Public sentiment reflects a strong awareness of the link between personal hygiene and indoor air quality, with many emphasizing effective cleaning methods for a healthy environment. There are significant concerns about mold and chemical exposure, leading to a demand for safer, non-toxic cleaning solutions and improved air management practices. Advocates call for a balanced cleanliness approach that avoids excessive reliance on harsh chemicals.

Public Health Organizations

Cleaning Product Manufacturers

Homeowners

Environmental Activists

You should not clean with bleach regularly. You should only disinfect when needed, like if there is some stomach bug in the household.

Finn here, we use alcohol or bleach based cleaning solutions maybe once a year. Regular generic household cleaning soap is enough 99% of the time.

vignoniana

Nothing is ever 'germ free', or never for very long.  Bacteria and microbes are everywhere.  "Germ free" is something detergent companies made up, and it's not even a valid scientific expression - that's why they use the words.

It depends what you're cleaning.  If I used bleach on the carpets and upholstery in my home, they'd be ruined.

Ironically, the phosphates in a lot of detergents actually feed some bacteria.  Mild soap and hot water clean dirt and kill most bacteria.  If that's not doing it, try a mild disinfectant.

jedburghofficial

Here's a really cool tidbit of knowledge for you:
Germs aren't inherently bad! Germs are only bad in the wrong place in the wrong amount.

For example: your skin, guts and vagina are filled with all kinds of little critters like: bacteria, amoeba and mites. It's not even remotely a good idea to get rid of them all. 
But when you get intestine bacteria in your bladder, in large quantities, you're in trouble and need to take antibiotics to kill them asap.

We can apply this to house cleaning:
Fish meat bacteria on your benchtop? Kill it with hot water and detergents; Super good enough. Ground bacteria from the great outdoors on your floor? Leave them there. They don't bother no one. If the floor looks clean, feels clean, smells clean,... it's clean enough. You _could_ sterilize it with bleach or UV light. But that will definitely do more harm than good.

So yeah... from my point of view, the chemical exposure you're talking about is not worth the germ freeness you're looking for.

RovakX

You don’t need a germ free house. 

Just a hygienic one. 

Which means removing items on which bacteria, etc can thrive: excess dust, animal poop, old food, random dirt from outside, items with plenty nooks and hole in them. 

But drowning your place in bleach regularly is pretty much just required if you live in a hospital.

PotatoBestFood

You have several pounds of microbes in your body. You would die without them. Soap and water, and basic simple cleaners are enough. Harsh chemicals just create toxicity for people and animals, and train microbes to be chemically resistant.

Be safe and healthy.

possumdarko

Don’t use bleach or antibacterial products, they kill the good bacteria as well which keeps the bad bacteria in check. The bad bacteria will come back faster. Use dawn dish soap, baking soda, cleaning vinegar. You should be able to clean your whole home with these 3 things.

SeaSleep1972

You don't HAVE to use bleach, ever. There are other detergents (whether natural or not) that don't contain bleach and have much fewer fumes. In general I would avoid bleach- and ammonia-based detergents, because they smell the strongest. Drain cleaners also smell very bad, but those should be used rarely, only when you have a clogged drain.

As for vinegar, it's not a general purpose cleaner. It's good for getting rid of mildew smell on clothes, and some mild limescale deposits, but pretty useless for oils, dirt and everything else.

Etianen7

White vinegar 20% water 80% - will do everything from floor to windows

CorvaisGluve

Professional house cleaner here. Apart from a toilet “duck” containing bleach that I use weekly, I never use bleach, unless there has been illness in the house. Then I use a cleaner containing bleach on all bathroom surfaces and touch points in the house (drawer pulls, handles, light switches, etc). I often use rubbing alcohol on these areas as well. 

If you use bleach too much, or too liberally, you’re killing good bacteria as well as bad. You are also creating an environment for “super bacteria “ to flourish in, by changing the bacteria biome of your house. It’s also going to increase the chemical load on the body of any people or pets living there, which isn’t good. 
Less bleach is better. Learn to love the germs, there are MANY that are good for you. 

Obviously bleach is good to use after cutting raw chicken though. Rubbing alcohol would work for that situation too.

salmonsashimiplease

Check out Nancy Birtwhistle on instagram. She makes her own safe, environmentally friendly cleaning products using freely available ingredients.

Rally_Annie

Don't strive for germ-free.
I use hot water, borax, vinegar, and a splash of dish soap to mop the floors.
Microfiber cloths and hot water to clean mirrors and glass.
I use those bleach wipes for the outside of the toilet, and every once in a while I clean all the lightswitches and door knobs with them as well.
I like the smell of lemons so I add it to my floor cleaner. And I just cut one or two open and leave them in a bowl on cleaning day.

