Winter is still upon us, which means extra time spent indoors and less time opening windows. If you’ve noticed your allergies going awry more than you expected for the season, there’s a good chance you should consider investing in one of the best air purifiers for your budget. Not only will our suggestions do the job well, but they’ll also look great, too!

According to the California Air Resources Board, after first removing sources of pollution or reducing pollutant emissions, and by proving adequate ventilation second, the third most effective way to remove indoor particle pollutants is by using a central air filter or a good air cleaner in one or more rooms. This time of year, though, often leaves the second choice out of the question due to dropping temperatures, which is why this is a great opportunity to consider picking up one of the best air purifiers you can afford.

A quality purifier can be a breath of fresh air – literally – and turn the stale, stagnant atmosphere and odors into the crisp, clean air you should be breathing. And, aside from a nice aesthetic that also blends with your environment, try to keep a few things in mind when researching a new portable purifier. It’s best to look for the following when shopping for a new purifier:

• Avoid ozone-generating purifiers as these can actually cause health problems, including respiratory tract irritation and breathing difficulty.
• Make sure the room sizes match the recommendation for the units you’re buying.
• Try and select a portable purifier that that can replace the air in the room at least two or three times per hour.
• Look for models with the ARB Certification by the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Resource Board.

Now that you’ve gotten the lowdown, let’s take a look at the beautiful and beneficial air purifiers we’ve researched for you.

1. Airocide ($599)

Airocide is a stylish take on the typical air purifier. Resembling something more of a Bose speaker than a filtration system, this contemporary piece is chameleon-like in its ability to blend into a room. This can sit atop a piece of furniture or be mounted on the wall like a piece of sculptural art.

The Airocide’s NASA developed technology eradicates airborne asthmagens, allergens, dust mites, and pet dander, and has also been clinically proven to destroy MRSA and Anthrax spores. This unit is ARB Certified, features filterless technology, and even won the Gold Edison Award in 2014 for excellence in design and innovation.

2. Viktor ($399.99)

From Stadler Form USA comes the Viktor, a cubical unit that resembles something more akin to a modern desktop lamp than an air purifier. Sleek and minimalist in its design, this unit is sure to blend into any modern atmosphere.

The Viktor air purifier contains a washable HPP filter that eliminates 99.9 percent of the typical toxins like bacteria, viruses, dust mites, dander, and allergens, and contains a carbon filter to eliminate unpleasant odors. This unit has five power levels and contains an integrated fragrance dispenser for use with essential oils.

3. Conway ($750)

The APM-0511JH model from Conway is a lovely, mid-century-esque air purifier and humidifier with “oriental philosophy.” This unit has plenty of great features, including an anti-flu HEPA filter, air quality indicator, advanced deodorization, an aroma cartridge, and so much more. This beauty also won the International Design Excellence Award.

4. LightAir ($499)

Although the company has several other models with a similar aesthetic to choose from, we’ve featured the Style Lightair IonFlow 50 pictured above. The beautiful design boasts a lighted base that gives the illusion of a weightless unit, and would blend beautifully in a variety of home or office environments. It is 99.94 percent effective, filter-free, energy efficient, and completely silent.

5. Therapure ($89.95 to $99.95)

The Therapure units from Envion are like the fun, candy-colored cousins of the previous purification models. They effectively reduce allergens, pollution, smoke, and odors, while the UV light helps to reduce airborne germs and bacteria, while its photocatalyst filter helps reduce fumes and chemicals. These funky light-hearted cuties are perfect for smaller spaces, don’t require filter replacement, and have low power consumption.

Now that you’ve seen a few of the best air purification units for the indoors, you should be well on your way to choosing the model that’s right for you. We hope you enjoyed our picks – let us know your thoughts on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

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Decorating with houseplants may seem daunting to those without a green thumb, but rest assured the benefits and ease of taking care of a few low-maintenance indoor plants delivers many advantages in terms of indoor air quality and design. 

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is defined exactly as it sounds, and when the quality of your indoor air is poor, it may have detrimental effects on your health. According to the EPA, benzene, formaldehyde, toluene, second hand smoke, and radon are just a few of the dangerous chemicals that can pollute the insides of our homes.

While it is highly important to take the state of your home’s air quality seriously, decorating with houseplants is a good place to begin. Not only will your home look great, but it will be healthier, too. Just remember that in order for their benefits to be effective, you’ll need one 6- to 8-inch diameter plant for every 100 square feet.

Health Benefits of Houseplants

The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, or InterNACHI, claims that indoor air is often far more polluted than outdoor air due to off-gassing from within the home. However, phytoremediation, or the removal of environmental toxins with the aid of plants, is well within every homeowner’s reach. Fortunately, a few strategically placed houseplants will rid your air of carbon dioxide in no time, but the benefits don’t end there.

Specific plants are shown to remove specific chemicals, according to two studies – one conducted by NASA and the other by the government of India. Their findings concluded that some plants removed four major chemicals from the home, while others were able to reduce eye irritation by 52 percent, respiratory conditions by 34 percent, headaches by 24 percent, lung impairment by 12 percent, and asthma by 9 percent.

Houseplant Cautions

Although houseplants will aid in improving your indoor air quality, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. Cats and puppies like to nibble on leafy greens, so make sure that the plants you choose won’t harm your cohabitating pets. And be sure that the moisture in the air remains regulated after introducing houseplants, as they can potentially cause mold growth due to the humid conditions.

