Air Purifiers for Mold: Learn How it Kills the Fungus

What is Mold?

Mold is a type of fungi that is found in the natural environment in places like soil, or on decayed, dead matter. In the outdoors, mold plays a very important role when it comes to the breakdown of plants, leaves, and wood. Although most of the time mold is odorless, it can have a strong earthy or musty odor.

In a similar process to how plants produce seeds, molds create small spores for reproduction. When indoors, these tiny mold spores are invisible to the naked eye and drift through the air, settling on surfaces throughout your home. Once they land on a damp area, they rapidly grow and multiply.

Molds need two things for survival: a food source and moisture. Some good examples of food sources are wood, cloth, insulation, and wallboard. The second key cause of mold is moisture and water damage. In some extreme cases, when a wet surface is not dried properly mold can grow as quickly as 24-48 hours.

Because individual mold spores are microscopically small, many people aren’t aware that mold is growing in their homes.

Where Do You Find Mold?

Mold grows on host surfaces and can be found virtually anywhere in your home. Molds live off any organic matter and thrive in humid, warm environments. This includes places like basements, bathroom walls, ceilings, window sills, and on food. One type of mold that we often see in our homes is mildew, which thrives in places like the shower or tiles around a kitchen sink. Mold can also grow in places we don’t normally think of, such as in our clothing and shoes, on our pets, or even on our own bodies.

There are many ways to check for mold and several ways you can help combat the problem, most notably with the use of mold air purifiers that kill airborne mold spores.

Health Effects of Mold

Mold in the home may lead to many serious health problems, such as: asthma, allergic reactions, depression, and potentially permanent damage to the lungs.

Mold spores are so small and invisible, it’s hard to tell when they’re present. However, if you have been affected by mold you might start to notice certain symptoms. These include everything from a scratchy throat, itchy eyes, and sneezing to more severe cases of coughing and wheezing. In the case of wheezing, it is important to get checked out by your doctor as it could be a sign of asthma.

In addition to physiological problems, a 2007 study determined that scientists found a link between high levels of mold in the home and depression.

Do Air Purifiers Help with Mold?

Studies have shown that the air quality inside our homes is often worse than the air we breathe outside. Many Americans spend up to 90% of their time in enclosed buildings, breathing this potentially polluted air. This is why it’s so important to consider purchasing air purifiers for mold for each room of your home. Air purifiers capture and remove airborne mold spores, helping prevent the allergen from proliferating, making them a cost-effective solution.

But molds sometimes prove to be stubborn when they are already growing on surfaces and are blown in from outside. Both of these factors make it virtually impossible to get rid of mold permanently. However, when a mold air purifier is running it helps to ensure that the air you are breathing is as healthy and clean as possible. Finding a quiet, reliable, and energy efficient air purifier for mold isn’t as challenging a task as in previous years.

To maximize results, you can also try several homemade remedies to help clean mold from the hard to tackle surfaces in your home. For more, check out some of our mold reduction tips!

Best Type of Air Purifiers for Killing Mold

While most air purifiers have been proven to be effective at removing mold, the most effective are those with a HEPA filter. HEPA filters are able to capture 99% – 99.97% of tiny particles, depending on the type, and can capture almost 100% of all larger particles. HEPA filters are able to capture particles as small as 0.3 microns. Because most mold spores are between 1-20 microns, the HEPA filters are able to accurately filter mold spores from the air.

AirPurifiers.com recommends combating mold with mold-reducing Silver Ion filters that capture up to 99% of mold spores from your indoor air. These effective HEPA filters include silver threads that are woven into the HEPA material. This protects the filter from harmful bacteria and mold growth, while helping control the spread of mold. Rid your home of fungi and the breathing problems it causes by finding the best air purifier for mold.