Practical-Tea-3337

So I take my leftover citrus peels and let them sit in cleaning vinegar for about 6 weeks, strain out the peels, and pour it into a spray bottle. Then use that to clean. Cleaning vinegar is more acidic than regular vinegar and cuts though grim, soap scum, and grease much easier. I keep several big mason jars of this ready in my pantry. 
  I get headaches, migraines, and a tightness in my chest from 90% of the mainstream cleaning products. Since I switched up my cleaning products I get a lot let headache and migraines and the vinegar doesn't cause the  tightness in my chest.

Book_Nerd84

Germs live in a biofilm an example of this is the gunk you get on your teeth sometimes, (when you don’t brush your teeth this hardens and turns into plaque) anyways soap has properties that break up the biofilms and where there’s no food there’s no life. 

70% alcohol is also a pretty good germ killer 

Bleach should really only be used if there’s significant material contaminants that may be resistant to alcohol

tictaxtho

I've heard your people use Windex for just about everything  


(sorry... saw BFGW3 this weekend)

RobGrogNerd

Vinager. I buy boxs of the cheap stuff at a discount. 
Use it for everything. If you add baking soda does miracousl on tuff stains.

buttavia_jw2G

White Vinegar 1:2 ratio with water (1 part Vinegar and 2 parts water), mist carpets and furniture lightly, don't dampen it.

Wet surfaces with a mist of sprays and let sit for maybe the duration it takes to spray the full surfaces. Then use a clean washcloth or paper towels to spread and dry the solution. A lot of bugs won't like it and for me, it smells better than bleach, bleach to me smells dirty.

[deleted]

Apparently the top commenters who are blase about germs all work from home and  don't have kids in school bringing back every virus and stomach bug on earth. Yes, your microbiome is important. But yes, you also need to regularly get rid of contagious pathogens from doorknobs, lightswitches and bathrooms when you have regular outside contacts.

Good old fashioned pine sol is an effective all purpose cleaner you can mix at different strengths as needed, to spray or mop with. At higher concentration it destroys common viruses including flu and covid. Don't snort it or drink it. Just clean with it, and it won't hurt you.

Be well!

So far no one has mentioned ammonia, which when diluted with water makes cleaning stuff almost effortless. I have stopped using bleach- this works so much better, and doesn’t accidentally ruin stuff, like my clothes while I’m using it. Dilute it to your preference and NEVER MIX AMMONIA AND BLEACH -IT CAN KILL YA.

helenheck

Germs are a lot like us. They need 1. Food, 2. Water, 3. Warmth.

Just wipe away anything that could be food for germs (dirt, organic matter) and make sure there's no excessive moisture. You'll be mostly germ free.

bipo

I have multiple chemical sensitives including to chlorine bleach, but I can tolerate hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol. So maybe try one of those two instead as a disinfectant. 

White vinegar is good for most day-to-day cleaning.

dragonagitator

With love and respect,  I strongly urge you to address your OCD.

jonesjr29

I suffer from Chemical Sensitivity. I use this https://www.forceofnatureclean.com/shop/ to sanitize sinks, toilets, cutting boards, floors, etc.  as needed. It’s electrolyzed saltwater. This creates a chlorine water. Works great. Hand washing and food safety are most important for health. Most else in home keeping is just dirt/dust/ tidying.

Activist_Mom06

Chlorine/bleach requires precautions for handling. You don’t need more than a teaspoon per bucket, and you should avoid mixing it with anything else than soap and water.

But you can use Dettol instead, which is sold in 124 countries.

Look into the following biodegradable products. They should be enough to keep a house clean:

* *Marseille* soap
* Sodium bicarbonate
* White vinegar
* Rubbing alcohol

jakeofheart

6% bleach should be mixed 10 parts cool water to 1 part bleach for general cleaning.

Do not use hot water as you want the free radicals resulting from the cool water. Hot water binds them.

You can use this daily on most non-porous surfaces.

Jordangander

LCaissia

I only clean with dawn dish soap. I have a separate bottle that stays in the bathroom to clean the bathroom with. I mop with it as well, just the soap and very hot water in the bucket.

latecraigy

I use dish soap and very hot water to clean a variety of things in the house. For the cat litter boxes I did a blend of alcohol, soap, and water. We got a small steam cleaner that has actually been quite a game changer in dirt destruction. I can do my doorknobs with it and just pat them dry. They stay very hot for a number of minutes. It's also very easy to clean the floor quite well with no need for soap.

aledba

UV lighting.  Use it while you're Not home.

