Air Cleaner Reviews - Best Air Cleaners

According to the American Medical Association, polluted indoor air is the main reason for illness. Air cleaners make the air - dust, pollen, mold, mild dew and bacteria free. So, ailments like allergy, asthma and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), can be addressed, by using an air cleaner. Air cleaners or filters come with fibrous materials, which help in filtering the air and removing the pollutants. Pollutants like volatile organic compounds, smoke 'chemicals' or ozone are also removed from the air. Automobile industries, farm equipments, heavy machinery, aircraft and hospital industries are the major utilizers of air cleaners. Air cleaners come in two types. One is used for a smaller area, like home or office. The other is installed with an air conditioner filter and is used for larger areas, like that of industries. Here is a brief description of the different types of air cleaners available, and a short review about these air cleaners have also been added.

Ionic Air Cleaners
Ionic air cleaners use air ionizers. They make the air free from dust, pollen and other allergens. Ionic cleaner works on the principle of static electricity. It alters the oxygen atoms in the air. They are built with negative ion generators. These generators produce negative ions in the air and electrify the pollutants, which get attracted towards the positively charged collector and become too heavy to remain air borne. Eventually, the particles are either pulled towards the 'dirt trap' of the purifier or sink, to the floor. They also get attracted towards walls, table-tops and TV screens, etc., and can be cleaned using a vacuum cleaner. The cleaner gives relief from replacing filters and does not produce a hissing sound like other air cleaners.

With their ability to remove dust, pollen, bacteria and germs from the air, they have a major side effect of producing toxic ozone – a potential pollutant and threat to human health. So, people who have complaints against allergies or asthma should always seek for a doctor's advice before using ionic air cleaners. According to certain sources, ionic cleaners are not effective enough, to make the air completely pollutant free. In absence of a fan, the metal collector inside the device is able to attract particles, but only when they are a few feet away. This results in the left-out particles polluting the air again.

Ultraviolet Air Purifiers or Cleaners
Along with removing air pollutants like cigarette smoke, pollen, dust mites, dander, mold, mildew, and micro organisms like germs, bacteria, and chemical gases, the ultraviolet air cleaner or air purifier also inhibits the spread of tuberculosis, measles, influenza and other infections. The lamp that is used in the cleaner emits ultraviolet rays in the air. The emitted rays hit the airborne micro-organisms and cause cellular damage to them by destroying their molecular bonds. Ultraviolet cleaners are effective in inhibiting the growth of viruses which do not have protective cell walls. It is necessary that these cleaners should be cleaned regularly, lest they can malfunction and help in the growth of the organisms instead of destroying them. Different researches have showed a reduction of 99% of germs in areas where the ventilation system contained UV cleaners.

Ozone Air Cleaners
Ozone Air cleaner basically prevents the spread of unpleasant odor and other contaminants of indoor air. Odors from smoke, cooking, build-up mold and mildew can be countered by these cleaners. They are mainly used to get rid of strong odors by oxidizing the organic and the inorganic compounds, of which the odor comprises. The ozone emitted contains three atoms of oxygen. One of the atoms combines with the compounds of the odor and alters their chemical composition, making them chemically inert, thereby reducing the smell.

Ozone air purifiers are beneficial for newly constructed homes or offices. They eliminate odor originating from construction materials, newly built furnitures and painted rooms. Places which have been renovated after being destroyed by fire are most likely to be enveloped with a strong odor of burning. Ozone air cleaners are also beneficial in purifying the air in such cases.

Like ionic air cleaners, the ozone air cleaners also have a major setback for releasing ozone in the air. Health experts do not recommend ozone cleaners in homes. Ozone, even in a small amount, if inhaled can cause irritation and inflammation of lungs, trigger asthma attack, and increase the risk of respiratory disorders. Chest pain, coughing and suffocation are other harmful effects of the gas. Exposure to ozone gas for more than 50 to 80 ppb (parts per billion) is considered as a major threat to health.

HEPA Air Cleaners
Even the smallest of particles can be removed from the air, using HEPA air cleaners. HEPA is an abbreviation for high efficiency particulate arresting. For capturing dust and other particles, and even bacteria and viruses, these high efficiency cleaners are built with holes as small as 0.00001182 inches. The large built of the filter ensures faster purification of the air. HEPA has also been recommended by doctors as the best allergy relief purifier and a claim of 99.7% is associated to its working, in removing air borne pollutants. HEPA air cleaners when combined with odor cleaner methods, give the most efficient results in purifying the air. HEPA finds widespread applications in aerospace, bio pharmaceutical labs, commercial complexes, etc., other than being used at homes.

Only a small set-back for the HEPA air cleaner is that it is noisier than the other cleaners. The reason being the motorized fan, that is built in it, for air suction. However, ignoring this drawback of the system, HEPA air cleaner is perhaps the best option among all other cleaners.

In the above air cleaner reviews, we found that all other cleaners have at least one drawback that can affect health, except the HEPA air cleaner. Although, it produces noise, it makes the air completely free from unwanted particles of microscopical size and micro organisms as well. Thus, it can be concluded that HEPA is the top player when it comes to the overall performance of air cleaners or purifiers.