Pet owners have grown in substantial numbers over the recent decade. This pet-owning trend is in part due to millennials taking home more pets on average than any other generation. While pets can make great companions or even a new best friend, it is important to identify some of the potential risks of neglecting to maintain suitable air quality for you and your pet, especially when it comes to bird owners.
Why Do Bird Owners Require an Air purifier?
Birds can make wonderful and engaging pets. While there are some great qualities in a bird pet, there are also some drawbacks that most bird owners can speak to, like unclean indoor air or an unreasonable amount of bird dust. One house-keeping activity most bird owners adhere to is keeping a clean environment for your bird, which can smell of excrement and pet odor after a short amount of time. While you yourself may grow accustomed to this smell or lifestyle, this can create challenges for you as a pet owner when you invite friends and family over.
While the majority of bird owners must do some manual labor every now and then to keep their environment pristine, you will find many seasoned bird owners also recommend an air purifier to expel dander from your environment. True HEPA filters are the gold standard in air purifier technologies, which eliminate 99.97% of allergens and airborne particles as well as bird dander as small as 0.3 microns. If you have not been using an air purifier to eradicate bird dander, our suggested HEPA filtration air purifiers listed below from Amazon will come in handy. Before buying a new room air purifier, there are some facts you should know about air purifiers for birds and why it is a must-have item for bird owners.
Is Bird Dander a Problem?
If you have not owned a pet bird for a substantial amount of time, this question might seem silly to you as most people recognize dander coming from mammals due to their hair shedding. However, birds are equally capable of spreading dander through their feather dust, and some owners risk the possibility of developing bird keeper’s lung. As a result, owners can become very sensitive to bird dander after it builds up in their lungs, making them prone to extreme allergy symptoms or even skin rashes in severe cases. With these disastrous consequences, we can postulate that bird dander is an especially harmful by-product.
Containing and controlling bird dander is not always as simple as wiping down the birdcage. Bird dander is likely to be present in the birdcage, however, it is also very likely that the bird dander has spread throughout the environment. This spread is made possible predominantly through the bird flapping its wings which inevitably spread feather dust and other particulates both from the bird itself and from the cage. The natural airflow of your environment will also more than likely spread dander throughout the environment as well as adjacent environments. If you live in a large room this can be especially challenging as this means more square feet to maintain.
Even if you have not experienced adverse health effects, having a bird as a pet can make your home much dirtier then it would be otherwise. The same scenario applies to dog owners, who also deal with an incredible amount of dander and germs throughout their home. However, when you have guests over at your home, they will inevitably notice the different atmosphere, which can be solved simply and with minimal effort from an air purifier.
How Can I Solve My Bird Dander Problem?
Fortunately, there are a variety of air purifiers available for any pet scenario, especially birds. The best air purifiers for beds are ones that can detect and eliminate small, particulate dander. Since birds produce an unpleasant odor for house guests, its also recommended using a combination HEPA and carbon unit when selecting an air purifier for birds.
Cleaning your birdcage or environment manually will also unfortunately not work. As you will see with some of the recommended air purifiers below, some of the harmful dust and particulate matter can be as small as 3 microns. While this may seem insignificant, an issue ensues when these microscopic particles begin to bunch up on top of each other, creating a larger and more potentially more harmful pile of dust and dander. This feather dust can also create a breeding ground for mold spores if they are not taken care of immediately. With a HEPA air purifier, however, this will not be an issue for you and your pet.
Maintenance for air purifiers and pre-filters is also much less taxing than manually cleaning up your environment, making your air quality easy to maintain while also reducing sneezing. Cleaning an air purifier filter is one of the most important maintenance routines you can do to ensure your air purifier and filtration system are working as intended. If you neglect to clean your air filter or filtration system at least once every 6 to 8 months, then you can potentially cause more problems with allergens around your environment than you intended to solve.
