If you are wondering how to remove odors, VOCs or gases from household chemicals and other sources from the air at home, consider an air purifier with an activated carbon filter. Combine that with reducing exposure and your home will smell as fresh as it looks – and have cleaner, healthier air.

Not all odors are created equal. Just as they can be pleasant or unpleasant, they can be harmless or hazardous to your health. Most chemical contaminants originate indoors, but they can also be drawn in from the surrounding outdoor air.

Odors can be either organic or inorganic compounds. Chemical contaminants can be found in a variety of sources. Common sources of odors in homes and offices are known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Organic compounds containing carbon, VOCs can easily evaporate into the air. If left uncontrolled in a poorly ventilated environment, chemical contaminants will create an unhealthy situation where you work and live.

• Air fresheners and scented products, such as perfumes, shampoos, etc.
• Cleaning products
• Carpet and vinyl flooring
• Caulks, sealants, and coatings
• Adhesives
• Paints, varnishes, and stains
• Fuels and combustion chemicals
• Fabric materials & furnishings

The degree to which chemical exposure affects your health depends on how much of the chemical is present in the air, how often you come in contact with it, how harmful it is, and how sensitive you are to it. Symptoms can be mild (itchy eyes) to severe (damage to kidneys, liver or the central nervous system).

An air purifier and specific filters effectively eliminate harmful gases and unwanted odors from your indoor environment. A standard particle filter is not designed to remove gases and odors. For gas and odor removal, the air purifier should be equipped with a filter that includes activated carbon. A filter like the Blueair SmokeStop™ is highly efficient at trapping smoke, odors, and other harmful gaseous chemicals.

Using approximately 2-4 lbs of activated carbon, formulated with magnesium dioxide and copper oxide, the carbon-activated SmokeStop™ filter is excellent at trapping dangerous chemicals and disturbing odors. The high volume and weight of the carbon and the low-density design and large surface area of the mechanical filter medium, ensure the filters last a long time without becoming clogged. And for the ultimate smoke and gas removal (up to four times faster), you can use a Blueair DualProtection filter with powdered, high-porosity coconut carbon.

SmokeStop™ and DualProtection filters combine with HEPASilent™ technology to deliver especially high performance and efficiency. HEPASilent™ technology combines electrostatic and mechanical filtration technologies. This combination, pioneered by Blueair, delivers high Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) with whisper-silent operation and high energy efficiency. In fact, a Blueair air purifier works so quietly that you can not only sleep next to it, you might even have to check to make sure it is switched on. And on its lowest setting, a Blueair air purifier uses less electricity than a small lightbulb, while still achieving a 99.7% filtration efficiency of airborne particles down to 0.1 micron in size.

Besides using an air purifier for odor and gas removal, we also suggest looking at your complete home environment to see which products may be releasing VOCs. You can learn more about potentially hazardous products by requesting a copy of the material safety data sheet (MSDS) from the product manufacturer. It is a great way to fully understand what you bring into your home and how to use it safely.