Do you know what’s in your air?
Perhaps the better question is this: Have you ever stopped to think what you’re breathing, day in and day out?
The truth might scare you.
In recent years, there has been a surge of information about what we should and shouldn’t eat. I’ve also seen warnings about what we should and shouldn’t be putting on our skin (aka certain lotions and cosmetics).
But what can we do about the air? After all, we have to breathe!
First of all, you can go to a site like AirNow.gov to look into the real-time air quality wherever you live. It will give you tons of statistics about not only what is in the air on any given day, but how it can also affect your health (especially if you suffer from allergies).
Second of all, with Earth Day right around the corner, we should absolutely be more cognizant about our eco-footprint and what we can do to reduce contaminants and pollution in the air. And while those changes (like recycling or using glass instead of plastic) can make a big impact on our future, how can we make a difference in the air our family is breathing today?
The answer is this: purify the air around you.
Air Purifiers
Air purifiers come in a variety of shapes, sizes and even prices. For instance, you can find cute ones for under $100 for your kids:
or a top of the line Bissell air purifier that costs closer to $550:
Keep in mind, air purifiers are devices that actually remove contaminants from a room, as opposed to a humidifier or a fan…though both have their place in the home as well.
Humidifiers
As for humidifiers, they make the air in a room more moist and, well, humid. Those of us who hate muggy days my wonder why anyone would do such a thing; as a mom who’s had a son with the croup, I can tell you first-hand that a humidifier can be a life-saver when you need to open up a baby’s airways.
Fans
My husband cannot sleep without a fan on. While fans are great at circulating the air, they do nothing to help the actual quality of the air like an air purifier does. You also have to be especially careful to keep it clean, otherwise you’ll ending blowing more dirt and dust into the air than you would without it.
So there you have it: a brief tutorial on air purifiers, humidifiers, and fans. Now it’s up to you to determine not only which is best for your family and the air quality in your home, but which model will work (and look) best in what room.
