaporate at room temperature, they can quickly become part of the air that you breathe when using them.
Bioaerosols: Emitted or released from living beings, bioaerosols include mold, bacteria, viruses and allergens like pollen, dust mites and pet dander.
Are All Air Purifiers Created Equal When It Comes to Cleaning Indoor Air?
Not all air purifiers can handle the same type of pollutants effectively. Molekule uses Photo Electrochemical Oxidation (PECO) technology to collect and destroy (through a light-activated chemical reaction) the widest range of pollutants in the air we breathe, compared to traditional air purifiers. PECO technology traps large particles and breaks down harmful pollutants to their most basic molecular components, including VOCs, mold, bacteria, viruses and allergens. Thanks to nanotechnology, PECO is able to destroy pollutants 1,000 times smaller than what HEPA standard tests for. Better yet, PECO meets rigorous performance criteria in FDA guidance for use in helping reduce risk of viral exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19 virus. It’s important to note that while an air purifier can help reduce exposure, it should be combined with PPE and other countermeasures suggested by government authorities.
What Size Do I Need?
This depends on where you’re using it! A small office requires a different size than a large home. Molekule has several versions:
Molekule Air is for large rooms up to 600 sq. ft. (large bedrooms, living rooms, and family rooms)
Molekule Air Mini is for small rooms up to 250 sq. ft. (studio apartments, kids’ bedrooms, and home offices)
Molekule Air Mini+ has the features of Air Mini with a couple of extras including a sensor to measure airborne particulate matter levels and Auto Protect mode to regulate fan speed for optimal air purification
Molekule Air Pro is for extra-large rooms up to 1000 sq. ft. (open floorplans or office settings)
Ready to say peace out, pollutants? With school on the horizon, now’s the perfect time for peace of mind that you’re improving the air your family breathes at home.