Dust is everywhere. However, for some people it can be such a nuisance and finding a good way to get rid of it in your home or office can be difficult. In your search for a way to deal with indoor dust, you may have heard that air purifiers can help but even so you remain unconvinced if they actually work.
Well, starting with a quick answer to your question, let me clarify this for you. Briefly put, do air purifiers get rid of dust? Air purifiers do get rid of dust indoors but not completely. Furthermore, not all types of air purifiers eliminate dust. The most reliable type of air purifier for dust is a True HEPA air purifier. To effectively eliminate dust, air purifiers must be used jointly with some additional measures.
Though air purifiers are not the end-all solution for dust, they do considerably reduce the amount of dust in your air. To give you an in-depth understanding of how air purifiers can help you deal with indoor dust, in this post I firstly show you, in detail, how dust gets into your indoor air and how air purifiers tackle indoor dust.
Thereafter I show you some recommended air purifiers you can use for dealing with dust and the extra measures you need to take to effectively deal with dust using an air purifier. By the end of this post, you should know exactly how to use air purifiers to get rid of dust.
Where Does Dust Come From & Can Air Purifiers Help?
Knowing where dust comes from and how it spreads, for me, is the first step to understanding how air purifiers can help you with dust. So where does dust come from?
This might be obvious, but for clarity, before I start answering this question let me point out that we are talking about indoor dust. Indoor, dust comes from both outdoors and indoors. Studies show that 60 percent of indoor dust comes from outside your home or a building facility and the rest is generated indoors.
Most of the dust that gets into your home or workspace from outside comes from airborne particles released from soil, plants, and animals. Additionally, you also have airborne particles from factories and traffic pollution. If your neighbors smoke, second-hand smoke from cigarettes also contributes to the dust in your indoor air.
These are some of the major outdoor sources of dust. Indoors, dust originates from your own dead skin, pet shedding's, surfaces made of fibrous materials, cooking, some cosmetics, printers, and various other office and household processes.
For example, if you do some hobby woodwork in your home garage, you are definitely no stranger to dust. All this dust from various sources floats around your indoor air and eventually settles on surfaces across your work or living space. Thereafter, at times the settled dust gets disturbed and subsequently redistributed back into your air.
Airborne dust particles range in size from 0.01 microns up to 1000 microns. As dust particles are airborne, this is where air purifiers fit into the picture in helping you get rid of dust. Studies show air purifiers can filter out particulate matter of 1, 2.5, and 10 micrometers in size from your air and this includes dust particles of all sizes.
Like all other airborne particulates, air purifiers suck airborne dust out of the air. They do this by sucking dust-filled air out of your room and passing this air through a series of filters within their filtration core where the dust particles and other pollutants are eventually trapped.
Dust particles are trapped in the filters while the air simply passes through the filters and eventually it is released back into your room clean and dust-free. This process happens continuously.
After several cycles through your air purifier, your indoor air eventually becomes pretty much free of dust. With less dust in your air, you have a lot less dust settling on surfaces around your home or workspace and this is how air purifiers get rid of indoor dust.
Now, the next question I had after seeing how air purifiers get rid of dust was, "do they completely get rid of dust?" Unfortunately, the answer is no. However, they do substantially reduce the level of dust in an indoor space if you have a good air purifier and you are using it correctly. On this note, we can delve into the next section of our discussion.
What Type Of Air Purifiers Are Best For Dust?
There are many types of air purifiers out there each professing to do wonders for your air. However, some types perform better than others depending on the type of pollutants you have in your air.
Noticing that some types of air purifiers are better than others at dealing with the various range of air pollutants, the recent trend has been for manufacturers to make hybrid air purifiers. These are air purifiers that are built with a combination of filters to tackle a wider range of pollutants in your air.
Accordingly, to tackle airborne dust, you have a choice between a hybrid air purifier or an air purifier with a single type of filter. Of the many types of air purifiers, the only one you really need for dust is a HEPA air purifier.
Other mechanical filter air purifiers like MERV filter, electrostatic filter or pleated filter air purifiers will work for dust as well but your life will be less complicated with a HEPA filter air purifier. You also should not go for any odd HEPA air purifier, you have to make sure you get an air purifier that is True HEPA certified.
