air cleaner/filter advice?

[simple girl]

Hi all,

We rent a 2 bdr apt, approximately 950 sq foot. We have 2 cats. I've noticed lots of fur (and dust) collects on the ceiling fans and in the corners and on the baseboards over time (YUCK!). Will an air cleaner work to reduce this build up? I'm sooooo tired of cleaning it! Also, my husband has allergies (dust, pollen, etc.), so I was hoping there would be something that would help with that, too.

I figured surely someone on this board knows a lot about this and can point me in the right direction, make recommendations on good brands and features to look for, etc., etc.

 

[SC]

We ran two HEPA air filters 24/7 for about a year and I don't think it had any impact on the fur in our house. And if they had pulled in enough fur to make a difference, it would have meant changing the expensive filters a lot more often.

They also didn't seem to do much for my allergies, were pretty noisy, and consumed about 60W of electricity each. (Most have a "quiet" speed, but they really don't do much filtering at that speed.)

I suspect that a MERV 12-14 furnace filter duct-taped to a box fan would be a more efficient, cheaper, and quieter air filter, if you want to try something for your husband's allergies. Or, as a test, I suppose you could put one of those on your furnace and set the fan to "on" for a week to see if it makes a difference. I don't think that's a very energy-efficient approach, but it's a quick and easy test.

Otherwise, have you considered a Roomba to keep the fur under control? I have no experience with those but frequent regular vaccuming helps reduce the overall amount of fur in our house, which in turn reduces the amount that migrates to baseboards, ceiling fans, etc. I frequently wonder if a daily robo-vacuum wouldn't do more for my allergies than any air filter.

 

[Nords]

Otherwise, have you considered a Roomba to keep the fur under control? ... I frequently wonder if a daily robo-vacuum wouldn't do more for my allergies than any air filter.

To say nothing of the feline entertainment value:

YouTube - Roomba Driver

 

[simple girl]

We ran two HEPA air filters 24/7 for about a year and I don't think it had any impact on the fur in our house. And if they had pulled in enough fur to make a difference, it would have meant changing the expensive filters a lot more often.

They also didn't seem to do much for my allergies, were pretty noisy, and consumed about 60W of electricity each. (Most have a "quiet" speed, but they really don't do much filtering at that speed.)

I suspect that a MERV 12-14 furnace filter duct-taped to a box fan would be a more efficient, cheaper, and quieter air filter, if you want to try something for your husband's allergies. Or, as a test, I suppose you could put one of those on your furnace and set the fan to "on" for a week to see if it makes a difference. I don't think that's a very energy-efficient approach, but it's a quick and easy test.

Otherwise, have you considered a Roomba to keep the fur under control? I have no experience with those but frequent regular vaccuming helps reduce the overall amount of fur in our house, which in turn reduces the amount that migrates to baseboards, ceiling fans, etc. I frequently wonder if a daily robo-vacuum wouldn't do more for my allergies than any air filter.

Thanks so much for the feedback. It's a bummer that the air cleaners don't work to control cat hair, but good to know that before you buy them! Your suggestion on the Roomba is worth looking into. I think I will start another thread on that. Thanks!

 

[simple girl]

To say nothing of the feline entertainment value:

What a riot! Almost worth getting a Roomba just to see how my cats would react.

 

[Nords]

What a riot! Almost worth getting a Roomba just to see how my cats would react.

Our bunny thinks that our Scooba is the machine from hell.

But then that's his reaction to just about anything inedible...