Urban Blog

Do you ever have trouble breathing? Indoor air quality is usually far inferior to outdoor air. It’s also usually far dirtier than outdoor air. As recent news reports from China has shown, air pollution can range from irritating to downright scary.

While the odds are that you aren’t facing air pollution on the industrial scale of Beijing, that doesn’t mean that the air quality inside your home is great either. So it’s time to get proactive. In this article we are going to take a look at some of the best air purifiers on the market.

The best way to purify the air in your home is to invest in a good high quality filter for your HVAC system and change it often. A good filter may cost as much as $100 if you opt for the seriously overpriced, but effective, Lennox Healthy Climate CarbonClean 16.

The problem with a really expensive whole house air filter is that it is a good idea to replace your air filter in your forced air system frequently. With a $100 price tag, this can really add up fast. A more viable option comes form 3M. The 3M Filtrete 1550 is a very effective option and while 3M makes a bunch of other filter options the Filtrete 1550 is far less expensive than those other 3M options and just a fraction of the $100 Lennox option.

A whole house filter should be seen as step number one when it comes to purifying your indoor air. Again, changing your whole house filter is nothing short of a must. If you want good indoor air quality, then keeping the air flowing through your HVAC system clean is essential. The last thing you want to do is install a low quality filter and then fail to replace that filter frequently. Having a dirty filter can actually make your indoor air quality worse, not better!

Air Filters Can Be Mindboggling!

Room air filters are excellent supplemental air purifiers. There are plenty of options on the market. In fact, you can be forgiven if you find the task of deciding on room air filter to be nothing short of mindboggling. Not only are there tons of different options, but they also use different technologies and, as it turns out, some of those technologies are probably not safe. Also not all options are created equally.

If an air purifier doesn’t have HEPA technology, then you will want to proceed with caution. Many now feature this technology, which works every well for reducing and trapping small particles. However, with that stated, many air purifiers lack HEPA and still do an excellent job. Honeywell’s HA300BHD uses HEPA technology and captures particles 0.3 micron and larger. Overall this is a good HEPA room purifier and it has numerous settings.

Skip the Ozone

Other room air purifiers use ozone. These air purifiers should be avoided. Research has shown that ozone can harm the lungs. While some manufacturers tout that their air purifiers produce very low levels of ozone, the fact is that they still do produce some ozone which is far from optimal. Other manufacturers give users the option to turn on and off ozone functionality.

The IQAir

An interesting room air purifier option is IQAir. IQAir uses HyperHEPA filtration, is Swiss-Made and is currently used by hospitals. IQAir is an expensive option with basic models costing about $900, which is a massive price point difference over Honeywell’s offerings. Experts have repeatedly noted that IQAir provides exceptional results. IQAir comes with more features and options such as a filter life monitor. But again, it is all about performance when discussing room air purifiers and, in terms of performance, IQAir seems tough to beat.

What About If You Want to Clean Your Whole House?

When it comes to room air purifiers there are a few important factors to keep in mind. The key word is “room,” none of the options on the market will clean the air throughout your home. In order to effectively clean the air, numerous units could be needed depending on the size of your home. The units will usually state that an air purifier is capable of cleaning between 200 to as much as 1100 square feet on the high end; however the average generally tends to be more in the 300-500 square feet range.

In other words, a room unit will work well in a bedroom, but will not have the desired impact for an entire house. Another factor to keep in mind is that the air filters inside the units must be replaced and that can add up in a major way. These limiting factors serve to underscore the considerable importance of opting for a high quality whole home air filter for your HVAC system.

Air purifiers come in all shapes and sizes, and not all do a great or even a good job. While there are many options, it is key to remember that you do get what you pay for. By far the most important aspect of enjoying high quality indoor air is making sure that your whole home air filter is replaced often and is of high quality. The next most important step is selecting a room air purifier and likewise replacing the filters in that air purifier frequently. For the best air, try replacing your whole house air purifier monthly and keep your unit’s fan running at least a few times a day to clean out the air.

It’s Worth the Effort

Other steps such as opening windows and using a range hood when cooking will further help as well. The addition of plants such as snake plants and fern’s like Boston ferns have been scientifically proven to work wonders. Quality indoor air quality may be a little pricey and take some work, but the link between health and indoor air is an established one.