Pine oil but it does have a smell.  I like the smell because it remind me of my Army days.

Karnorkla

Infuse white vinegar with lemon peels or pine needles. Takes about 3 weeks, you can look up recipes online. Works well as a general cleaner, doesn’t have the horrible vinegar smell.

TigerAccording9299

Vinegar is a very effective cleaner but the rub is your house smells like an old salad at best or a sweaty foot at worst.

BillsInATL

My main cleaning agent is Ivory dish soap.  I am allergic to many fragrances; in addition to perfumes, chemical odors can trigger massive headaches.

I use baking soda or Bon Ami when certain surfaces need scrubbing.  

Lysol toilet bowl cleaner is used weekly.  This is the only chemical I use to clean on a regular basis.

Formula 409 (approved for my quartz countertops) is ONLY used to disinfect after working with raw proteins.  I wash the counter with dish soap and a paper towel, rinse, then spray with the 409.  Leave the product on for 15 minutes.  Then wash with soap again and rinse.  

I use Clorox Clean Up spray for the stainless steel sink ONLY after working with raw proteins.

I occasionally use Lysol disinfecting spray to spray the contents of the lidded waste basket that holds the scooped kitty litter.  The kitty litter is unscented and odor is not a problem as the box is scooped twice a day.  But every so often, yowza!  So I reach for the spray to neutralize the odor.

I don’t even use chemicals to clean interior glass and mirrored surfaces.  Kaywos microfiber cloths and plain water is all that is needed.  For window glass I use hot water with vinegar and a bit of dish soap.  (I do have Ettore window cleaning liquid, but most often I just use the vinegar and dish soap.). I use the same mixture to wash my floors.

Obviously my household cleaning is not “chemical free”.  But my use of harsh chemicals is very restricted.  Ivory dish soap is my first line of attack.

CatfromLongIsland

You do not need to clean your house with bleach, essentially ever.

raznov1

I see everyone saying clean with vinegar and they're right however if you don't want your house to smell like salt and vinegar chips while it's drying, you can throw a few orange or lemon peels in your vinegar and let it sit for a day or so before diluting it with water and using it to clean. Smells just as good if not better than the harsh stuff.

walking_contraption

Open the windows. Wear a mask.

Make solutions based on vinegar, alcohol or peroxide. Don't mix. You can find recipes online or on the bottle. You can get industrial strength concentrated versions at hardware stores,  pet supply stores, pool supply stores or online.

Baking soda and vinegar.

Borax and other carbonate products.

Disinfect with steam instead of chemicals.

Organic vapor respirator or full face with those OV cartridges on it. PVC long cuff gloves and dickies coveralls. This is my exact outfit for poisoning the yard (minus the straw hat and old tshirt rag around my neck).

Internal-Bee-3827

ThrowAwayYourTVis

Enzyme cleaner. You can buy a gallon concentrated on Amazon for 20 bucks. (The sell it for a much higher cost as pray marketed for pet stains)

Literally keep it at room temp, mix amount indicated with warm water in  bucket and wash floor (sealed wood) surfaces and leave alone. 

Look up how it works. It breaks down bad stuff (eats away at it) over time. Mold, bacteria, all kinds of stuff.

I've used it for almost everything.

pumpernickel34

Most of harmful for regular people things require some substrate to exist. You need to remove dirt and trash not disinfect things all the time. Killing germs with bleach or something else without removing it from you house just makes more substrate for other germs to grow.

Iam__andiknowit

You can literally swap out every heavy chemical products with water, citrus (like a bit og lemon), vinegar and a tiny bit of dishsoap. This combination is amazing, does not smell strong after the cleaning (the vinegar smell dissapear after few minutes) and its used a lot in Norway for those who wanna be more friendy to Mother Earth. The lemon and the vinegar is strong enough to remove all dirty spots. You can also use vinegar for washing clothes, and its both better for the fabric in the clothes and for the enviorment, and it doesn't smell. Check Google for more, but serious, vinegar is gamechanging and cheap!

JustAnotherRudolf

1. Hypochlorous Acid generator  
2. Hydrogen peroxide 0.5%  
3. Isopropyl alcohol  
4. Ozonated water  
5. organic acid

  
Hypochlorous acid is what the body uses to kill germs. It's the most effective of the lot and safest. The problem is it doesn't last long. There's no bottle you can buy. You have to get a generator, which uses a little electricity and a gram of (table) salt to generate a liter. The science is there if you research. 

  
You spray it around like any other antisceptics.

  
But be very careful. Cheap lookalikes actually generate bleach. (It's still value for money though.) Bleach is very alkaline. As long as the generated solution is slightly acidic, it's hypochlorous acid. The very popular product is also bundled with test strips. 

