Can Air Purifiers Kill Mold in Your Basement?

Facts About Mold

Now that you have an idea of what mold is, let’s take a look at few things that you might not be aware of:

• Mold is scientifically classified as fungi, a class of microscopic organisms that make their homes in dark, damp and warm places i.e. humid locations. So, any area in your vicinity that has both of those things (basement) will be covered in some sort of mold if steps aren’t taken to prevent it.
• Some types of mold can be useful in changing the texture and taste of food. For example, cheese and leavened bread (pizza) are often made from types of mold.
• It can exist in different shapes and forms, some being visible to the human eye and others only being detectable by microscope.
• Mold is often responsible for biodegradation of a number of materials, which can be a good thing.
• The U.S Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that living in a home with mold will increase the risk of respiratory disease.

How Mold Affects Your Health?

The thing is, mold is always in the air we breathe. It’s a common part of dust particles found in our homes and offices, but in small quantities. When mold settles in a moist area, it will grow to its full potential. This is when it can grow into a health hazard for most individuals. When mold has the ability to spread, it will cause ailments that range from allergic reactions, respiratory problems, and more. Some molds are even capable of producing mycotoxins, which can be extremely detrimental to one’s health if exposed for a long periods of time. Thus, if mold is present in large quantities in your residence, it is an immediate health hazard.

How Mold Gets/Grows in your Home and Basement?

As mentioned, mold can easily travel and multiply in the right environment. Mold spores (individual fungi) are no more than 3-5 microns in size. This enables them to enter through microscopic areas to find a place to breed, and they are quick to make themselves at home. Mold spores are capable of making both indoor and outdoor air unbearable for some.

As stated above, basements are easy breeding grounds for mold spores. Most basements and cross bases are not completely sealed from the outside air. Therefor, mold can be sucked through tiny spaces. It is almost inevitable that mold will enter into a basement in some form. The only way to effectively prevent it from spreading is to use an basement air purifier that kills mold.

Once in a basement, mold will quickly grow. Basements are often neglected from proper air filtration and offer moist environments for mold growth.

Once mold begins to grow it can be hard to stop. If the mold only covers an area that is slightly less than 10 feet in diameter, then you should be able to handle it all by yourself. But, if you are trying to eliminate moly that has spread over a large area, then you may have to bring in the big guns (basement air purifier that kills mold).

How to Prevent Basement and Indoor Mold Growth?

The deal with mold is, once it settles in the perfect place, it settles. You have to take dramatic steps to eliminate it. The best way to eliminate mold is to change the habitat that provides mold spores with ability to breed and spread. In order to keep health issues that accompany mold growth at bay, you need to take preventive measures.

One of the most effective strategies in regards to mold growth is the use of an air purifier with a HEPA air filter. HEPA, which stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air, is a form of air purifying filter that excels at trapping microscopic particles. The particles that HEPA air purifiers can successfully trap are 0.3 microns in size. Because mold spores are larger than .3 microns in size, a HEPA filter is capable of capturing 99.97% of the mold entering your home or workspace.

Air purifiers are more than enough to filter the air coming into your home. They will keep air-borne mold and other contaminants such as dust, smoke, germs and bacteria at bay. This not only improves health issues for you and your family, but also gives you access to better, fresher, and cleaner air.

With that being said, in order to make sure that your air purifier keeps doing what it is supposed to do, you must be using an air purifier with the right kind of filter.

How an Basement Air Purifier That Kills Mold Works

There are many different types of air purifiers and air purifier technologies. Some of the most popular technologies include True HEPA Filters, Activated Carbon Filters, Ionizers, and UV Sanitizers.

As explained above, the type of air purifier technology that is best for killing mold is a HEPA Filter. Another technology that is commonly overlooked is a UV Sanitizer. UV sanitizers use highly concentrated ultraviolet light to kill bacteria and fungi such as mold spores. Ultraviolet light is the same kind of light that burns your skin in the summer. An air purifier with this technology will essentially burn organisms to death and fry their cells from the inside out.

An activated carbon filter will help to remove mold spores, but its most valuable attribute is its ability to eliminate odor. If you are also trying to remove the musty smell created from mold, then make sure to buy an air purifier that has an activated carbon filter.

Using these three technologies in tandem will produce the best results. An activated carbon filter will remove musty smells, a True HEPA filter will remove airborne mold spores, trap them, and prevent future mold growth, and a UV light will kill any remaining spores that make it through the HEPA filter. The result of a basement air purifier that kills mold is clean, fresh, and purified air.