Continually filtering classroom air with an effective air cleaner is an easy way to help you and your students stay healthy. Here are 5 best features to have to insure effectiveness.
Particle Filter—There are always going to be particles in the air, and the age of the building doesn’t make as much difference as you might think.. They include dust, mold and mildew spores, seasonal pollens, and pet dander that comes to school with the children who live with a pet.
These are potent triggers and cause acute and chronic respiratory problems to flare.. Keeping particulate levels low by continuously filtering the air helps you and your students feel better, think more clearly, and be more productive. The cleaner the air, the clearer everyone’s thinking will be.
Carbon Filter—Long known as the best type of filter to remove odors, gases, and chemicals, your unit should always contain carbon. It can absorb residual cleaning odors, fumes from paint, and the many other gases and odors that may come your way.
Rugged Construction—A classroom is no place for a delicately constructed cleaner. Learning is often active, and your students are certainly too, so a cleaner needs to be able to withstand the jostle and jolts that it may sometimes receive and still be able to continue to work at peak capacity.
There is no better material than steel for a school unit. With a powder-coated finish that is both durable and handsome, it is strong enough to last. Steel units are also great because, unlike plastic units, they will not off-gas when the motor heats it up.
24 Hour Operation—Sometimes pollutant levels rise at night because of cleaning products, or usual maintenance, and unpredictable events such as dust from construction or fumes from paint. Having an air cleaner that run dependably whether you are there or not means you’ll be able to open your classroom every day to a room that is fresh.
Knowing that your unit can continue to clean the air safely and effectively means you start each day with fresh rather than air filled with pollutants from the day before.. This gives everyone a significantly better chance of being able to stay one step ahead of colds and flu.
Minimal Maintenance—As a former school teacher, I know first hand that teaching school is more than a full time job. The last thing you need is to have to add air purifier maintenance to your list.
Knowing how often the filter needs changing is one of the most important pieces of information you can have. Be sure to choose one with a filter that can last 3 to 5 years rather than 3 to 5 months.. Also avoid units that are initially cheaper but require you to remove and wash the filter, charge it, and/or open the unit to vacuum it. All of this will add hassle to your day. And if that is the kind of maintenance it requires, leave it on the shelf.
Using an air purifier to continually take out unhealthy and potentially harmful pollutants can literally clear the air for clearer thinking. And clearer thinking can do nothing but possibly raise test scores? Just a something to think about.