Introduction
When mold takes hold, it can be a real problem. Not only does flourishing mold create unsightly dark or white patches, but it can also actually be really bad for your health. Mold can grow pretty much anywhere. Fortunately, there is a solution. A good-quality air purifier can help to remove mold.
In this article, we will explain the causes of mold and how an air purifier can help keep your home mold-free.
What is Mold?
In essence, mold is a type of fungus. Just like mushrooms and other fungi, mold needs two things to survive. Oxygen and moisture. Both of which are normally present in most homes. In a wild setting, mold is a naturally occurring phenomenon that breaks down organic matter. It is inconvenient and unsightly at best in the home, dangerous at worst.
While you might not realize, mold doesn’t spontaneously appear, it actually arrives in the form of spores. These are tiny airborne particles naturally present in outdoor and indoor settings.
Never seen a mold spore?
It is hardly surprising, they are pretty small, and generally, you’ll need magnification to see them. However, just because you can’t see them, it doesn’t mean they aren’t there.
How Will I Know if I Have Mold in my Home?
Mold in your home is pretty easy to spot. It can form on any surface that is even slightly absorbent.
Mold can appear in many different forms, including:
- Dark ‘spots.’
- A large dark patch.
- White spots.
- A three-dimensional slimy ‘lump.’
- A white, green, or dark ‘fur.’
- A combination of all of the above.
You might not even need to see mold to know it is present. Mold, as it is a fungus, also emits certain odors. Mold generally smells very musty or earthy. It might not smell at all in the early stages, but if you notice very strong odors, then there is a good chance that mold has really taken hold.
Often the smell that people associate with ‘damp’ is actually the smell of mold!
Is Mold Harmful to Humans?
The bad news is that mold can be really harmful to human health. As we said above, mold doesn’t just rest in situ but emits spores. These spores can be particularly harmful.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, mold can cause rashes, dizziness, sneezing, sore eyes, coughs, and even trigger asthma attacks.
Some people are also allergic to mold. In these instances, symptoms can sometimes be severe.
Do Air Purifiers Kill Mold?
Air purifiers lessen the likelihood of mold spreading and contribute to an effective anti-mold strategy.
While you will need to clean and remove the mold itself from surfaces with treatment, air purifiers can help to reduce the recurrence of mold by removing the spores from the air. If the spores are greatly reduced, there is less chance of them landing on surfacing and growing.
Air purifiers pull in ambient air from any room in which they are placed. This air is forced through several layers of filtration that trap and remove foreign particles such as dust, pollutants, and mold spores. Once the air is filtered, it is output from the unit, meaning the air you will breathe is far purer than it was when it entered.
What is the Best Air Purifier for Mold?
To be effective in the fight against mold, there are a few features that you will need to look out for when choosing the best air purifier for mold. Ideally, you should look for:
HEPA filters
HEPA is an acronym for “High-Efficiency Particulate Air”. It is generally considered the gold standard for pure and clean air. HEPA filters work by driving air, under pressure, through smaller and smaller holes. With each filtration stage, smaller and smaller particles are removed.
How small?
Clair Air’s Embossed HEPA filter can trap particles as small as 0.1 microns. Mold spores are normally around 0.2 microns. This means that an air filter such as this can effectively remove all mold spores from the air in your home.
High Output
Having an effective filter is only a part of the process. If your air purifier isn’t powerful enough to cleanse a large volume of air, you’ll be fighting a losing battle.
Look for an air purifier with high output and one that can quickly and efficiently purify the air.
The Clair K2 HEPA purifier can completely purify a room of 714 square feet in around an hour. For smaller rooms of 179 square feet, it can clean the air in 15 minutes!
Replaceable Filters
As we said above, mold can grow on any absorbent surface where spores can land.
Often an area where this is missed is within the air purifier itself. The filter may very well trap the spores, but if these are left in situ, you may very well have created a real ‘spore hotspot’.
The solution?
Being able to trap the spores and then remove them by replacing the filter. All Clair Air HEPA filters are easily replaceable, meaning that the air in your home is always kept pure.
Constant Running
Air filters must constantly be running to provide the most effective purification. Anything that is intrusive, either in size or noise level, will discourage this. The air purifiers from Clair Air are aesthetically beautiful, exceptionally quiet, and are designed to be run constantly, ensuring a steady supply of the purest air.
Odor Removal
Let’s face it. Mold smells bad. Clair air purifiers can be fitted with an integrated (and rather stylish) ‘Clair Bird.’ This air freshener will disperse a pleasant fragrance throughout your room. When paired with the activated carbon filter, your home will be odor-free.
Conclusion
Clair Air purifiers are ECARF quality tested and are fitted with high-quality HEPA filters. They can work really effectively as part of a mold removal strategy.