Home Air Purifiers and Smoke
High quality home air purifiers with lots of activated carbon can help with cigarette smoke and odor. Cigar smoke and odor are much more difficult. They are overwhelming and spread everywhere. Although we do sell air purifiers that can greatly reduce smoke, it is always best if you eliminate the source if at all possible. Even second hand smoke is difficult to clean up entirely.
Smoking is a disaster for allergy and asthma sufferers. There are many statistics and scientific research that can prove how unhealthy and dangerous tobacco smoke and inhaling second-hand smoke can be for residents inside a home. However, most people in the world don't even need to hear statistics recited or research proved because they already know how harmful smoke can be inside the residence. If there is one smoker who uses tobacco products inside the home, the whole residence, including guests and residents suffer from the effects. The presence of tobacco products that are used in the home can make achieving quality indoor air hopeless for a residence. There are many ways, however, to save the indoor air from the pollution of smoke. Home air purifiers are able to help with the quality of a smoker's indoor air but totally reducing smoke particles entirely from the air to make it safer for everyone is very difficult.
Allergy or asthma sufferers that live with an indoor smoker may experience sinus problems and attacks frequently. The smoke particles and chemicals in the air cause asthma attacks and allergic reactions to occur in many people. Although a portable air purifier or a whole house air purifier may be able to remove some of the smoke particles from the air, the remaining particles and the particles that have settled will still be a nuisance and can still cause many health problems for people. Indoor air pollution caused by the use of cigars or cigarettes is so hard to get rid of due to the behaviors it develops when it's released into the air. Once smoke is released into a home, an extraordinary amount of toxins and contaminants stick to walls, furniture and any other object in the home. The toxins also can stick to carpet, bedding and light bulbs in the residence. Once the contaminants are stuck to these objects, it is impossible for the air purifiers or filters to intake the toxins. Once the contaminants from the smoke have attached to objects in the room, they start to outgas their toxins. Since the outgasing of the pollutants is a constant exercise and more than likely, the smoker will be providing the air with even more toxins while enjoying another cigar or cigarette, an air purifier has no way to catch up with the outgasing and release of new toxins. Although an air purifier inside a smoker's home will try its hardest to keep up with new smoke particles, it will never be able to eliminate enough particles and contaminants to make the indoor air safe for asthma and allergy sufferers.
The best way to keep a home's indoor air healthy and safe for asthma or allergy sufferers to breathe in is by eliminating indoor smoking. By making a smoker smoke cigars and cigarettes outdoors instead of indoors, a person is able to eliminate the source of smoke particles completely from the home. A resident who is a smoker can easily step outside for a cigar or cigarette or a special room can be designed in order to isolate the harmful tobacco smoke. A "smoking room" can be set up that is equipped with an outside vented exhaust fan. The smoker can be sure to block off any cold air returns and turn the fan on when he or she is smoking a cigarette. Once a smoking routine or personal smoking room has been established for the resident, an air purifier may be brought in to help the air inside the home. Since the smoke is isolated, air purifiers will be much more effective at removing other contaminants as well as any smoke particles that might still be present.
The air purifiers made by BlueAir can be purchased with a SmokeStop filter. This filter specializes in removing any smoke particles from the air and the air purifiers are great for a home with a smoker. The Austin Air models that are "Plus" versions are also great air purifiers for residences because of their combination of contaminant removers. The air purifiers contain not only a HEPA filter but also media that can reduce odors and chemicals from the air. The IQAir GC Multigas is another unit that is great for a home with a smoker. It is specifically designed to remove the chemicals in the air that are produced by tobacco smoke.
The best way to keep a home's indoor air safe for asthma and allergy sufferers and other residents is to only allow smokers to use tobacco products outside or in a specific room. Cigar smoke is denser in smoke particles than cigarette smoke so it is important that cigar smokers only smoke outdoors in order to save the indoor air from the harmful smoke. We have tried to help people with indoor cigar smokers and have never been successful, it overwhelms the air purifiers. Cigars just put out too much pollution, smell, and particles. With the isolation of the smoker and the source of the dangerous smoke particles, an air purifier can become effective at removing any remaining particles, odors or chemicals in the indoor air. Smoking cigars or cigarettes is a harmful act but the secondhand smoke the products produce can be even more harmful for residents.
Recommendations for Smoke Removal:
- Overall best for smoke, expensive but worth it.
- IQAir GC MultiGas air purifier
- For second hand smoke coming in from surrounding apartments
- Blueair 403 Air Purifier with SmokeStop Filter Set
Austin Air HealthMate Junior Plus - For a smoker who confines smoke to a small room
- Blueair 403 Air Purifier with SmokeStop Filter Set
Austin Air HealthMate Junior Plus - For a smoker who smokes throughout the house
- The IQAir MultiGas air purifier is big enough to handle a large area with smoke
- For heavy smoking, cigars, or smoke related damage
- Allerair 5000 DS Exec
Pro Tip:
Smoke permeates everything and is the hardest toxin to remove from the air. Get an air purifier that removes both the particles and hundreds of chemicals in smoke.


