HEPA Filters: What They Mean for Indoor Air Quality

Between indoor air pollutants and allergens like dust and pollen, PM 2.5, smoke from wildfires and illnesses like flu, COVID, RSV, and the common cold, there are plenty of reasons to pay more attention to indoor air quality. 

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), most people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, where levels of pollutants can be two to five times higher than outdoors. Those levels of indoor air pollutants are of particular concern in the fall as it gets cooler, and people begin to spend even more time indoors. 

If you are looking for a room air cleaner or vacuum, you likely have come across the term ”HEPA.” HEPA stands for “high efficiency particulate air” and refers to a type of air filter designed to trap very small particles. To be classified as HEPA, the filter must meet strict U.S. Department of Energy standards, which require the filter to capture at least 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns in diameter. These particles include dust, pollen, mold spores, bacteria, and some viruses. 

HEPA filters are made of a dense mat of fibers, usually composed of fiberglass, which create a maze-like structure that captures particles through a combination of three mechanisms: 

  1. Interception: Particles following the airstream come into contact with the filter fibers and stick to them. 
  2. Impaction: Larger particles can’t follow the airstream around fibers and instead collide with them. 
  3. Diffusion: Smaller particles move erratically, increasing the chance they will hit a fiber and become trapped. 

HEPA filters can improve indoor air quality because they: 

  • Remove allergens and pollutants: HEPA filters can capture common indoor allergens like dust mites, pollen, pet dander, and mold spores, improving air quality for people with allergies or respiratory conditions. 
  • Capture harmful microorganisms: HEPA filters are capable of trapping illness-causing bacteria, viruses and mold.  
  • Reduce smoke and odors: HEPA filters can capture smoke particles, improving air quality in environments where tobacco smoke, wildfire smoke, or pollution is a concern. 

HEPA filters are included in a variety of household products designed to improve air quality and cleanliness. Some common types of products that utilize HEPA filters include: 

Air cleaners: Standalone portable room air cleaners are designed specifically to clean indoor air. They may use HEPA filters to trap dust, pollen, mold spores, pet dander, smoke, and other particles. If you live in an area affected by wildfires, or have tobacco smokers in the home, an air cleaner with a HEPA filter and activated carbon filter can also help reduce the smell of smoke in your home.  (Learn more about AHAM Verifide below.) 

Vacuums: HEPA-filtered vacuums prevent dust, allergens, and fine particles from being released back into the air while cleaning carpets, rugs, and floors. 

Home dehumidifiers with air filtration: Some dehumidifiers are equipped with HEPA filters, meaning they both reduce moisture and capture fine particles in the air. 

HEPA filters are particularly valuable in settings where maintaining clean, allergen-free air is important, such as homes with allergy sufferers or environments prone to airborne particles like smoke or dust. It is important to change HEPA filters according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.  

About AHAM Verifide 

Portable room air cleaners, also called air purifiers, represent the quickest, most accessible option for improving indoor air quality in the home. When you are ready to purchase an air cleaner, always look for the AHAM Verifide® mark. Room air cleaners certified through the AHAM Verifide program have been rigorously tested by an independent laboratory to ensure the product will perform to the manufacturer’s product claims for the suggested room size. AHAM’s standard for measuring an air cleaner’s efficacy is called the Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR). CADR indicates the volume of filtered air an air cleaner delivers, with separate scores for tobacco smoke, pollen and dust. The higher the CADR number for each pollutant, the faster the unit filters the air. The AHAM Verifide mark can be found on product packaging.  

To find AHAM Verifide® room air cleaners, use AHAM’s online searchable directory to locate the model that is right for you. 

Find a Certified Room Air Cleaner Here

Forget “Fridgescaping”: Refrigerator Organization for Less Stress and Healthier Choices

If the kitchen is the hub of the home, the refrigerator is more like a sun at the center of the universe, orbited by family members. It is where most meals begin, an essential appliance that can also have a major effect on the food choices you make. And while you may not realize it, investing some time in organizing your refrigerator can take some stress out of your busy life.

