Does an air purifier eliminate unpleasant odors in the home?

The basic function of any air purifier is to clean suspended particles and impurities. They eliminate pollutants, impurities and odors.

As society has evolved technologically and industrially, so has the pollution load of cities. Although logic might lead us to believe that the environment outside a house is more polluted than inside, the reality is sometimes very different.

CO2 emitted by transport vehicles and pollution from industrial chimneys are undeniable sources of pollution, but while it may seem that a home is a protective core, safe from these kinds of threats, the truth is quite different.

If you're thinking of buying an air purifier for your home and want to know whether, in addition to cleaning the environment of pollutants, an air purifier also eliminates odors, read on as we explain everything you need to know about this type of device.

Home air purifiers: less and better odors?

On the face of it, an air purifier is a device that enables us to breathe clean air and significantly improve the quality of life in the home.

That said, it's worth pointing out why an air purifier is necessary to "sanitize" the environment.

As we've pointed out, contrary to popular belief, a home is not a safer environment for pollutants than the outdoors. In fact, the inside of the home contains a greater quantity of pollutants than the outside environment.

KITCHEN ODORS

Home dwellers are exposed to toxic chemical compounds such as persistent organic pollutants, volatile substances, perfluorochemicals, fluoropolymers, phthalates and even some heavy metals.

How is this possible? It's possible because all these substances are present in everyday household products.

And we haven't even mentioned molds, bacteria, viruses, animal hair and so on.

Of course, all these agents are also present outside a home, but wind and open spaces can disperse them and reduce their concentration, unlike indoors.

Hence the importance of breathing clean air at home, and the claim that poor ventilation causes dust mites, kitchen fumes or pet animal hair generate a higher level of pollution indoors than outdoors.

Why use an air purifier?

A healthy lifestyle involves preventing allergic reactions and acting to avoid respiratory or dermatological pathologies caused by the presence of pollutants in the home.

You may also be interested in: How to improve respiratory allergies at home with an air purifier.

Indeed, think that domestic and professional routines force us to stay within four walls 80% of the day.

An air purifier is a device designed to filter pollutants from the air in the space where it operates. The filter built into an air purifier eliminates harmful agents such as those mentioned above, providing more breathable air and increasing comfort.

Does the air purifier eliminate unpleasant odors?

Generally speaking, yes. Most modern air purifiers incorporate several stages of filtration, including the elimination of a multitude of odors.

To better understand whether an air purifier eliminates odors, we need to understand how it works.

A purifier as an odor elimination tool

The basic function of any air purifier is to clean airborne particles and impurities that can cause allergic reactions, to extract fumes from the air, to filter 99% of pollutant particles floating in the environment larger than 0.3 microns (according to its HEPA filter), to improve the quality of breathable air, to preserve general health and to eliminate a large proportion of unpleasant odors.

Nowadays, all purifiers generally feature three filters: the dust filter or pre-filter, the HEPA filter and the activated carbon filter. The latter is very important for odor elimination.

Proven effectiveness in odor elimination

If you buy a basic purifier that isn't fitted with the appropriate filters, its effectiveness in eliminating atmospheric pollutants doesn't extend to eliminating odors and gases.

When purchasing an air purifier designed to eliminate unpleasant odors, always ensure that the unit is equipped with an activated carbon filter. The HEPA filter will also help eliminate odors, but to a lesser extent than the activated carbon filter.

When buying an air purifier, it's important to be realistic about what you can expect from each unit, depending on its configuration.

A quality air purifier eliminates pollutants, impurities and odors, including gases. In addition, they trap and destroy environmental pollutants and harmful substances such as pollen, dust mites or bacteria, harmful biological agents, as well as fumes such as tobacco smoke.

Tobacco smoke

For this, they need to be fitted with the right filter and be of the highest possible quality. As we have already mentioned air purifiers with high-efficiency activated charcoal filters filters achieve the best results in eliminating unpleasant odours.

Air purifiers and natural ventilation. The perfect tandem.

The Canadian Public Health Committee has clearly established that inadequate ventilation is the main cause of poor indoor air quality.

Air purifiers eliminate airborne pollutants, diluting them and improving air quality in the home. Similarly, natural ventilation is an effective way of improving air quality.

Therefore, the complementary use of proper daily ventilation, adequate cleaning routines and an air purifier will keep your home free of pollutants and eliminate unwanted odors.

If you intend to purchase one of these devices because an air purifier eliminates odors, it's advisable to choose the right purifier by following the advice we've just given you.