  
The effective concentration to use is 1 ppm. So it's skin-safe and doesn't harm anything other than microorganisms.

  
It also reduces pesticides in produce.  

A bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide is less than $1. Given enough time it turns back to water so it's very safe. It's corrosive to the skin at 3%. So it's typically more effective than other antiseptics (other than bleach types). There are two schools of thought. When it is drying out, it becomes more concentrated, or not. So avoid skin contact or wipe dry on smooth surfaces. 
 
Isopropyl alcohol is rather skin-safe, compared to hydrogen peroxide. And it dries fast. But the vapor is NOT non-toxic to the lungs. So I use it on toilet seats, open the windows, or turn on the exhaust fan.  

Ozone is a toxic gas that turns back to oxygen in a few hours. There are generators that bubble the gas into water to dissolve it. They are used for washing salads for example. It clears algae in water tanks in no time. I always use it outdoors just in case. It reduces pesticides.  

Alkalines or acids are all antiseptics above some concentrations, a few % for example. But for organic acids, it's biodegradable. Citric acid is well-studied and decomposes into harmless or volatile substances.  

Now back to the philosophic question of "germ-free".  It's not going to happen. You open the window. You open the door and walk in and out. There are studies that children in schools who spend more time in the garden are healthier.

fitfulbrain

Vinegar and borax mixed together kills fungus, mold, e.coli, salmonella, and tons of other things. I mix a tablespoon of borax and straight vinegar in a large spray bottle. It also kills fleas, termites and dust mites as well as parasite eggs.

Marsmind

I had a class in my toxicology degree with air pollution specialists and they told us to open our windows 20 minutes, ideally twice a day.

Personal opinion about bleach : the correct frequency of use in a household is almost never

Icy_Donut_5319

I use Lysol in a spray bottle diluted with water for my mop water. It goes into a cedar mop with a reusable pad to be healthier on the environment. I wash them after every use so they don't cross contaminated and have 2 pads for upstairs and one for my basement.

 I use a mix of citrus, cinnamon, lavender and peppermint essential oils to put a nice scent through my home as I like the way those scents mix. You could find your own favorite scents and add a few drops to your laundry washer for the scent, or into mop water or your spray bottle for it as well. Citrus and mints are great as are floral scents. They are mild and not overpowering too, and only take 3-5 drops at a time. Don't buy any scent you're allergic or intolerent of though.

I use Lysol as well for my disinfectant spray in a spray bottle.l, and dawn for my dish soap, windex for my glass, and Pods shipments takes care of my laundry soap and dishwasher tabs. That's it. 

I simply keep the house clean. Laundry and dishes done daily after dinner, trash taken out daily, and I wipe all the counters off and clean up any spills. 

Every week on monday I clean every room in the house and once a month I deep clean the whole house and dust, sweep, mop every surface regardless of it it needs it or not. (That was last week for me). I also disinfect every device, controller, appliance, and wall baseboard in the house once a month regardless of the last time It was previously cleaned or disinfected. Same for doorknobs and light switches. 

Once a year I clean every single wall in my home including the basement. Between those times I spot clean each wall as needed, with the ones next to the stove and in the bathroom getting more attention then others.

depressivedarling

I sometimes use disinfectant (they usually have have dilution instructions for cleaning) in a spray bottle. For things like soap scum or greasy areas I use half vinegar, half detergent. But a lot of the time I just use hot water and a cloth.

linedancergal

In the US, heath and safety for food service maintaines Wash. Rinse. Disinfect. 

And that is for things that are high traffic/being sold to the general public. 

In the home (depending on environment), washing should be don't more than "disinfecting". Unless you have cross contamination concerns. 

Remember, exposure to some germs is actually better for you. Helps the immune system to learn how to fight them, therefore, keeping you sick less. That is why, when a kid first goes to school, they get sick, but, as school goes on, they don't seem to "catch everything". Their immune system is learning how to deal with the new environmental factors of multiple people all together in one place, as apposed to just the family in the home. 

Not saying have your house dirty. But, the constant need to "be germ free" is actually making the germs that are surviving (remember commercials always say 99.9%, not 100%) stronger and harder to deal with.

chefjenga

This post should be removed as it is not a life hack.

strepac

hazlvixen

bdbdbokbuck

Recently, someone wrote they clean with Pinesol but add some rubbing alcohol to it to help with drying. I'm trying that currently. I love bleach, bleach it all, but recently worried about chemical burns inhaling it. I haven't ever bought pinesol, but I grew up with my Mom using it with bleach. I bought 91 proof rubbing alcohol from Walmart and Pinesol in the regular pine scent and the lemon scent. But bleach is my favorite. I'm trying to be open to change.

