The best method for eliminating and managing household odors is UV light

It can occasionally be challenging to eliminate and control household odors, particularly when strong pet or cooking odors are present. In most cases, though, the additional cleaning only slightly lessens the odors that linger. To eliminate the odors, the typical option is to purchase an air cleaner with a filter that contains a significant amount of carbon. But is there a better, more economical way to get rid of those smells and keep them in check? There may be, according to UV light air cleaners.

Although you should continue cleaning regularly, UV air purifiers are increasingly preferred because of their superior performance in eliminating odors. This is due to the fact that UV-C wavelength light, which UV light air cleaners produce, naturally releases healthy OH- ions (not ozone). In addition to killing airborne bacteria, mold spores, etc., negative OH- ions are frequently very effective at dissolving volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are the primary source of most household odors.

Therefore, if you install a duct-mounted UV air cleaner system for your air conditioner with, say, two bulbs, you’re getting a full 48,000 light units, which produces trillions of these negative ions that can spread to almost every part of your home and destroy these odor-causing VOCs. Utilizing a portable air purifier with ionization capabilities, such as the RxAir system, which has strong triple UV bulbs, generates a lot of these ions, and can effectively neutralize a range of odors without the need for carbon or HEPA filters to be changed, is another good method.

And it’s true that some compounds in the air won’t be destroyed by the ions as effectively, like more complex chemicals from, say, cleaners or fragrances. But the majority of VOC-based odors can’t compete with a steady stream of OH- ions, which, incidentally, have also been shown to generally improve air quality and even alleviate depression.

However, make sure it is made in the USA if you plan to research duct mounted UV air cleaner systems. While I don’t mean to offend anyone, many products made overseas either don’t last as long, break easily, or don’t have the genuine laboratory-grade 36 watt bulbs that are necessary to generate the proper number of ions to be effective against odors. Some high-quality air purifiers, like Blueair, have ions, carbon, and HEPA filters all in one unit for maximum air cleaning, which makes them excellent at eliminating odors as well.

Any of the Blueair air cleaners with the SmokeStop filter option or the RxAir Purification System (which is even used in hospitals) are excellent portable odor control options, in our opinion. In any case, ion-producing UV light is the best option for odor control in your home because it is much more affordable, very effective, and generally doesn’t require replacing filters. It also helps prevent illness.