Which Plants to Choose and How to Place Them

Here is a mini-guide on which plants to choose to accommodate your lifestyle, along with the best nooks and crannies to place them. Not only can they improve your health, but plants can brighten, beautify, and add much needed style to your home.

Succulents

The aloe vera plant is great for filtering formaldehyde and benzene out of the air, plus it’s handy for healing cuts and burns. Not all succulents have the pollution clearing properties like the aloe plant, but they are resilient and beautiful nonetheless. Aloe needs indirect sunlight and deep watering, but requires ample time in between for the soil to dry as well.

Decorate with succulents by creating a sweet little garden beneath the kitchen window, opt for something more minimalist and dramatic with a row of concrete planters filled with succulents, or dangle them from the ceiling in a grouping of little clay planters.

Also try: Echeveria, Pencil Cactus, and String of Pearls.

Foliage

Boston ferns are an excellent choice for indoor decorating. They work very well when spilling their lush green foliage over the edges of hutches, kitchen cabinets, bookshelves, and even strategically placed free-standing decorative planters.

These ferns need bright, indirect sunlight, and frequent misting, depending on ambient humidity. They are easy to propagate, act as natural air humidifiers, and can remove formaldehyde from the indoor air.

Also try: Chinese Evergreen, Spider Plant, and the Baby Rubber Plant.

Herbs

Although herbs aren’t prized for cleaning indoor air, they do still boast many benefits. Having fresh, homegrown herbs at your disposal year-round, the fragrant aromas they emit, and the colorful foliage are all advantages to growing indoor herbs.

Have fun with an herb garden in the windowsill of your kitchen or breakfast area, or choose other locales for herbs that can handle indirect sunlight. Rosemary and thyme can tolerate indirect sunlight, so place these in groups in front of your kitchen’s grocery list chalkboard, as seen above, or better yet, paint chalkboard labels on your herb pots and write in the variety so you will always know what’s what.

Also try: Mint, Parsley, and Oregano.

Palms

Indoor palm trees are a beautiful, tall, and dramatic addition to any interior. Be sure to choose a palm that’s to scale with your space. The Areca Palm is one of the easiest to grow indoors, is relatively disease-free, and is one of the best rated on NASA’s study of the 10 best air purifying plants.

Place this palm near a southeast or west facing window, as they need filtered sunlight. Indoors it averages 6 to 7 feet tall. These would look beautiful tucked into the corner of a dining room near the end of a buffet, adjacent to your living room sofa near a picturesque window, or on the floor in your home office to boost your work performance. Have fun with the pots – choose something bright and colorful or chic and modern to coincide with your space.

Also try: Pygmy Date Palm, Bamboo Palm, and the Lady Palm.

Flowers

Chrysanthemums are a sweet, colorful way to decorate your home while simultaneously cleaning the air. According to NASA’s study, chrysanthemums are excellent at removing benzene from the home. They are also said to absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen into the atmosphere.

Place these beauties in bright light. Try grouping them, odd numbers are best, near a kitchen window sill or in your laundry room, light permitting. A sofa side table is nice spot for a flowering chrysanthemum – choose a color that picks up the hues from your favorite throw pillow or rug for a pleasant, cohesive appearance.

Also try: Gerbera Daisy, Peace Lily, and the Moth Orchid.

After absorbing a few of our helpful tips for improving your indoor air quality and decorating with houseplants, we want to hear from you. What’s your favorite part about decorating with houseplants? Do you have any favorite tips or plants you’d like to include? Share your ideas with us on the EcoSalon Facebook page!

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Pioneered by NASA, this completely filterless air purification technology eliminates pollutants that aggravate your allergies and make you feel sick.

When someone says “air pollution” I almost instantly envision power plant smoke stacks and smog over Los Angeles. It’s disturbing to realize that the air inside our homes can be much more polluted than what’s outside.

Studies of human exposure to air pollutants by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be 2 to 5 times – and occasionally more than 100 times – higher than outdoor pollutant levels. Indoor air pollutants have been ranked among the top five environmental risks to public health.

Living in homes full of contaminated air puts our families at risk for serious health problems. Air filtration systems are common, but most do a poor job of actually removing chemicals and other contaminants from the air. After 12 years of rigorous scientific research, NASA recently launched the Airocide, a filterless air purification system that’s been proven to remove the worst indoor air pollutants.

Like many of our most revolutionary technologies, the Airocide was developed in response to a problem in space: space station astronauts needed a way to eliminate the ethylene gas produced by ripening plants. With the help of some University of Wisconsin researchers, NASA engineers came up with a solution.

Tests showed that the filterless air purifier they created was capable of eliminating 99 percent of ethylene gas from the air. This made the researchers wonder what else it could scrub from the atmosphere. More tests revealed that clears the air of virtually 100 percent of the nasty Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s)–the harmful gasses emitted by products you have around your home, like aerosol sprays, cleaning supplies, disinfectants, hobby supplies, dry-cleaned clothing, building materials, paints and paint thinners, strippers, pesticides and even air fresheners–swirling around in most houses.

This FDA approved device also completely eliminates all mold, fungi, viruses and bacteria (all major causes of allergy symptoms) that enter the chamber. But how?

“Airocide draws in harmful airborne pathogens and forces them into a densely packed matrix of highly reactive catalysts that are activated by a high intensity 254-nanometer light,” explains the website. “The reaction destroys these harmful pathogens on contact. Nothing is captured so there is nothing to clean. All that exits is crisp, clear air, with zero ozone emissions.” Available for $799

Image: Airocide

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