Capper59

Get a steam cleaner, kills all the cooties and cleans the gunk too.

FalconRacerFalcon

Make the house well ventilated. Open windows, turn on fans. If you are in the bathroom turn on the fan in there.

ElysianPraxis

Use all natural soaps/degreasers then hit concern points with Hydrogen Peroxide... it will disinfect quite effectively.

jsuich

You could wear one of those blue COVID masks and sprey the inside with a new air freshener. Then while you use harash chemicals the effect isn't as bad.

Steamer. Other than that do not try to remove the bacteria because it's HEALTHY. Soap and water is great in the kitchen and bathroom to kill bacteria but seriously why would you want to live in a lab.

Ivy_pie_puss

mariscc

I just go through with a garden hose and bleach about one a month. Trailer cleans up good. We have 16 dog and a cat. It can get messy sometimes

DealerGloomy

HeartlesSoldier

You only need to use bleach every time for your toilet. Everything else doesn't need it every time. The bathroom could use it occasionally, like 3-4 a year, and just needs lime remover every other time.

Door handles, windows handles, switches, drawer handles, etc could also occasionaly use some bleach, maybe max 3-4 a year. 

Ammonia solution works best for windows. It also works as a degreaser for the kitchen. Make sure the ammonia is completely evaporated before using bleach, in case you need to disinfect something. 

Everything else can be cleaned with all-purpose cleaner solution.

Don't mix ammonia with bleach, unless you want to do a WW1 reenactment.

hangrygecko

I soak leftover orange or lemon peels in vinegar for at least 4 or 5 days until the color comes out. It's a great disinfectant and cleans very well. Dilute it with a 1:1 ratio of water.

bullaro45

Occupational hygiene can bring you into every and any workplace - mould sampling, indoor air quality assessments, asbestos sampling, airborne chemical sampling, etc.

When you think of the areas that have chemicals, that's pretty much every workplace out there. So it's a good field to get into and to learn about chemical hazards.

bored2death97

Occupational (or industrial) hygiene and safety often go hand in hand. The only difference is that occupational hygiene looks at the long term/chronic health effects of workplace illnesses and injuries 15 to 20 years from now while safety is more of making sure a worker has their all 10 finger and toes by the time they go home at the end of their shift. Occupational hygienist can do both occupational hygiene and safety roles however safety professionals are much more limited when it comes to occupational hygiene. Since you are a technician, its gonna be a lot of field work however, you will be getting valuable experience and skills that will help you in the long run. Look into occupational or industrial hygienist jobs as well as certifications such as the CIH or CSP. Since you are from Australia, i think their version of the CIH is COH, Certified Occupational Hygienist.

dumpground

This role sounds like it will be a lot of "boots on the ground" field work.  I.e. a pump jockey as CIHs call them.  NOT BAD btw.  It will give you good experience for sure.  This can lead to a more common EHS role down the road too.

IH is a highly technical field as it deals with highly accurate (if done right) measurements taken with precision instruments.  It can be as much fun as it can be boring but it's fun to work on the forensic side when trying to figure out what is causing the issue.

A lot of EHS professionals don't have much IH experience so this would be good to get into if you plan to stay in an industry that has a lot of "unseen" hazards.

MasonKraun

Occupational hygiene is becoming a bigger thing in Australia atm and the reason you are seeing a lot of it in mining is because of the recognised standards around things like dust monitoring and current regulator activity for it. It's becoming a big thing in construction as well with a new code of practice for RCS exposure. 

Not many companies are big enough to support a full time occupational hygienist so a lot of that is consulting work. If you want to be able to work in a safety role look at doing a cert 4 in WHS while working there as that is the main qualifications required in Australia to be a site safety advisor.

FickleEngine120

If it’s an indoor coil I recommend only using indoor coil cleaner. Nu- bright makes some good cleaner 

If you try to use outdoor condensing coil cleaner inside it will eat through your coils

You shoild call an hvac company out to do it if you dont if your cleaner is safe for your coils and yes there may be a smell if your nose is extremely sensitive 

I’d recommend opening windows or some scented candles or lighting a match to help you  smell something else while the cleaning smell eventually dissipates on its own.

DerpyPirate69

Air purifiers can be very effective at removing particulate matter over a certain size (generally 0.3 μm), but the need for them in specific rooms of your house will vary based on the house size, circulation within the house, and the air exchange rate. Each purifier has a CFM rating (cubic feet per minute) and generally recommends a coverage in square feet based on fully circulating 3-4 times per hour.

