Keep the air in your home clean and safe

We typically spend 90% of our lives indoors, often in close proximity to one another. With the very real yet invisible dangers lurking in the air, sharing the air with others can be a real worry. However, there are a few things you can do to ensure the air in your space is clean and safe. Starting with an Austin Air Purifier in your home or office.

Monitor humidity levels

Keep an eye on humidity levels. Placing a humidity gauge, known as ‘Hygrometer’, in your home is an inexpensive and effective way to do this.

High humidity problems

Ideally, humidity should be between 30 and 50%. If the reading is too high, you may start to notice a musty smell and will be at risk of mold developing. Bed bugs and cockroaches also thrive in damp environments, another really good reason why you want to keep humidity levels healthy.

Tips to help lower humidity levels

Good ventilation is the most effective way to keep moisture out of your home. Kitchens and bathrooms can be problem areas, so it’s important to keep the air flowing and well ventilated in these rooms. Keep an eye out for leaks or moisture build up. And ensure your gutters and downspouts are free from debris. Even though they are outside, blocked gutters can contribute to high humidity inside your home.

What happens when the air is too dry?

At the other end of the spectrum, air that is too dry can be an issue. Breathing dry air affects our immune system and prevents it from fighting airborne bacteria and viruses, such as COVID-19.

Low humidity also affects the structure of airborne viruses. It allows the virus to dry out. It becomes lighter and can float around in the air for longer. This increases our chances of becoming infected.

Precautions to take

According to Dr Akiko Iwasaki PhD, Professor of Immunobiology and Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale University, we are most at risk of low humidity in the winter months, when cold dry air is heated indoors. This can cause humidity levels to drop to around 20%, the ideal environment for viruses such as COVID-19 to hang around in the air. Dr Iwasaki suggests using a humidifier in colder months to avoid this.

Austin Air helps to protect against viruses

Once humidity levels are in check and for true peace of mind, you may want to consider purifying the air, to reduce airborne pollutants. The Austin Air Bedroom Machine, with its 5 stages of filtration, offers the ultimate protection against a wide range of contaminants, including viruses and bacteria.

Medical Grade HEPA

The Bedroom Machine helps to protect against airborne viruses in two ways. Using Medical Grade HEPA it removes 95% of all pollutants as small as 0.1 microns. The COVID-19 virus is larger than this, so we are confident the vast majority of the virus is being removed by the HEPA filtration when it is airborne.

HEGA Carbon Cloth

Secondly and unique to Austin Air, the Bedroom Machine uses HEGA carbon cloth, a revolutionary material developed by the British Military. Tests carried out by the UK Health Protection Agency show HEGA to be effective at capturing and destroying airborne viruses.

However, it is important to mention, that as well as airborne transmission, like all viruses, COVID-19 can also be spread via surfaces and human contact. Therefore, it is vital that we regularly wash our hands and practice social distancing.