HEPA filters that are not True HEPA certified are substandard and more often than not you will find that they do not effectively reduce your indoor dust levels. They miss out on filtering a lot of fine dust particles as they can usually only get rid of dust particles that are larger than two to three microns in size.
Another type of air purifier that will work for dust is an ionic air purifier but they are nowhere near as efficient as True HEPA air purifiers. Additionally, ionic air purifiers produce trace amounts of ozone.
Ozone is a powerful air cleaning agent but it's not good for your health and causes respiratory irritations if you or your pets inhale enough of it. I would keep away from ionic air purifiers and stick to True HEPA air purifiers for dust.
Some proprietary filter-based air purifiers perform and filter air more efficiently than True HEPA air purifiers. You can go for these if you like, but again I am biased towards True HEPA purifiers as they are more readily available and they are simply good enough for getting rid of airborne dust.
True HEPA air purifiers can remove 99.7% of particulates down to 0.01 microns and this covers the bulk of airborne dust you need to be concerned about in your air. The other thing you also have to watch for is that your air purifier can do at least 3 air exchanges per hour (3 ACH) and it can adequately cover your room size.
To conclude, if you are getting an air purifier for dust, be it a hybrid or single filter air purifier, make sure to go for an air purifier with a True HEPA filter.
3 Air Purifiers That Actually Get Rid Of Dust
I must say, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to air purifiers for dust. The True HEPA technology is so widespread and pretty much all the reputable air purifier manufacturers have air purifiers that will do an excellent job getting rid of air-borne dust and lowering the amount of dust accumulating around your home.
Of all the options, here are three I found to be a perfect choice for dealing with dust. In my choice, I considered air purifiers that will work well for situations where you have extremely high levels of dust and air purifiers that will work well if you are looking to deal with dust and other forms of pollutants like gases and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
1. Enviroklenz Mobile Air System
One of the best things you can get for a home or office struggling with excessive dust levels is the EnviroKlenz Mobile Air System. From initial observation, this air purifier looks like some appliance from the 1960s but do not be deceived by its looks.
The Enviroklenz is one of the most robust HEPA air purifiers I have seen to date. It may only filter out airborne particles down to 0.3 microns but from anecdotal evidence and independent testing, it has proven very effective in clearing airborne dust.
The secret of this air purifier is in the density of its HEPA media filter. It is much denser than the ordinary True HEPA filter due to the unique layered design that Enviroklenz uses. This enables it to capture dust particulates more effectively than most rivaling True HEPA purifiers.
The Enviroklenz can clean air in an area of up to 1000 square feet at 3 ACH as required for effective clearing up of airborne dust. For more info about the Enviroklenz air purifier click here.
2. Powermatic PM1250
The next effective system I highly recommend for dust is not an air purifier in its traditional sense but it's rather an air filtration system. The Powermatic PM1250 Micro Dust system is actually designed for dust in woodworking shops. However, if you have a lot of dust in your home or office this system can work wonders for you.
The Powermatic PM1250 is an airborne dust collector on steroids. It does not use a HEPA filter but rather an electrostatic filter that attracts and captures even ultrafine dust particulates like a dust magnet.
It looks like a big fan but, it's actually tranquil for its size, even at its highest operating speed. The Powermatic can manage 5 ACH in a room of up to 680 square feet. It can get rid of 99.7% of airborne particulates, including dust particles down to 0.1 microns. For more info about the Powermatic air filtration system click here.
3. Rabbit Air MinusA2
Last but not least, Rabbit Air’s MinusA2 air purifier is a really great choice for clearing airborne dust in small to medium-sized rooms. Rabbit Air has a unique HEPA filter called the advanced BioGS HEPA filter which is tailored towards protecting your environment from dust.
Their filter is made of a special bioengineered fiber material that prevents mold growth and secondary contamination on them and allows for them to capture airborne particles including dust for a longer time without losing efficiency.
With the MinusA2, you are going to have less dust floating around, and you will spend less time dusting your home or workspace. The MinusA2 air purifier can manage 4 ACH in a room of about 400 square feet.