An inexpensive but surprisingly effective alternative is to attach a furnace filter with a high MERV rating to a standard box fan (see [https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/how-to-diy-an-air-purifier/](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/how-to-diy-an-air-purifier/)). If you have central air, running your furnace fan with the highest MERV-rated filter you can is also very effective at reducing PM in the house. I have tested this in my own house using indoor/outdoor PM2.5 sensors during a very bad wildfire smoke season last year, and I saw that indoor concentrations were reduced several times below outdoor concentrations within a few hours of running my furnace fan.

Please, please please do not use the "ionizer" or "ion generator" function on your air purifier. When in ionizer mode, these devices are generating ozone, which is another pollutant with adverse health impacts, particularly for children. Manufacturers include this function because ozone can cause secondary particles to form and settle out, which is effective at reducing particulate matter, so they can brag about higher effectiveness ratings for their devices. But that additional reduction in PM is not worth the increased risk of ozone exposure. [EPA provides more detail on this issue](https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/what-are-ionizers-and-other-ozone-generating-air-cleaners).

decomposing_dj

On the other hand, there’s been some research that homes that are too clean put infants at increased risk of allergies. 
[Too-Clean Homes may Encourage Child Allergies](https://www.webmd.com/allergies/news/20140606/too-clean-homes-may-encourage-child-allergies-asthma-study)

jenni485

I live in Washington where fire season is becoming more and more of a thing. I bought two air purifiers this year, especially because we now have a baby.

vera214usc

As both an environmental scientist and severe allergy sufferer, I had the same concerns as you after learning about all the different types of pollution we face every day. The top comments definitely have good information already. I just want to say anecdotally I have noticed a huge difference since getting an air purifier. (Especially after upgrading to a big nice one--love my Levoit!) It helps with air circulation, it helps clear out dust/smells/gases/anything from the air (even less obvious sources of pollution like cooking/cleaning products... or just that stale hamster smell bedrooms get in winter). 
 
But my favorite part is how much it's helped my allergies! Seriously it's amazing to be able to come home to nice clean air. I can even have my friends dog visit without suffering for days after. And if your house isn't huge and has okay air flow (i.e. mostly open spaces, no closed doors during the day, etc.) you may only need one big nice air purifier in a central location. It will be more effective than getting a bunch of little ones and putting them in each room. At most you might need 2 for first floor/second floor. 
 
Allergies are mostly a curse, but occasionally I appreciate being able to 'sense' things that other people don't (or at least only notice in extreme cases). Good luck to you!

PrizmSchizm

Every night before bedtime i turn on my children's air purifier. I started way back when a downstairs neighbor would smoke and the smoke rose to their bedrooms.

Strawberrythirty

I would recommend using high MERV filters in your HVAC system and changing them frequently, getting your vents professionally cleaned as well as dusting and vacuuming more often before an air purifier.   They can also dry out the air resulting in more nosebleeds.

Tngal123

We live in a house that was remodeled and we do it because it’s an old dusty house and my son already has allergies

Respiratoryliving

There’s also research that shows white noise while infants are sleeping can impair cognitive development.

PedalOnBy

We have a BlueAir one in LOs room. It's made a noticeable difference. He was always so stuffy in the mornings he couldn't breathe out of his nose, poor guy. Now, he wakes up clear-nosed and seems to get much better quality sleep. Worth it.

wikiwackywoot

My ENT explained it to me a while ago but I'm exhausted right now with prepping for kids birthdays and parties today.  People with sinus issues can be more sensitive to dryness because of the increased air movement and most people tend to get cheaper ones which can cause ozone.  Most people don't get their HVAC vents cleaned out and after several years even the most immaculate house may have a pile of dust sitting in there.  If you don't have the dust problem under control the air purifiers will get dirty faster but if you're already slacking on maintaining your HVAC (despite the fact not taking care of the HVAC will increase earlier failure rate of it and higher bills for regular function) then an air purifier is a lot like using a bandaid on a day with a crack in it.   Plus an air purifier is something that needs to run almost continuously as well as needs its air filters cleaned and changed.  So if you're not using your HVAC right then your constantly dumping poor air quality for the purifier to work at a higher level and less optimally over a longer period of time unless your planning to close the vents and keep that room sealed off, it's still getting the crap in the air from the other rooms.  Which can make the air drier with it working at higher levels and increasingly dirty filters than if you had all your ventilation system working and maintained correctly as well as ventilation ducts clean, then the air purifier is working at a more normal rate and less drying.  Most people who properly utilize their HVAC system won't really need to use an air purifier. Considering the cost of a full replacement of both the inside and outside HVAC pieces for a condo or very small home is about $7K, wouldn't it make more sense to maintain your HVAC, use higher MERV filters (I go highest MERV during tree pollen season), get your ventilation system cleaned out and then add the UV light if you want?

