Any homeowner with pets knows that animals make a mess. This goes beyond the occasional accident inside or toys littered across the floor. Domestic pets like dogs and cats shed fur, making cleaning a top priority. But fur isn’t the real problem: it’s the dander discarded with it.
Dander—tiny flecks of skin—floats around the home freely, wreaking havoc on our respiratory systems. The allergen survives for weeks, much longer than most other airborne contaminates. Its lifespan allows it to spread throughout the home and cling to furniture. While vacuuming can eliminate it once settled, an air purification system is the only way to strip it from the air.
Not all air purifiers cleanse dander. Specifically, HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters are for catching such fine airborne pollutants. These mesh traps tout more than a 99% efficacy rating!
Air Purifiers for Pet Odors
If dander isn’t an issue, then the smell will be. Pets leave odours in the home that affect air quality. While the HEPA filter targets dander, there are other criteria for odour removal. In particular, the CARD (Clean Air Delivery Rate) of the machine.
CARD measures the volume of air sucked into the purifier and the percentage of particles removed. The CARD factors in particles associated with gases, fumes and odours. Thus, just looking at the air exchange rate of a purifier is not enough; one that simply recycles will only preserve those particles contributing to the smell.
For destroying bacteria and other airborne contaminants, some purifiers emit ozone. While beneficial to indoor air quality, purifiers with oxidizers can be harmful to rodents and birds. In fact, too much pure oxygen can potentially kill them—a reason why the FDA caps air cleaner ozone emissions. For safety reasons, purifiers are best kept away from cages and crates.
