-
How to Clean Indoor Air Outside Your Home
When you don’t have access to the central HVAC system where you live or work, here’s how to take control to improve indoor air quality.
The peace of mind you get from controlling your home’s indoor air quality helps life feel a little less stressful—but what about the times you’re not at home? When you’re working in offices, teaching in classrooms, or living in dorms you don’t have the luxury of controlling a central HVAC system and making sure the filter is fresh and functional.
The good news: you can take indoor air care into your own hands and get a little piece of that peace of mind back.
-
How indoor air is different in commercial buildings
The Environmental Protection Agency has HVAC and air quality guidelines for commercial buildings, including schools, offices and dorms.1, 2, 3 However, large buildings often run into problems with unwanted airborne particles, especially dust, mold and mildew. Larger spaces have more places for dust to accumulate and more opportunities for leaks and high humidity that cause mold growth.4 Classrooms, office buildings and dorms don’t always have options for natural ventilation, either—windows can be few and far between, and some can’t be opened at all.
How to get cleaner air at the office
You can expect the usual suspects when it comes to airborne particles at the office—dust, mold, bacteria and viruses—but commercial cleaning supplies, office furniture, printers and copy machines can release harmful chemicals into the air, too.1 You and your coworkers can reduce polluted indoor air by ensuring vents and grilles aren’t blocked by furniture, promptly cleaning up spills and being mindful about plastic in the microwave.1
How to get cleaner indoor air in the classroom
The foot traffic of schools means the airborne particles that come into a classroom can be unpredictable. Students can carry dirt, pollen and pet dander in on their clothes and backpacks, and mold spores can multiply quickly if it’s humid or there’s a leak. If your classroom has windows, keep them open as weather permits and add a fan nearby. Using fans in an open doorway to bring air in from the hall can also help increase ventilation.
How to get cleaner air in a college dorm or apartment
Air quality can be especially volatile in small living spaces. If you or your child is off to college, be sure to send them with a fan and a humidifier. When the heat kicks on, the air in a college dorm can get especially dry. While air that’s too humid can cause mold growth, air that’s too dry can make sleeping, studying and relaxing uncomfortable.
How room air purifiers can help improve indoor air quality
Whether in a classroom, dorm or small workspace, Filtrete™ air purifiers and filters can help to improve indoor air quality. Filtrete™ Air Purifiers, including our Smart Air Purifiers, come with True HEPA filtration out of the box to help capture 99.97% of airborne particles, including dust, pet dander, mold, viruses and bacteria.* Our Air Purifiers range in sizes small to extra large, for rooms from 80 to 370 square feet.
The Smart Air Purifiers come with added features, such as automatic air quality monitoring and cleaning. When there’s a concern detected, your device will kick in to clean the air. There is also a color-coded display to help you understand your air quality more quickly, in real-time, and seamlessly connect to the Filtrete™ Smart App, so you can check in and control your device from anywhere on your smartphone.
*As small as 0.3 microns from the air passing through the filter media. Initial efficiency value.
Sources
1. https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/office-building-occupants-guide-indoor-air-quality
2. https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/indoor-air-quality-multifamily-housing
3. https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools
4. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2013-102/
-
