Molds are more likely to grow in your home without letting you know. It gets flourished in the less attended areas where the level of humidity and temperature are high—usually in attics, basements, or garages. Some people have installed basement air purifiers to get rid of it but do air purifiers help with mold? This is the comprehensive guide for all of your mold-related queries.
Mold? How does it grow?
Mold is a fungus that is made due to the microscopic organisms usually grown in damp and dark areas. In a nutshell, mold is a decomposition agent that can be dangerous for inhabitants when it is found indoors.
Other than that, for growth, they will need oxygen and water that is why they are found in areas where there is a water leak or areas with a high level of moisture. Paper and wood are ideal for the growth of mold however, it is not only restricted to it only, they are more likely to grow on fabric, plastic
Do air purifiers help with mold?
Some air purifiers are capable of capturing mold spores and preventing their reproduction and prevents its spread.
Air purifiers are an excellent technique to stop the spread of airborne mold particles, even though they won’t assist treat active mold that is already present on surfaces.
An air purifier will assist catch mold spores that enter your house before they have a chance to fall on surfaces where they might grow and create difficulties if you don’t already have a mold problem but are worried that it might become one.
If you have mold in your house, you should use an air purifier together with conventional surface treatments to stop the spread of mold spores to other locations.
How do air purifiers help with mold?
The finest air purifiers often have one or more HEPA filters, which draw indoor pollutants like mold spores, dust, pollen, and other allergens out of your home’s air while it is being sucked through them.
After being cleared of dirt and any respiratory triggers, the cleaned air is cycled back into the space. These machines often have filters composed of paper, fiberglass, or a fine mesh that catches mold spores and stop them from falling on surfaces where they may grow or spread.
The US Department of Energy mandates that HEPA filters prevent 99.97 percent of all particles that are 0.3 microns in size or bigger from passing through them.
Since mold spores may be as small as four microns, according to research (opens in new tab), having an air humidifier with HEPA filters in your house should help to limit the number of mold spores in the air. As all of the air must flow through the filter in order to be cleaned, air purifiers may be less efficient if used in big rooms. However, the majority of air purifiers include suggestions for the size of space that they are most appropriate for.
How to Prevent Mold Growth?
Mold grows in areas where the amount of humidity is high. So, the first thing that you have to do is to find the root cause of humidity and try to fix it as soon as possible. Rest here are the precautions that you have to take care of
- Fix the leakages in the area. The mold mostly grows in areas that are unattended such as roofs, garages, and basements. Fix the places where there is an accumulation of any source causing humidity and dampness.
- Quick clean-up after any flood condition. In case you got a flood or any water-related emergency, make it quick to clean up. This is because the flood will leave moisture in furniture, boxes, and carpets, making them a favorable place for the growth of mold. Make sure to dry up as soon as possible.
- Make room for proper ventilation. It is necessary to have proper ventilation in your kitchen and bathroom. The build of moisture in such areas may likely make the mold grow.
- Keeping the humidity level as low as possible. For that, it is recommended to add a dehumidifier in these areas to minimize the level of humidity there.
How will you know if an air purifier is helping with mold?
There are certain ways through which you can get to know whether or not your air purifier is working for molds. This adds to
- The Smell
You may notice that the area where there is mold, smells musty. When you place your air purifier device near it, within days the smell will disappear, making your home smell good.
- Air test kit
In this way, you need to get a single-use home test kit to get to know about the working of your air purifier. Each of these devices has a different working principle so, make sure you have read the instructions correctly.
- If the mold comes back
When you have done almost every possible way to eliminate the mold by fixing all the root causes of dampness. You must notice whether your air purifying device is limiting the growth of molds.
- Air quality monitor
In case you want to keep the air quality track consistently then you should get a digital air quality monitor. It will detect all kinds of particles present in the air and also let you know when to change the air purifier filters.
Our recommendation for the Best air purifier for Mold?
you will find plenty of options to have for an air purifier for mold however, based on the quality features, here is our recommendation
Vornado PCO575DC Air Purifier Review
What We liked about it, Pros
- The air filtration system of this air purifier is innovative
- It comes with the SilverScreen technology that effectively kills mold and mildew or any other virus present in the air.
- The ACH rating of this air purifier is good
- Virnado has smart control and working
- The Energy smart feature is quite impressive
What we disliked about it, Cons
- The CADR rating that it offers is low compared to the products in this price range
Vornado PCO575DC air purifier review
In the United States, Vornado is a well-known producer of home fans and air purifiers; they are well-known for their unique Silverscreen technology. Their most recent model, the Vornado PCO575DC, is their strongest air purifier, and in our opinion, it belongs on the list of the top air purifiers for viruses, mold, and mildew.
The Vornado PCO575DC can capture any virus particles smaller than 0.3 microns by going over the HEPA limit by using both a UV-C light filter and a unique titanium dioxide screen. Checking out the air filtering system.
The most economical option for implementing the photocatalytic oxidation method in its air filtration system may be the Vornado PCO575DC. It securely eliminates all mold, mildew, and virus spores while also dissolving every volatile organic compound (VOC) molecule into harmless molecules like water and carbon dioxide (CO2).
Additionally, the True HEPA filter of the Vornado PCO575DC gives it a lot of power. This well-built layer of filtration is made of top-notch components and may last up to a year. On a scale of 0 to 10, this air purifier unquestionably receives a minimum score of 9.
The strong fan is another noteworthy advantage of acquiring Vornado PCO575DC. It can clean your room up to 12 times an hour and claims the highest rating for air changes per hour (ACH rating). It is very astounding considering that other air purifiers can only produce 5X ACH. Its CADR grade of 175 Dust/166 Smoke/192 Pollen is acceptable (cfm).
We will have a precise Smart Sensor as well as optional options like Sleep Mode or an LED filter change indicator. Additionally, the Vornado PCO575DC boasts Energy Smart technology, making it 80% more energy-efficient, so you can forget about your power bill with ease.
Vornado PCO575DC is ranked B in our list of the best air purifiers, and even its younger sibling, Vornado PCO373DC, performs better.