Air Quality News

Air purifier can help Fido (and you) fight dust mites

Air Quality News from IQAir, the world leader in air purifiers.

As furnaces kick on, dust mites are in the air.

As winter approaches and the outside temperature drops, the furnace at home fires up and your cat or dog starts scratching. That’s a pretty good sign that dust mites are being stirred up from the heating ducts and other surfaces and causing allergies for your household pets. If so, a HEPA air purifier is going to be an important part of any solution. And, because household pets are allergic to many of the same triggers as are humans, those dust mites blown into the air from the furnace may be affecting your pets and affecting you too.

Dust mites are tiny eight-legged creatures. They are typically 250-300  microns in diameter, which is actually quite large compared to the fine and ultrafine air pollution particles that also trigger allergies and asthma. In the case of dust mites, the mites themselves as well as their droppings contain proteins that trigger respiratory problems. These allergens get stirred up and become airborne when the furnace turns ons and dust accumulated in the vents begins blowing out into the occupied spaces of your home.

Experts say a mechanical HEPA air purifier is a first line of defense against mites and their remains once they are airborne. But inexpensive air cleaners that use unproven or dangerous technologies such as ozone generation or ionization are not the solution. In fact, by adding ozone into the air they will trigger even worse allergies.

Cheap, discount-store “HEPA-style” air purifiers are also not going to solve your dust mite problem. When it comes to air purifiers, “you usually do get what you pay for,” advise the editors at www.dustmites.org. The website recommends using an air purifier than moves a significant volume of air through its filters. They also recommend purchasing a system with a pre-filter to trap large particles, and one with a motor to actively draw air into the unit. Other air purifier advice the site offers:  Purchase a unit that is sufficient for the room in which it will be used, and replace the air purifier’s filters as recommended by the manufacturer.

Dr. Noel Radwanski, a veterinary dermatologist and expert on pet allergies, is another expert who recommends a HEPA air purifier as a defense against dust mites for your pets at home. Radwanski, interviewed recently in FidoFriendly Magazine,  offers these additional tips:  use allergen-proof covers on your bed and the pet’s bed, keep humidity levels low (dust mites thrive in humidity), buy washable toys, wash pet beds, vacuum regularly and clean air duct vents.

This online publication is brought to you by IQAir North America, Inc., based in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. IQAir North America is a member of the Swiss-based IQAir Group that develops, manufactures and markets innovative air purifiers and air quality products for indoor environments around the globe. IQAir is the exclusive educational partner of the American Lung Association for the air purifier industry.