We have HEPA ones in pretty much every room. Changing filters gets expensive.

Deacon_Blues1

Oh. I'm in Mexico City... And no ventilation system whatsoever.

Niboomy

We have them. Even though we live in one of the “best” places in the us as far as air quality, if the front door is open even a minute then the one in the living room turns red and comes on. I made sure to buy the ones with an automatic sensor and have been extremely surprised with how easily and correctly it monitors the air quality in our home. If I’m cooking, the ones in the bedrooms ( on the other side of the house)  will sense it in the air and clear it out. Not to mention the amount of dust and stuff it takes care of.... it’s gross. Now that I’ve seen for a year how beneficial it is to have them I’ll never not have them. Ours are energy efficient and haven’t raised the electric bill enough to even notice at all. Not to mention the wildfires last year that were in the next state (not near)  were blowing our way and these purifiers allowed us to actually breathe without having asthma attacks! And we don’t have a/c so that’s with the windows open.

GMW2020


Performance of Air Cleaners for
Removing Multiple Volatile
Organic Compounds in Indoor Air

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275344400_Performance_of_Air_Cleaners_for_Removing_Multi-Volatile_Organic_Compounds_in_Indoor_Air&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiW5-ODl_jwAhUBCM0KHUadAmoQFjAAegQIAxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3ukSgrWbndMNbWT0P659s0

And here I am dealing with second hand smoke in a smoke free apartment. Took landlords months to even be able to do something about it and it's a long process apparently.

tw0-0h

You should put an air purifier in your kids' bedroom. Air pollution affects children's health more than you realise it so its always better to be safe than sorry. Smart Air wrote an article about the harmful effects of air pollution on children's health here: https://smartairfilters.com/en/blog/air-pollution-effects-on-childrens-health/

Choice-Turnover-4758

Yeah, I’ve noticed this too. You can either buy a different kind of humidifier or distill your water before using the ultrasonic humidifier.

See more here

https://www2.purpleair.com/blogs/blog-home/ultrasonic-humidifiers-a-source-of-pm2-5

MaterialFollowing

**Please do NOT use tap water in an ultrasonic humidifier**. It is probably NOT the water droplets. It is the mineral rock, chlorine, chloramine, dirt, viruses, bacteria, and other impurities being aerosolized as a byproduct of how ultrasonic humidifiers work. These things are fine for your GI system, but it's not nearly as clear cut how safe they are to be breathing in. And if the unit is dirty, any bacteria/mold inside of it can also be aerosolized. I highly, highly recommend immediately switching to distilled water (and keeping the unit literally clean enough to eat off of) or switching to an evaporative humidifier.

I have a PurpleAir PA-II, which is arguably one of the better PM sensors on the consumer market, and is extremely reliable in a wide temp/relative humidity range. If I fill a clean Levoit ultrasonic humidifier with tap water and run it, the PA-II goes HAYWIRE. If I fill that same ultrasonic humidifier with distilled water, the PA-II does not do this.

I am of the position that this may have the potential to be harmful to lungs. I have a rabbit, and rabbits have more sensitive respiratory systems than humans. When I was using tap water in an ultrasonic humidifier, I observed her having labored breathing and wheezing. And I live in an area with very clean (but hard) tap water.

pan567

Another thing to note is that these inexpensive airquality monitors (the standard regulatory monitors are $50k+) tend to read higher concentrations at higher humidities. 

Essentially the particles in the air attract a layer of water around them from the air. More humid, more water, seemingly larger particles. These devices detect these larger particles as more mass, and estimate a higher concentration as a result.

The regulatory monitors dry out the incoming air so it's all read at a standard temperature/pressure.

Fornicatinzebra

Okay, so I've now run the experiment with demineralized water (couldn't find distilled water). I emptied out the tap water and filled up the tank with 4L of demineralized water, and left the device running for about 8 hours straight. PM readings climbed to 12 μg/m3 for a brief moment, and have stabilized at 1-3 μg/m3.

Exact same circumstances as when I ran tap water through the device and received readings between 30 and 45 μg/m3. So I think this is pretty conclusive, the tap water and its mineral contents is the cause of the spike. Likely due to the way ultrasonic humidifiers produces the mist.