The everyday act of opening the refrigerator door can lead to a decision that may affect our day in the short term, or your health if the choices become a habit. Do you take the time to make a salad or grab a slice of leftover pizza? Should you satisfy your sugar craving with an apple or a dessert? When life gets busy, being overwhelmed by too many decisions could lead people to make the quick, easy and sometimes less healthy choice when they are deciding what to eat or put in the kids’ lunch.

“Many of my clients are able to meet their goals more efficiently with organization,” says Caroline Passerrello, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and instructor at the University of Pittsburgh. “The more hectic the schedule, the more organization matters.”

Organizing your refrigerator takes some time, but that investment has the potential to pay off in multiple ways. You’ll take some of the decisions out of your day, you will make healthy choices easier and, you may even save money by letting less of your food expire. “The fewer decisions you have to make, the better,” Passerrello says.

So when you have a few minutes between learning your fall schedule, shopping, driving and packing lunches, read what two nutrition experts have to say about organizing your refrigerator.

Plan before you dive in

The process of organizing a refrigerator starts not at the refrigerator door, but with your grocery list. It should involve everyone in the household. “I plan out lunches for the week ahead of time and often give my kids a list of snacks to choose from,” says Dana Angelo White, sports dietitian and associate clinical professor of athletic training and sports medicine at Quinnipiac University and owner of Dana White Nutrition. “I include my kids in the process in the hopes that everyone stays happy and willing to dig in!”

“Take stock of what you need before you go, and plan to store it in a way that makes sense,” Passerrello says.

An organized refrigerator is also safe

In a safe refrigerator, foods are rotated and stored properly. “Try your best to keep things like raw meats and fish separate from ready to eat foods,” White says. “I have also taught my three kids to ‘FIFO,’ which stands for first in, first out – basically don’t open the new milk container until the one that is already open is used up!”

Put meat, fish and other raw foods on the lowest shelf to avoid cross contamination.

Rotate as you shop

Rotating your food (FIFO) according to the expiration date can also help you cut down on food waste. “Take stock of what you have before you go shopping,” Passerrello says. “Make sure you rearrange it when you come home so you’re not pushing stuff back.”

Healthy choices should be visible and accessible

That means keeping them visible, toward the front, in containers that make it easy to tell what is inside.  “I try to keep the staple ingredients readily accessible in the fridge so I can make lunches as efficiently as possible.” Passerrello recommends putting the foods you want to eat at eye level. “Having the most readily available choice reduces decisions because you don’t have to think about it. We make too many decisions these days. Whatever we see, we want to grab.

Prep fruits and vegetables before you store them

“Whether you opt for pre-cut or DIY, if they are ready to eat, the kids are more likely to eat them,” White says. “Carrots, cucumber slices, pepper strips and orange wedges are some examples for easily accessible finger foods. Along with produce, I always have things like yogurt, cheese sticks and hummus at eye level in the fridge so the kiddos can grab and go.”

Know what’s in your drawers

Take advantage of the drawers in your refrigerator that are designed to store things like produce and cheese, but don’t just pile the items in. “If you can’t see into the drawers, make sure what you want to eat is what you see first,” Passerrello says. Maybe add a bin so not everything goes in there like a junk drawer. In the vegetable drawers, pull forward what is in there.

Consider special dietary needs

If a family member has celiac disease, diabetes, a food allergy or another condition that requires dietary changes, do your best to make that change the norm for the household. However, as Passerello acknowledged, that is not always practical. Consider whether you need to reserve part or all of a shelf, drawer or space in the refrigerator to keep the necessary foods.

Start small and build organization into a lifestyle

“Trying to do a complete overhaul might be too much at first,” Passerrello says. “Make a small change—pick a shelf—and commit to it.”

Finally, think about how you will stay committed to organization. “To help hold myself accountable and spark future ideas, I post my weekly plan on Instagram every Monday,” White says.

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