Selecting the Right Air Cleaner for Your Baby’s Nursery

Ideally, the air in your baby’s nursery should be as free of pollutants as possible. This is because babies are more sensitive than adults are, to breathing problems and respiratory infections. One way of ensuring that there is clean, fresh air in your baby’s nursery is to install an air cleaner.

An air cleaner is used to purify air in a room by removing allergens such as dust particles, dander, and mold spores. There are three types of air cleaners:

• Ionic air purifiers: These are the most popular air cleaners available. They work by negatively charging dust particles and other allergens floating in the air and causing them to drop to the ground.
  
  


• HEPA air purifiers: These remove pollutants by filtering them out from the air. While they are helpful in removing pollutants such as dust and mites, they are very effective with mold.
  Ultraviolet air purifiers: These use light energy to kill allergen causing organisms such as dust mites and dander spores.

Here are some points to consider while choosing an air cleaner for your baby’s nursery:

• Choose the type of air cleaner according to the pollutants you intend to eliminate. For instance, HEPA filters are ideal for filtering out dust particles, while Ultraviolet purifiers are more appropriate for killing germs.
  
  


• Opt for a single room air cleaner. This will be more effective for your baby’s nursery than a central filtration system, or “in-duct” unit, that is meant to work for an entire house.
  
  


• Ensure that the air cleaner you buy is adequate in terms of the coverage it offers. For instance, an air cleaner may be ineffective if the area it is designed to cover is smaller than the size of your baby’s nursery.
  
  


• Check to ensure that the model you have selected is not so noisy as to interfere with your baby’s sleep.
  
  


• The American Lung Association advises against the use of air cleaners that use ozone generators as air cleaners. Also, ensure that the air cleaner you select does not produce ozone levels higher than 0.05 ppm.