I live in an area with great tap water, neither is the water particlarly hard here. I guess this makes me question all the people out there running ultrasonic humidifiers with far worse tap water quality and the levels they may be getting... In part, I'd even go as far as saying these products aren't consumer-friendly nor safe given the circumstances... Making or buying destilled or demineralized water is expensive, and I genuinely think that all this talk about "filters" and "plasma functions" would make most people assume the mist that comes out is purified and clean even if they're using normal tap water, which just isn't the case.

I'll be packing the device back up and returning it in favor of an evaporative humidifier... This was definitely surprising and disappointing for an expensive device that is advertised as ground-breaking...

SequenceStar

This is why I prefer evaporative humidifier as they shouldn't do this. Keep in mind that any filtering of your tap water will help, but as others have said, the only way to get rid of this with an ultrasonic humidifier is distillation.

Y-M-M-V

Alright, so I placed the sensor in the bathroom, turned on the shower and increased the temperature to ensure it got steamy in there. Closed the door and left it running for 10-15 minutes. I quickly got a warning from the sensor that humidity had reached 75%, but the PM readings did not budge.

My theory as of now is that the ultrasonic humidifier possibly creates water particles smaller than what the shower creates. I'm not entirely sure how accurate that theory is, but to test this I will see if I can acquire some distilled water, fill up the device and see if the PM readings skyrocket again.

If that's the case, then it cannot possibly be the minerals/chemicals in the tap water, and it's gotta be the fine mist it produces. Again, I'll report back once I have an update.

I know this is an old thread, but I found this article in an academic journal that would seem to confirm these concerns: [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ina.13129](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ina.13129)

thisismyburneracct_1

Ultrasonic humidifiers destroy air quality. If you have a pollution tracker, it will go off the charts. I am in shock they are legal and that general population is not aware of this 

Beautiful_Camera2273

Gotta say this is the most inconclusive and contradictory thread Ive ever encountered on Reddit. Every year for last 3-4 years ive done  a bit more research on humidifiers and each time I just buy another in the 40-70 dollar price range. My water is well water and extremely hard which means despite vigorous cleaning, by the end of the winter ( i run them 24-7 in my propane heated converted barn music studio ) the humidifier is starting to get clogged and is still filthy. No way can I afford or manage the work of getting distilled water but I need to protect musical instruments AND stop my lungs from getting so dry they rattle when I breathe LOL

BrooklynGardenClub

DangerousAd1731

Je veux juste apporter un témoignage pour alimenter ce post déjà très riche.

Il y a deux semaines, l'indicateur du purificateur d'air Xiaomi s'est mis sur rouge et s'y est maintenu malgré ouverture des fenêtres pendant 5 minutes. Il m'a fallu du temps pour comprendre que le coupable était un humidificateur à ultrasons qui se situait à l'autre bout de l'appartement et qui s'était mis en route à cause du chauffage qui séchait l'air.

Les mesures en PM 2.5 était à environ 160. J'ai dû ouvrir toutes les fenêtres pendant 25 minutes pour revenir à un taux normal après avoir, bien sûr, arrêté l'humidificateur. 

Cet humidificateur avait été utilisé avec l'eau du robinet. Aussi j'ai voulu expérimenter avec de l'eau filtrée par un système Berkey. On reproche à ce filtre d'être tellement efficace qu'il enlève tous les minéraux de l'eau ce qui peut provoquer une carence sur le long terme.

J'ai relancé l'humidificateur avec cette eau super filtrée et la montée en PM 2.5 est tout à fait pareille. 

J'en conclu que ces particules détectées sont du carbonate de calcium qui, selon Google, n'est pas nocif.

Je vais néanmoins me débarrasser de cet appareil car je suis fatigué de voir tous les meubles alentour recouverts d'une fine couche de poussière bleue.

A noter que mon eau est "décalcarisée" au CO2

JulesD66

I still suspect your sensor is confusing water vapor, not minerals/chemicals, for particulates.

To Test - Put your sensor in the bathroom, note readings, and turn on shower with hot water, note readings.

Minerals and chemicals wouldn't register as particulates.

Also - do you keep your RH above 50%. If so, if you don't mind, why?

valpres

I just did a test with my ultrasonic humidifier and a PM 2.5 meter at various distances. I assume the RO results will be the same with distilled water. The findings show that tap water in an ultrasonic humidifier is **more polluted than the most polluted countries on earth** and will shave a few years on average off your life if breathe that air 24/7. The RO water adds no pollutants to the air.

Clean tap water: 100 mg/m3

RO water: 5 mg/m3

InclusivePainParade

A recent study revealed that wearing unwashed clothes significantly affects indoor air quality by increasing ozone-generated chemicals, highlighting the importance of air management in indoor environments.

Impact of Personal Hygiene on Indoor Air Chemistry

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