It’s summertime, which means that the of burning trees in Indonesia has started again. For us living in Singapore, we now need to start preparing again for the onset of the haze.
In 2013, the PSI levels hit record highs, many of us (myself included) were very ill prepared for the pollution that surrounded us. N95 masks and air purifiers were in short commodity and sold out across the island. Even though my kids and I stayed indoors, windows closed, with all the air-conditioners on full blast, the polluted air just kept seeping through. This year I have decided to take the active stance to protect my family.
In addition to stocking up on N95 masks (which FYI – are not suitable for kids), we got the Philips Air Purifier AC4014 (with VitaShield Technology). Not all air purifiers are necessarily created equal. Make sure you know what to look for before you make your decision, because it can get quite confusing with so many different models out there. Aside from the obvious product features, benefits, cost of replacement features and electricity consumption – here is a handy checklist of some features you should keep in mind when shopping for an air purifier –
“Air Purifier Shopping Checklist”
– Air purifiers with a HEPA filter. This filters out the small harmful particles in the air.
– Air purifiers with an activated carbon filter. This removes gases such as benzene and other volatile organic compounds.
– Air purifiers that have natural filtration and are 100% Ozone Free. These purifiers do not use harsh chemicals or emit ozone which are harmful to your health and the environment
– Effective coverage area. The purifier should efficiently clean the total area of the room.
SuperMommy’s Overall Opinion: Although I initially wanted to get an air purifier to protect my family from the haze, what I have come to realize is that even on non-haze days, the air inside our homes can sometimes be more polluted than the air outside.
I have had the Philips Air Purifier for about 1 month now. The cool thing about the Philips purifier is that dial in the middle changes color with the quality of air. As I explained to my kids, red is really, really bad, purple is bad and finally blue is clean air. At first I was unsure if my air purifier was really doing anything (I mean it could really just be a gimmick for all of us to buy more things). But I noticed that even after cooking dinner in the kitchen, especially foods that emits odors or smoke (such as bacon or grilled chicken), the air purifier changes from blue to red. Which indicates to me that it is picking up on pollutants in the air and working hard to get rid of them. The air purifier also proved to be especially handy after our recent holiday in clearing the air from all the mold that had accumulated after a week of being away.
Now every morning we wake up and turn on the Philips air purifier in the living room. Does it work – probably. Am I sure it works – maybe. But either way it does give me peace of mind that my family will be better protected against the haze should it occur again and/or any other pollutants that are lurking in the air. Good luck and keep safe.