It is quite a robust and high-quality option for clearing and keeping dust at bay in a small to medium-sized indoor space. For more information about the Rabbit Air MinusA2 click here.
Like I said earlier there are many other options out there of dust eliminating air purifiers. As long as they have a True HEPA filter or any better filter than that. For other great True HEPA filters I have found that do an awesome job for dust and your general air quality, check out my list of recommended air purifiers here.
8 Extra Steps To Effectively Reduce Dust With Air Purifiers
The thing with air purifiers is that they can only get rid of dust in the air. Accordingly, they cannot completely get rid of dust on their own. As your air purifier cleans your air, it will miss some airborne dust particles and these will eventually land on surfaces around your home.
The job of your air purifier is to minimize the amount of dust that settles on surfaces around your home or workspace and not to completely get rid of the dust. This means you will still have to clean up dust around your home or workspace. However, if you have a good air purifier you will notice the amount of dust you have to clean up is considerably less.
Given that air purifiers simply reduce the amount of dust indoors rather than completely getting rid of dust, here is a list of extra measures you can use together with your air purifier to win the war against indoor dust.
1. Wipe Surfaces With A Damp Cloth
Avoid using feathers dusters when dealing with dust on surfaces but rather wipe the surfaces with a damp cloth. By doing this you minimize the amount of dust you send back into your air and subsequently the amount of dust your air purifier has to deal with.
Another thing you should do when wiping surfaces is mix fabric softener into the water you use to dampen the cloth you are using to wipe your surfaces.
A lot of items (like TVs, laptops, etc.) and some surfaces around your home build up a static charge and become dust magnets but wiping them with fabric softener greatly reduces their static and consequently the amount of dust they attract and collect.
2. Avoid Carpet Flooring
Carpets are known for harboring dust and all kinds of particles that become airborne with day to day activities carried out on your carpet. So, if you are concerned about dust, consider replacing your carpet for more air quality friendly flooring.
3. Change Your Bedding Often
Beds and beddings are other key sources of dust in your home. They harbor dead skin, hair, particles you brought in from outdoors, dust mites, and much more. To minimize dust from beddings, you need to change and wash your beddings every week. The other thing you can do is get hypoallergenic beddings.
4. Vacuum Your Floors And Surfaces
Vacuuming surfaces and floors every week with a HEPA vacuum cleaner can really help keep dust at bay and it's very effective if you are doing this in conjunction with an air purifier. When it comes to vacuuming floors you can also invest in a robotic vacuum cleaner. This gadget will keep your floor clean 24/7 and save you so much time keeping your floor clean.
5. Dust Rugs And Apparel Outside
To avoid unnecessary dust indoors, if you have to dust a rug or anything for that matter, take whatever you need to dust outside and do the dusting outdoors.
6. Maintain Your Furnace And HVAC System
A lot of dust can get into your home through your air ducts if you have a central air system. You need to clean your air ducts at least once a year and make sure you replace your furnace and HVAC filters on time. If you don’t, eventually you will have dust coming through your vents and into your indoor air.
7. Control Your Humidity Level
Dust can build up through dust mites if your air is too humid and if your air is too dry then you get static build-up on surfaces around your home and subsequently these surfaces attract dust. So, to minimize dust you have to keep indoor humidity levels at the sweet spot of between 45% and 60%. To do this, you can use either a humidifier or dehumidifier.
8. Prevent Dust From Entering Your Home
As you move in and out of your home you carry a lot of dust on your clothes and shoes. A lot of particles that eventually collect in your home as dust also come in through windows and gaps under your doors.
There are several measures you can try to stop dust from getting into your office or home through these weak points. To list some,
- you can place doormats at all your doors,
- you can install dust and pollen screens on your windows,
- you can install door closers on doors to keep them closed all the time, and
- you can put a draft stopper on your door.
So, these are the 8 extra measures you need to take to effectively control dust while using an air purifier.
Though you cannot completely get rid of dust indoors, using these 8 measures hand in hand with an air purifier will help you reduce the level of dust in your work or living space to the lowest level you possibly can without any professional intervention.
If you’ve gone through everything I have shared in this post, I think I can confidently say, now you fully know whether you can get rid of dust with an air purifier or not and exactly how to use an air purifier to get rid of dust.
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