Can Air Purifiers Remove Household Mold Spores?

Mold is a common nuisance in many homes and properties. In the past few decades, people have been using air purifiers to get rid of mold allergens. But are all air purifiers efficient at removing mold from the air or can air purifiers get rid of mold in a home? Find out below:

What Are Mold Spores?

Mold is an essential part of nature and can be found almost everywhere. Mold spores are airborne microscopic particles that act as the “seeds” which mold needs in order to spread. While mold spores are also present in homes, the actual visible mold grows only when it has the right conditions. It requires a source of food (such as walls), moisture, and warm temperatures. Unfortunately, most homes meet those requirements, causing the potential for health risks.

How Does Mold Affect Our Health?

Some people are more sensitive to mold exposure than others. The most affected individuals are those who are allergic to mold or suffer from asthma. The symptoms of an allergic reaction to mold include sneezing; itchy eyes, nose, and throat; watery eyes; redness of the eyes; runny nose; coughs; and skin rashes. Even if you’re not allergic to mold, long-term exposure may cause several problems, such as irritant reactions (headache, skin irritation, eye irritation, and coughs). You should minimize the mold in your home to avoid such health hazards.

What Do Air Purifiers Do?

There are several types of air purifiers, but those that are the most effective at removing mold spores from indoor air are high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) air purifiers. HEPA filters capture 99.97% of 0.3 micron particles, including dust and other allergens, and an even higher percentage of larger particles. Since mold spores are usually about 1-20 microns, the HEPA filter is perfect for extracting mold spores from the air. However, air purifiers should not be used to treat the underlying mold problem.

What Air Purifiers Don’t Do

Although HEPA air purifiers can efficiently filter mold spores out of the air, you need to remove the mold first if you have a mold problem in your home. Air purifiers will remove mold spores, but can’t remove the mold growth which put the mold spores in the air. To get rid of a mold problem, it’s best to call a mold restoration company. These companies use specialized equipment and techniques to detect and remove mold growth, as well as to dry and restore affected surfaces.

The Bottom Line

If you’re allergic or sensitive to mold spores, air purifiers can be a great help. They can filter out mold spores and other allergens from the air. In addition, air purifiers can help prevent mold growth by stopping mold spores from spreading. However, air purifiers won’t kill the mold that’s already growing on surfaces. Remove the mold and fix the moisture problem to get rid of the mold infestation.

For mold removal service, contact your local PuroClean office.