Molekule air purifiers are on sale: Here's where to shop - NBC News

Posted: 29 Jan 2021 10:31 AM PST

In our coverage on the best air purifiers, Molekule has stood out as a crowd favorite. Rather than the popular and expert-recommended HEPA filter, the brand patented its own filter technology: photo electrochemical oxidation, or PECO. Although this technology is yet to be considered industry standard, it might still be worth considering for your next air purifier. And right now, Best Buy is offering you 30 percent off the brand's latest Air Mini+.

LEARN MORE about Molekule's air purifying technology

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, sales of air purifiers have surged. Although air purifiers are not designed specifically to stop the spread of the coronavirus, there are plenty of benefits to having this device in your home. As Josh Davidson, MD, an allergy and immunologist specialist, previously told us: If you struggle with allergies, asthma or other respiratory conditions, investing in an air purifier would be a smart move. If you're looking to upgrade, today might be a good time to do so and save a few dollars.

The Air Mini+ is designed for rooms as large as 250 square feet. The device comes with six months worth of filters and has a filter replacement indicator. It is designed to use less energy so you can run the air purifier all day and night. For shoppers concerned with noisy air purifiers, the Air Mini+ is designed to be whisper-quiet, operating at 30 decibels. Download the Molekule app on iOS or Android to easily check your filter status or control the fan speed from wherever you are.

The Molekule Air boasts many of the same features as the Air Mini+, but is intended for larger spaces, up to 600 square feet. It uses two different filters: a pre-filter to catch larger particles like dust or pet hair and the patented PECO filter that is meant to break down bacteria, mold, viruses and other pollutants. The sleek and simple designs of the Molekule air purifiers help them fit into nearly any of your home decor.

If you're looking to get more than one air purifier, you can opt for the Molekule Air + Mini Bundle. With one of each model, place the Air in a larger living space like your kitchen or living room, and the Mini in your bedroom or workspace.

Catch up on the latest from NBC News Shopping guides and recommendations and download the NBC News app for full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak.

Rebecca Rodriguez, Shop TODAY

Rebecca Rodriguez is a production coordinator and writer for NBC News Shopping.

Health Begins at Home: How to Improve Your Indoor Air Quality - WTRF

Posted: 29 Jan 2021 07:54 AM PST

Home Sweet Home

Posted: Jan 29, 2021 / 10:54 AM EST/ Updated: Jan 29, 2021 / 10:54 AM EST

You're probably familiar with "spring cleaning," where everyone throws open their windows to freshen up their homes. There's a reason for this – staying inside all winter with minimal ventilation makes the air stale, and pollutants can easily build up. Your home's air quality directly affects your family's health, so taking steps to improve the air circulating in your home will have lasting benefits. Here's everything you need to know about your indoor air quality and how to improve it.

How Bad is Your Air?

Before you do anything, consider buying an air quality monitor for your home. This version from Breathe measures even the smallest particles and will alert you when the air quality index (AQI) is too high. A "good" AQI is under 50, so if your air stays above 50 consistently, short and long-term health problems can develop (including asthma, allergies, trouble breathing, headaches, etc.).

What Are Indoor Pollutants?

The air inside our homes can be more polluted than outdoor air, especially in the winter. Dust, dander, and allergens get stuck in carpets/rugs, so make sure to clean these frequently. Carbon monoxide and radon are also harmful air pollutants, so install monitors to alert you when these levels are too high; in the winter, fireplaces are often the source of carbon monoxide leaks, so get yours serviced regularly. Other household products, like cleaners and home fragrances, can emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, so check the labels on your products and switch to cleaner versions if necessary.

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Solutions

The first step to improving your air quality is to decrease as many sources of pollutants as you can. But no amount of traditional cleaning will improve your air as well as filters and purification systems. Here are the important components to know about when choosing a purification system that's right for your home.

HEPA Filters – What we think of as common air pollutants (dust, mold, dander, etc.) can be captured by a HEPA filter. HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters are designed to capture at least 99.97% of particulates that are 0.3 microns in diameter. Non-HEPA (or "HEPA-like," "99% HEPA", etc.) filters will have much lower rates of particle capture, so it's best to avoid them. HEPA filters won't do anything about gasses, odors, or some viruses and bacteria, and because they trap the unwanted particles, they need to be changed and/or cleaned regularly.

Activated Carbon Filters – Need to remove gasses, odors, or other VOCs? Activated carbon filters can trap gas molecules and effectively remove them from the air. The "activated" part of this filter means the carbon has gone through a process that adds tiny carbon pores where the molecules get trapped. These filters are most effective when they use higher concentrations of carbon and are changed regularly.

UV Light – If trapping unwanted particles is good, wouldn't destroying them be better? Photocatalytic purification (or just UV light purification) uses UV light to activate a process that sends energy to break apart harmful molecules, thus destroying rather than trapping them. UV light is harmful to human cells, too, so be careful not to expose your skin or eyes for too long (almost all systems have the UV light behind barriers, so you're safe). UV light effectively kills many viruses and bacteria that HEPA filters can miss, but purifying air using UV light takes longer, so you need a big unit(s) and/or need to keep a UV purifier running longer for results. You'll also have to replace the catalyst eventually (so read the manual carefully).

Standalone/Portable Units – The easiest and most inexpensive way to purify your home's air is to buy several standalone/portable purifiers. Each model will indicate the square footage it covers and what kind of filter(s) it uses. Look for models where it's easy to replace the filter(s), and the air refresh rate is at least 2.5 times an hour. For a great model that uses HEPA, activated carbon, and UV, try the MOOKA purifier. For a wide range of sizes and price points, check out the models at Levoit – many have built-in monitors to turn off and on as needed.

Central Air Units – If you'd like to make sure that all of the air in your home is consistently purified, then look into attaching filters and UV light systems to your central air. Your HVAC technician can suggest options that fit with your current setup, like HEPA filters for your furnace and A/C. Whole-house UV light systems are becoming popular as a way to kill viruses and bacteria before the cold/warm air is circulated back into your home. While these system additions are expensive, they often have extended warranties and are ultimately the most effective way to tackle all your home's pollutants at once.

Cleaning the air in your home not only makes it more pleasant but helps keep your family healthy. Invest in a quality air purification system today!

Home Sweet Home is presented by Wheeling Distribution Center. Wheeling Distribution Center is a home improvement store that believes in offering quality home improvement products that businesses and homeowners can count on. It's this commitment to excellence that has kept us in business since 1980.

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