There is a distinction between air purifiers and dehumidifiers when it comes to keeping your environment free of bird dander. Whereas air purifiers are created with the express purpose of removing irritants, allergens, and airborne contaminants through air filters, dehumidifiers will only remove excess moisture in the air. While both mechanisms can be handy for people suffering from allergy symptoms, the dehumidifier will not keep your home clean from bird dander. However, there are also air purifier and humidifier combinations that you can look into for heavy-duty environment cleaning.
The Best Air Purifiers for Bird Owners
Do not let your bird companion create a permanent mess in your home. The sooner you can get an air purifier for your bird, the less likelihood of developing lung damage or unsavory odors for your guests. Below is a variety of air purifiers that will work great with bird owners as they all target dander and germs as small as 3 microns, which is smaller than what the human eye is capable of seeing. Collectively, these sizes and germ eradication standards align with HEPA filter standards, the gold standard in air purifier technology. With HEPA air purifiers, your working with the best air purifiers for airborne particles like bird dander.
Winix HR900
The next gen version of the Winix 9500 Ultimate Pet Air Purifier captures 99.97% of airborne pollutants. The best air purifier to date, this hepa filter air purifier is also capable of picking up pet dander and allergens as small as 0.3 microns–much smaller than what the human eye can perceive! Not only is this air purifier great for capturing the majority of airborne pollutants, but also capturing pet odors, smoke, kitchen, and other household odors, all through the power of the Washable Advanced Odor Control (AOCTM) Carbon Filter. Plasma Wave technology will break apart odors, allergens, chemical vapors, and other pollutants at the molecular level.
Core 300
The Core 300 creates a crisp, clean air. The Vortexair Technology inside creates smoother, stronger airflow. Purifier covers up to 219 sq. ft, with a CADR number of 230+m3/h. Like the Winix HR900, the Core 300 also captures 99.97% of airborne pollutants and can capture dander and allergens as small as 0.3 microns. Not only does it capture the majority of air pollutants and airborne particles, but the noise level is nearly non-existent as these devices are as quiet as a mouse. The Core 300 will also last much longer than your average air purifier as these have an internal structure modified to avoid abrasion, which contributes wear and tear on the device, as well as the fan speed, ultimately giving you and your pet bird fresh air for months before having to replace your HEPA filter.
HPA300
The HPA300 will cover much more space while still maintaining the same cleaning accuracy as the Core 300 and the Winix HR900. The HPA300 also offers a turbo cleaning option, in addition to 3 other air cleaner levels. These purifying agents also remove allergens and odors, while also capturing germs. With 5 circulations per hour in the above-mentioned room size, you can breathe easy knowing the air in your Is germ and odor-free. Keep your air quality fresh and your breathing easy with the HPA300.
MA-40
The MA-40 is an official medical-grade purifying agent, and higher rated than the true HEPA filters. The MA-40 quadruples the reach of the HPA300 at 1,600 sq. ft. per hour, which is perfect for large rooms. This purifier also comes with options to reduce possible noise levels via the ionizer. Featuring a tempered glass panel, these purifiers won’t scratch like cheap plastic models and will last you a very long time. Additional features include child lock, night mode, and an 8-hr. timer.
AC5250PT
Captures 99.97 percent of allergens, including pet dander, and comes with a pet pure. A pet pure is an anti-microbial agent used for purifying the growth of mold. By adding the pet pure to your filter, you can effectively limit mold growth in your environment. The charcoal filter, powered by activated carbon, reduces common odor from pets, especially pet birds. Optional UV C light technology works to kill airborne bacteria, allergens, viruses, germs, and mold spores, all with the help of titanium dioxide. Standing at 28 inches tall, the purifier is best for rooms of 180 square feet, ideal for your bird room. The Ac350PT circulates about 4 times per hour. Filters need to be replaced every 6 to 8 months to maintain optimal air quality.
There are many uses for air purifiers that stretch beyond keeping bird dander at bay and maintaining bird dust. At Skyonic, we produce high quality and researched information on all things air purifiers and clean air. We offer up to date events on why air purifiers are rising in popularity to which purifiers are the best and why. Air purifiers are great for maintaining a crisp, pristine household with pets inside, but they have several other use cases and can benefit just about anyone.