HEPA Air Purifier~any luck with one?

[marimara]

I have pretty severe allergies to dust, tree pollen, dust mites, cats, cigarette smoke, and am sensitive to all kinds of environmental toxins.  We just moved to an apartment where I swear the old tenants had cats and all my neighbors smoke and it wafts into my apt.  I can't breathe at night out of my nose.  I can't stand it.  I seem to be the only one so severely affected.  I am thinking about getting a HEPA Air Purifier, one of the cheaper room size ones, most likely from Target or Walmart.  So has anyone had any luck with the room size ones?   Did it make a difference in the stuffiness in your nose?

[mama1803]

We've used the room sized HEPA filters for years and they really have helped us.  We have dust mite and pollen allergies here too.

I also have a severe cat dander allergy.  I first purchased my HEPA filters when I lived in an apartment previously inhabited by cats.  I noticed a difference the first night I slept with the filters on.

[marimara]

Awesome. I  just went out and bought a Honeywell room size Hepa filter. We'll see how it goes!  Do you leave yours on 24hrs day?  Do you keep the doors closed during the day?

[staceyshoe]

We're new to all this too.  Ds has a lot of environmental allergies.  You'll want to make sure to measure the room size and check the "Clean Air Delivery Rating (CADR)" for the HEPA filter you have.  Hope it makes a big difference!

[flightgoddess]

Yes, leave it on 24 hrs a day until you get your allergies more controlled and tolerated. Then you can turn it off while you are gone for the workday, for example. If your apartment is carpeted, CLEAN THE CARPET PROFESSIONALLY! You buy the special allergen soap from National Allergy Supply catalog, and give it to the cleaners you hire, unless they already have their own allergy cleaning package. Make sure it is high heat steam cleaning. If you are on a tight budget, you can do the rent-a-rug-doctor thing, but make sure you spend the bucks on good allergen killing carpet soap! (the best source I know and use is National allergy supply. google them for their website/catalog) It will still be an improvement over doing nothing, but probably won't get as much as a professional job.

[marimara]

Thanks flightgoddess.  Yes the apt is carpeted, I can't stand it.  We moved in 7 months ago and it had been freshly steam cleaned then but it does need it again.  

[mama1803]

Unfortunately, steam cleaning alone isn't going to help.  The moisture activates the proteins in the dander which can make reactions even worse (and no amount of steam cleaning is going to fully get rid of all the dander).  This is why many allergists will recommend cleaning carpets with a powder and not steam.  We use a product called Captur e(which is sold at Home Depot, Lowe's, Wal-Mart) that is a powder that you brush in then vacuum up. 

[marimara]

Hmm, I might try that Capture stuff.  You're not kidding about steam cleaning not always working.  I know this for a fact that's why I am hesitant to pay someone to come and clean our upstairs apt. Really the problem is the carpet itself.   I can't stand carpet and do so much better in the houses we've lived that had limited or no carpet.  We are actively looking for another living situation but until then I clean, clean, clean.  I think the air purifier is helping a lot.  I have noticeably less congestion in the morning.  I'm seeing my doc soon for different meds.  I know meds aren't the answer but they can help me get thru a rough patch, until next year when we can move.  

[HRJ]

Check out IQ Air.  It has worked wonders for my superallergic family.  My mom and dad live in a house built in 1813.  it is an allergy nightmare (I wish they'd sell it) and my brother was miserable most of his growing up there.  When he visited, he was fine w/ the IQ Air running.  Someone turned it off, and within minutes he was blowing his nose/sneezing, etc. 

[emilysmama]

Our family has the IQAir as well. (Actually we have two.)  We think this is fantastic. It has almost completely solved our airborne allergy problems.   We used to have the big Honeywell Environcaire HEPA room filters, but that didn't help us at all.

We have a friend that has a HEPA filter made by a company called Austin, I think.