How Sharp Air Purifiers Help to Reduce Mold In Your Home - TWICE - Twice

Posted: 29 Jul 2020 08:05 AM PDT

Mold. Just the utterance of the word can seize my nasal passages. I've got several airborne allergies, but my allergy to mold is the most severe. Seven years of allergy shots nearly cured most of my allergies, except the one to mold is strong as ever. For me, an allergic reaction can trigger an asthma event and have me reaching for my rescue inhaler, especially when sleeping.

Having researched while writing this series of blogs, I decided to purchase the Sharp KC-850U Plasmacluster Air Purifier for my bedroom, and within a week, I was breathing freely. More on this later.

Mitigation

As much as possible, I've tried to remove the potential sources of mold from my home. I moved plastic bins around in my basement to find that moister somehow collected, and there was mold growing on the bottom. For years I've known to keep the gasket of my refrigerator squeaky clean, my bathrooms are as clean as I can see, wet towels are never put into the laundry basket, and I do my best to keep the basement clean. Honestly, I could spend every day looking for the source and would not ever find it. The majority of mold spores measure between 2 and 10 microns, only visible when viewed under a microscope. For comparison, a human hair is between 50–75 microns.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts a finer point on the issue stating that there are more than 200 species of fungi, or what is generically called mold or mildew that people are routinely exposed to indoors and outdoors. They estimate that up to 50 percent of the population has a sensitivity to mold. The presence of mold can cause health problems that affecting immune response.

It would seem that keeping a clean house would be enough to be rid of mold, but it is particularly pesky because these fungi are part of the natural environment. Mold spores float in the air in search of a moist host to reproduce. In its Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that it is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors. That doesn't mean I won't give up trying.

There are several intervention methods that you might not have considered to help mitigate the growth of mold.

Maintain heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.
Keep gutters and downspouts clear to ensure water drains away from the foundation.
Routinely check, clean, and dry the drip pans in air conditioners, refrigerators, and dehumidifiers.
Use exhaust fans or open windows to increase ventilation when cooking, showering, or when using the dishwasher.
Leave closet doors open for air circulation.
Maintain an ideal relative humidity level in the home between 40 to 60 percent.
Locate and fix or remove sources, causing a build-up of moisture.
Reduce the number of indoor plants.
Use high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters.

Clean Air, Room-by-Room

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) states that ensuring healthy Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) by minimizing indoor air pollutants is essential. Poor IAQ can have severe repercussions on an individual's health.

Not every home has ductwork available to install a whole-house air filtration/purifying system, and even for those that do, it can be cost-prohibitive. This is where a portable in-room air purifier comes to the rescue.

A Sharp in-room air purifier with a True HEPA filter captures up to 99.97% of allergens from the air that passes through the filter, measuring as small as 0.3 microns and larger. Not only does it capture mold spores, but you also benefit from capturing pollen, dust mites, pet dander, and bacteria.

Building on what a True HEPA filter alone can accomplish is Sharp's patented Plasmacluster Ion (PCI) air purification technology. The Plasmacluster Ion technology mimics nature's cleaning process, by splitting water molecules into positively and negatively charged ions, which spread throughout the room and actively break down pollutants like germs, airborne and surface-adhering bacteria, fungus, mold, viruses and clinging odors, and then return to the air as water vapor.

Seeing is believing; check out this video of how Sharp's Plasmacluster Ion technology reduced airborne mold by 79 percent in a test chamber.

Breathe easy—Amazon's No. 1 bestselling air purifier is just $100 right now - Yahoo Sports

Posted: 30 Jun 2020 12:00 AM PDT

Yahoo Life is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change.

Save 33 percent on this Germ Guardian Air Purifier. (Photo: Germ Guardian)

Whether you're a pet owner, have asthma or find yourself constantly getting sick, an air purifier can help immensely. With this Germ Guardian True HEPA Filter Air Purifier — on sale for $100, or 33 percent off at Amazon — you can keep the air virtually free of dander, germs, odors, mold, smoke and dust.

Usually going for $150, this Germ Guardian Air Purifier uses True HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) air filters to get rid of just about any dust and allergen in your home, while antimicrobial agents in each filter breaks down any mold, airborne viruses and more. In fact, this air purifier can do away with up to 99.97 percent of harmful things in the air. It's a miracle-worker!

"I have horrible asthma and I was finding it hard to breathe when I was in my apartment for extended periods of time," shared a an Amazon five-star reviewer, "WITHIN AN HOUR OF TURNING ON I NOTICED AN AIR QUALITY DIFFERENCE. Since buying this product I have not had any wheezing at home. We leave it on the low setting in our bedroom at night. We put it on high a few times a week if we are hanging out at home. My fiancé noticed a difference and he doesn't have any allergies or asthma! He doesn't wake up stuffed up anymore. We are sleeping better, the cats sneeze less, everyone's health is so much better!"

Get this Germ Guardian Air Purifier for just $100. (Photo: Germ Guardian)

For the best results, run the Germ Guardian Air Purifier all day and all night (that's 24/7), so it can fight off all the icky things in the air 'round the clock. There's even an ultra-quiet setting, so it doesn't wake you up while you're counting sheep.

"Wow, works amazing! Bought this because we had a house fire," another shopper shared. "Needed to work in the house to make repairs. The soot was not really bad, respirators worked ok, but we decided to try to clean the air as well. Wow, set it up and in less than an hour there was such a difference. The air was incredibly clean and smells were gone."

And another shopper loves the look: "I am impressed with this purifier. Runs quiet, air feels fresh, sinuses are happy. Aesthetically pleasing as well — why are most air purifiers so ugly?"

This model is perfect for medium and large rooms up to 167 square feet. Get ready to (rest and) breathe easy!

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

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