When purchasing an air purifier, consumers are faced with many choices: what brand to purchase, what size to purchase, what features are needed in an air purifier, and what type of filter to use. Many consumers become confused when they see various air purifiers offering “permanent filters,” or “washable filters.” Many people don’t understand the difference, or why air purifiers with washable filters are better than other air purifiers.
Costs
First and foremost, simple economics is one reason you will likely want to carefully consider air purifiers with washable filters. Air purifiers with washable filters don’t require you to purchase frequent replacement filters, meaning that you do not have ongoing expenses associated with the operation, other than the electricity needed to operate the air purifier. You can save thousands of dollars over the life of an air purifier with washable filters versus an air purifier for which you must buy replacement filters. If you replace a traditional, non-washable filter monthly, you could be incurring from $25 to $77 or more per month on new filters, depending on the purifier you use. If you have an air purifier with washable filters, you will not be spending between $300-$950 per year on replacing filters.
Frequency of cleaning
In addition, air purifiers with washable filters are better for people who suffer from severe pet or dust allergies because you can wash the filter any time you desire. You can even wash and clean the filter daily if needed due to severe allergies. This is a tremendous benefit that air purifiers with washable filters provide that other air purifiers do not. Many manufacturers of air purifiers with washable filters also note that the more often you clean the filter, the more likely you are to ensure efficient operation of your air purifier. During various allergy seasons when allergens are more prevalent, the ability to wash the filter any time for an air purifier with washable filters can mean the difference between severe suffering and being able to undertake normal, daily activities in the home.
How to Clean a Washable Air Filter
Many people believe that purchasing an air purifier with a washable filter means hard-to-clean filters. This simply is not the case. Air purifiers with washable filters are extraordinarily easy to clean; you simply remove the filter and clean it. There are multiple ways to do this. Many people take the washable filter from their air purifier outside and hose it off with a garden hose, minimizing any mess. Some people wash the filters in the kitchen sink or even bathtub.
For a smaller filter, a shower head may often provide just the right amount of water and pressure to clean the filter with ease, and mess that ends up in the bath tub runs down the drain; no trash bags or clunky vacuums are needed. In the kitchen sink, the vegetable sprayer can often be used to clean smaller filters, once again, washing any mess down the sink. Cleaning filters with water minimizes the chance of allergens and dirt dislodging from the filter and being released back in to the air, which is a major issue with filters that must be vacuum cleaned.
Speaking of vacuums, it is important to know that air purifiers with washable filters do not require you to clean the filter with a vacuum. However, “permanent filters,” require this type of cleaning and, in fact, cannot be touched with water. Air purifiers with washable filters have many advantages over air purifiers with so-called “permanent filters.”
Among the most important things is the lack of needing to use a vacuum to clean the filter. Why is that important? If you have serious allergies, and the filter in your air purifier has removed allergens, pet dander, and more from the air, and you then take out the filter covered with those items and vacuum it, you are doing two things that are detrimental to you if you suffer from allergies. First, you are exposing yourself to a large quantity of allergens in removing and holding the filter to be cleaned; second, in using a vacuum to clean the air filter, you are often scattering a significant amount of the allergens the filter removed from the air back in to the air! This happens both while vacuuming the filter, and from the amount that leaks from the vacuum (even the best sealed vacuum cleaners leak small amounts of dust and allergens in the air).
The filter from an air purifier with a washable filter can be completely cleaned using water. So-called permanent filters on which you can only use a vacuum cannot be completely cleaned, no matter what you do. Some particles of dust, dirt, and allergens will always remain in the filter after it is cleaned.
Air purifiers with washable filters are also best for long-term, efficient operation of an air purifier. As previously discussed, it is very difficult to remove all dust and dirt from a filter that must be vacuumed. A filter with particulates remaining in it will require the air purifier to use more energy to purify the air, meaning higher electricity and operating costs, and less-efficient operation for the purifier.
Availability of Air Purifiers with Washable Filters
Air purifiers with washable filters are available in a wide variety of sizes and types to suit any person or household. You can purchase air purifiers with washable filters with either HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters or ifD filters that are washable. No matter the reason for purchasing an air purifier, you can find an air purifier with washable filters.
Conclusion
Overall, air purifiers with washable filters have tremendous advantages over both systems that require regular filter replacement and filter systems with filters that must be vacuumed. From saving you money, to making it easier to truly control the allergens in the home by being washable, air purifiers with washable filters are definitely the better choice over other air purifier options.
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