Foam cushion furniture is everywhere. Across the price spectrum, you will find foam cushion furniture and for many reasons. Foam cushion furniture can be durable. At least for a few years, it can be comfortable as well. However, there are good reasons that you should avoid this kind of furniture whenever possible. Let’s take a closer look at a few of the top reasons that you’ll want to avoid foam cushion furniture.

Reason Number One to Avoid Foam Cushion Furniture-That Odd and Dangerous Smell

Foam cushions are usually made from chemicals and there is no way of telling for sure what chemicals can be found in furniture and bed mattresses. Since furniture such as couches, seats and mattresses are large, they can contain large amounts of chemicals. If you are chemically sensitive or want to reduce the amount of chemicals in your home, then you’ll definitely want to opt for items that are as chemical free as possible. If you’ve noticed that “odd smell” in new furniture, you are not alone. Usually that smell is from chemicals.

One of the single most common types of furniture foam is polyurethane foam. It is very important to note that polyurethane foam is a petroleum-based material. Petroleum based materials emit VOCs or volatile organic compounds. VOCs negatively impact overall air quality and can lead to respiratory problems.

Studies have shown that exposure to air pollution can lead to disease and lower the IQ of children. Any step you can take to improve your indoor air quality is a step in the right direction, and that makes avoiding foam cushions a must. Quite often foam cushions and mattresses have glues that contain such dangerous chemicals as formaldehyde.

Reason Number Two to Avoid Foam Cushion Furniture-Very Dangerous Flame Retardants

Sadly, foam furniture and foam cushions have flame-retardants in them. Scientific tests have shown that flame-retardants don’t serve any purpose and are, in fact, quite dangerous. Flame retardants put into foam cushions takes a bad product and makes it far, far worst. Studies have shown that flame-retardants damage DNA and increase the risk of cancer. These compounds can also make their way into household dust and eventually into our bodies. By not purchasing foam cushions, you are avoiding one of the key sources of flame retardant exposure.

Reason Number Three to Avoid Foam Cushion Furniture-Go Natural and Lower Your Carbon Footprint

Foam cushions are made from petrochemicals and toxic compounds. These are not renewable resources, and it takes a considerable amount of energy to manufacture these goods. In short, foam cushions are not just bad for people, but are also bad for the planet. If you want to help the planet and lower your carbon footprint, then avoid buying foam cushions.

The production of foam also harms our water supply. It takes a lot of water to produce foam and a good deal of water pollution results from the manufacturing of foam products. Vote with your dollars, and simply buy a different kind of furniture.

Reason Number Four to Avoid Foam Cushion Furniture-You Get What You Pay For

Foam furniture will last, for a while. Unlike other furniture options, foam furniture will not stand the test of time. Foam is not like wood furniture for example, as foam is constantly in a state of degrading. The foam furniture you have today will not be of similar quality years from now. If you truly want the best deal possible you need to opt for wood furniture or other more solid and durable furniture options.

It is true that chemicals are in fact everywhere. There are tens of thousands of chemicals, most of which are untested, begin used in the world today. By not buying foam furniture and foam products, you are helping reduce the number of chemicals both in the world and in your home. It may be more difficult to find foam free furniture, but it is indeed possible if you do a little shopping around.

The bottom line is that foam products have been linked to health problems. The simple fact is that keeping dangerous chemicals out of your home is worth the effort. So let’s take a look a few furniture alternatives that are better than foam.

The Benefits of Wood and Wool

Wood is a great option. Reclaimed wood furniture is amazing furniture. No doubt it is more expensive, but it is also very eco-friendly because no new trees were used in its creation. That alone results in a considerable energy savings. Reclaimed wood furniture is usually old growth wood, which means that it is far more durable, then new growth wood. When selecting reclaimed wood furniture, it is important to pay close attention to how the wood was treated after it was reclaimed. For example, were chemicals used on the wood to treat it?

Instead of foam cushions, opt for cushions and furniture made with natural materials such as wool. Sometimes wool is treated with chemicals as well so it is important to ask the right questions. That stated, wool is usually a superior alternative to foam cushions in that wool is environmentally friendly and, of course, completely renewable.

You do have choices. The idea that the only choice is to opt for petrochemical based foam is a false one. It may take a little research and effort, but you will ultimately be rewarded with a product that is a healthy and long lasting one. If you are looking for a great furniture investment, skip the foam and go for natural, people friendly and planet friendly options.