Air purifiers make your household cleaner and healthier. But it’s easy to let proper, regular air purifier maintenance slip one’s mind. And sometimes the devices cleaning our homes need a little attention. Just like you should clean under your fingernails with an orange stick, occasionally it's important to clean your new indoor air purifier.
Regularly cleaning your air purifier will extend its lifespan and maximize the number of pollutants and allergens filtered out of your air. Air purifiers work most efficiently when their filters aren't full of old particulates like dust, pollen, or pet dander. If asthma or another respiratory illness runs in your family and you rely on a cleaner air supply to control it then make sure you clean your air purifier on the regular.
If you haven’t cleaned it within the last 6 months or so then now's a great time to do so especially if it’s cheap and easy since replacing its filters once a year can really protect against different forms of indoor pollutants which could be dangerous for someone with health issues who relies on clean air.
Here are ways to clean your air purifier:
Know When to Clean
This will differ from home to home. For example, if you have a purifier that runs all day every day, this will require more frequent cleaning and maintenance than one which is turned on only during times when additional air circulation is required. But generally, the frequency of filter changes or exchanges will depend on the filtration system in question.
For example, in many air purifiers, the filter can be replaced once a year whilst other filters should be changed every three-to-six months. Some filters last longer and some are easy to change yourself (or may even have pre-installed filters), but it’s worth checking before purchasing as they’ll certainly vary as much as individual users!
Address the Clogging
It is recommended that you clean your air purifier with a soft towel or vacuum after a few months of usage. A great deal of dust, hair, and dirt may settle on the filters, which restricts airflow and can cause them to deteriorate more rapidly than usual. Air purifiers that have washable filters must be properly cleaned in order for these appliances to work at their full potential.
The state of your purifier will depend on the size of your room and the quality of the air. If you are running your purifier in one particularly dirty area, you will notice it to be darker than others and fit with more dust. This may also require frequent cleaning as well as changing of the filters.
Replace Filters
Filters should be replaceable, when possible because sometimes the effectiveness of a filter can degrade over time. For example, some may contain carbon which will become less effective after a period of use. Newer models often include washable filters that you can clean and use for some time without doing any damage to them.
Different air filters have different washing instructions. Some are supposed to be replaced rather than washed/cleaned, and others should never be washed because doing so can damage them. If you don’t have your owner's manual available, you can search the internet for the correct washing instructions to follow.
Know if Filters are Washable
Remove the filter from your air purifier – follow the instructions that came with it and make sure to check online if you can’t find them. If the air filter can be washed, then rinse it gently under cold water until there is nothing but water coming out.
Don’t use a cleaning product on it because you don’t want to introduce further contaminants into it – especially not a squirt of washing-up liquid! Leave the filter completely dry and don’t replace it if it still has moisture in or on it. You don't want to invite mold into your environment when there's already an easy fix for this problem.
Key Takeaway
In order to keep your home smelling fresh and clean, it's important that you know how to clean an air purifier. Before getting started, feel free to check out our beginners' guide to air purifiers and best practices when it comes down to cleaning an air filter at home.
If you let your filter get too dirty or let dust build up in your unit, then the performance of your device will be diminished. You'll notice that the air won't smell very good, particularly near where your unit has become dusty or built up a lot of particles on its own. Some devices use a disposable filter while others come with washable filters that can need washing every once in a while.
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