Why You Need an Air Purifier in Your Office

Whether you’re working in a five-by-five cubicle or a sprawling office in a New York skyscraper with floor-to-ceiling windows, one thing is for certain: It’s dirty in there. Cleaning and disinfecting help, but considering you spend more time at the office than in most other places, you’re still being exposed to harmful airborne particles that can make you sick and even cause long-lasting damage. That’s why you need an air purifier for the office. Your lungs will thank you.

 

Let’s talk about what these airborne threats look like and how you can leverage the power of air purification technology to breathe healthier, purer, cleaner air.

Wait, How Dirty is My Office?

In a nutshell, it’s bad.

Research has found that the standard office desk carries more than 10 million bacteria. This is about 400 times more germs than you’ll find on your typical toilet seat. 

You’ll run into even more trouble every time you touch the elevator buttons, pick up the phone, get a drink of water at the fountain, type on your computer keyboard, click on something with your mouse, or grab a snack from the vending machine. Bathroom sink faucets, microwave door handles, and refrigerator door handles are also big culprits.

 

 

And in cubicles, everything is amplified further.

Imagine being exposed to this eight (or more) hours a day, five days a week.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) at Work

Your exposure to VOCs might be especially problematic.

VOCs are vapors emitted by certain products and materials. They can cause a number of health issues, including irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat; headaches; coordination problems; nausea; and liver, kidney, and central nervous system (CNS) damage. Some volatile organic compounds are even known carcinogens, meaning they’re capable of causing cancer.

So, where are VOCs lurking in your office? Well, they might be coming from the building itself — such as paint, varnishes, plywood, sealants, caulking, and solvents — since many construction materials contain them. This means that newer buildings can emit even more VOCs than older ones.

 

 

VOCs might also be coming from furniture, carpet, flooring, wallpaper, toxic cleaning products, printer ink, and air fresheners.

All things considered, the indoor air quality is (perhaps shockingly) worse than the outdoor air quality. And we spend 90% of our time inside!

So, what can you do about it?

Using a Mini Air Purifier for the Office

Here’s the good news: You’re not totally at the mercy of volatile organic compounds and all the other nasty stuff polluting the air you breathe at work. A mini purifier for the office can do most of the heavy lifting and target airborne invaders threatening to compromise your health.

Bringing a mini air purifier into the office can help nix particles big and small — from dog fur and dander that your coworker brings in on their clothes to microscopic dust that might be triggering your allergies.

But how exactly does an air purifier work to protect your health?

Well, it comes down to the technology that powers it. Different filters serve different purposes.

For instance, a pre-filter can target larger particles, like hair. This is often the first line of defense, and it helps the next layers better do their jobs.

A medical-grade HEPA 13 filter goes after smaller particles, like dust, dander, and other pollutants. These particles might not be detectable by the human eye, but they don’t stand a chance against a HEPA 13 filter.

While the previous two layers focus on solids, an activated carbon filter handles harmful chemicals that float around in gas form. Remember those volatile organic compounds we talked about earlier? Leave it to the activated carbon filter to take care of those!

This is also the filtration layer that will eliminate any unpleasant odors in the air. Are toxic cleaning products leaving behind a strong smell? Did your coworker heat up something pungent in the microwave? This is where activated carbon filters come to the rescue.

 

 

The Sans Mini Air Purifier for Offices

Our standard air purifier is a crowd favorite, designed to completely clean up to 1,560 square feet every single hour.

But then we started to ask ourselves, “What about people who want the same cleaning power and technology in a smaller footprint?” And thus, our mini air purifier was born.

Sans Mini offers 490 square feet of coverage and, like its bigger counterpart, our SmartPure™ technology. This means it runs as needed on auto mode and is built with a smart screen that gives you real-time insights into the quality and purity of the air around you.

It currently comes in two colors: White and Midnight. If you choose to use it in a bedroom, you can opt to keep it running but turn off all the lights (even the LED indicators) so that it doesn’t disturb you. Plus, it’s what we like to call “meditation quiet.” Whether you’re prepping for a big meeting or catching up on some much-needed rest and relaxation, you won’t even know Sans is in the room with you.

 

Use the Sans Mini standalone for your office, apartment, baby’s bedroom, or any other small area. Or, you can utilize multiple minis (rather than one full-size Sans air purifier) if you have a more closed-off floor plan. Some people opt for the full-size Sans and then a mini to support it. How you choose to use it is up to you!

Air pollution lurks all around us, but with the right technology, you can make a difference. Are you ready to get ahead of indoor air pollution? Shop with Sans today, breathe easier, and protect your health.