Mold can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to your home’s foundation, walls, and anywhere it is found. Even worse is the fact that mold can negatively impact someone’s health, even if it can’t be seen with the naked eye.
As the mold continues to grow, it’s important to find ways to get rid of any mold spores in your walls, foundation, and even in the air. Air purifiers are one of the best resources to help you battle mold spores.
Some air purifiers are designed to remove particles, such as mold spores, from the air.
Although air purifiers cannot remove all mold spores from the air, and not all types are designed to remove particles, they can help improve your indoor air quality by constantly filtering them out while you attack the root of your mold issue.
Air purifiers can be a good defense against mold spores when combined with the right filter, maintenance, and mold removal services.
What are Mold Spores?
Mold spores are tiny “seeds” that come from mold. They help mold spread throughout a home and can cause serious negative health effects.
Mold spores can spread through the air in your and can lead to an increase in asthmatic and allergic symptoms in some people.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, mold spores can also lead to symptoms such as:
- Stuffy nose
- Wheezing
- Red itchy eyes
- Trouble breathing
- Cough
- Fever
What is an Air Purifier?
An air purifier is a type of machine that is designed to remove debris from the indoor air of your home.
Different types of pollutants and debris that can be removed by a filter include:
- Dust
- Pollen
- Dander
- Smoke from cigarettes or marijuana
- Viruses (only with a UV light filter)
- Certain bacteria
- Smog
- Paint fumes
And, of course, mold spores.
Types of Air Purifiers
It’s important to understand the different types of air purifiers and if they can remove mold spores.
There are now five types of air purifiers, which include:
HEPA filter air purifiers
Most air purifiers use what is known as a High-Efficiency Particulate Air filter, also known as a HEPA filter.
These air purifiers work by pulling air into the filter using a fan, then using a highly dense filter to capture debris and pollutants.
This allows the air purifier to emit clean air into the home.
But, if you are using this option, it is important to frequently change the filter so the mold doesn’t just grow from that filter that has trapped it! Otherwise, you are back to square one.
PECO (Photo Electrochemical Oxidation)
This is a much newer technology and probably the best air purifier for the job. Studies show that this technology actually oxidizes and ultimately destroys any kind of mold spore rather than trapping it in a filter like a HEPA filter.
This type of air purifier is completely safe to use and have in the house because there is no toxic by-product like there would be for an ozone generator.
Carbon filter air purifiers
Carbon filter air purifiers use a different type of filter than HEPA filters do.
They have the benefit of being able to remove what is known as organic volatile compounds from the air.
This includes chemicals that might be present in pollutants, paint fumes, and other types of chemical compounds in the air.
Ionizers
Ionizers use the power of electricity and negative ions to create a static charge in any particles around your home. This static charge causes the pollutants in your home to be weighed down, to the point where they are no longer in the air and fall to the nearest surface.
These pollutants, including mold spores, will stay on the surface of your home’s furniture and other areas until it is cleaned away.
But the downside of this technology is not worth the risk, as ionizers also generate ozone, which is bad for you to breathe in.
According to the EPA, if you are exposed to this type of pollutant, it can cause breathing problems like asthma. To a point where you to feel pain when taking a big breath because of the damage to your lungs.
UV Light air purifiers
Ultra-violet light air purifiers use ultra-violet lights to kill off viruses and other germs in your home’s air.
These are the only types of purifiers that have the ability to kill off viruses.
Most people will choose to install a UV light into their existing HVAC unit.
What Type of Air Purifier is Best for Mold Spores?
The only two types of air purifiers that will work best to get rid of mold spores are HEPA filter air purifiers and PECO air purifiers.
HEPA air filter purifiers are effective at removing particles up to 0.3 microns in length.
That’s even smaller than a red blood cell!
It’s also smaller than the average mold spore, which is generally around 2 to 100 microns in length according to the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA.
This puts mold spores well within the threshold to be effectively removed by HEPA air filters. However, it’s important to clean out air filters with mold spores attached to them.
Failing to do so means mold spores will stay within the air filter and damage the air purifier, or lead to musty smells.
PECO air purifiers as we discussed earlier destroy any mold spore once it goes through the air purifier. This is the only type of technology that can do this.
For this specific scenario, the PECO air purifier takes the cake!
Ionizers are another good option for mold spores, but you risk exposing yourself to ozone. Ionizers are designed to negatively charge particles in the air, such as mold spores, weighing them down so they remain on the surfaces of your home instead of in the air.
These surfaces can then be wiped down in order to prevent the spread of mold spores through physical contact.
Although carbon filter air purifiers and ionizers are great for removing viruses and toxic chemicals, they are not effective at capturing particles such as mold spores.
Why Use an Air Purifier Instead of an AC Unit?
Although your AC unit might come with a filter, these filters are only designed to prevent debris from accumulating in your duct or HVAC system.
HEPA filters and ionizer air purifiers, on the other hand, are specifically designed with dangerous particles like mold spores in mind.
Using an air purifier in addition to your AC unit can help protect your family’s health.
However, you need to tackle the root of your mold problem in order to get rid of all mold spores and ensure it does not cause further damage to your home.
Other Things You Can Do To Prevent Mold!
Outside of getting an air purifier, you want to make sure the mold does not return. So I have put together some ways to help make sure this doesn’t happen again.
- Get A Moisture Catcher: I personally put Damp Rid’s all over my condo. This works great for bathrooms and laundry rooms where there can be moisture around those darker corners and nooks!
- Get a Dehumidifer: This will help keep the humidity in your house low. I personally live in Florida the most humid state in the US, so a dehumidifier is a must for me. This also applies to places in the country where there is a chance where the environment is cold, wet, and dark.
- Get Annual Roof Checks for Leaks: A leaky roof can be the beginning of a very expensive mold removal. Make sure to have your roof checked if you have frequent inclement weather like I do!
- Don’t Let Clothes or Towels Get Musty: We’ve all been there. We are so busy that we forgot that we left a load of laundry in too long. That dreading feeling that you know your clothes or towels are going to smell mildewy is the worst. Also make sure you get the right drying rack if you are hang drying anything. No more putting towels on doors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can mold spores stay in the air?
The answer is forever. Because mold spores are constantly being produced in the air around us and they are extremely small, they can stay suspended in the air and never touch the ground.
What happens if you inhale mold spores?
Ultimately, there is mold spores are everywhere, but constant exposure to mold in the air can make people have cold like symptoms: runny nose, red eyes, constantly sneezing, AND even a skin rash might appear.
Protect your Health Using an Air Purifier
You don’t have to let the effects of mold spores interfere with your health.
A simple air purifier can do wonders in helping prevent asthma and allergy flare-ups from mold and helping prevent the spread throughout your home.
Find the best air purifiers today and use them to improve your overall health and quality of life!