If you are interested in buying portable air cleaners, then you need to understand some basic things about how they work, as well as the kind of pollutants that they are capable of removing from the air. At the very least, you should make sure that you know which air borne pollutants are bothering you the most. For example, if you are having problems with cigarette smoke, it will not be of much use for you to buy a filter that does not remove particles of this size. In a similar way, if you need to get rid of germs in the air, or certain chemicals, then you will need to purchase a unit that has a different type of filtering mechanism.
Even though you may not be able to see a difference between pollen and cigarette smoke, the difference in their particle sizes is enough to prevent one single filtering medium from working for both of them. Typically, you will need to purchase portable air cleaners that accept multiple layered filters. In this way, particles of different sizes will get trapped in the layer that is designed to take them.
Many people today are concerned about airborne chemicals. Regardless of whether you are concerned about pesticides being released into the air, or car exhaust fumes, certain portable air cleaners can remove these toxins. In most cases, these filters will make use of a second filter that is designed to neutralize chemicals as opposed to trap them. As may be expected, you will need to read the manufacturers instructions so that you can find out whether or not the model you are looking at will filter out a specific chemical.
As you learn more about portable air cleaners, you will invariably find some that include a UV light. Without a question, if you have problems with mold, fungus, or bacterial infestations, this will be an ideal model for you to buy. On the other hand, you also need to realize that these units may not be able to cleanse your apartment of germs if there is a central heating and cooling system. Under these circumstances, you would actually need to find some way to ensure that all of the air in the entire building can reach enough portable air cleaners in order to get rid of all the micro organisms.
Today, portable air cleaners can be of immense benefit if you suffer from hay fever, or cannot stand some of the odors that have built up in your home. As long as you know exactly what kind of molecules need to be removed from the air, you should be able to find a device that will work efficiently and effectively. Even if you live in an apartment building, you may still be able to find some way to close off central heating vents in order to ensure that at least one room has clean and healthy air for you to enjoy.
