Top 7 Air Purifiers For Eliminating Mold

More than 45 million buildings across the U.S have unhealthy levels of mold. Fortunately, there are some air purifiers that can remove mold spores, fragments, and moldy odors to make the air safer for us to breathe. Air purifiers with medical-grade HEPA filters, high CADRs and UV-C lights are ideal for removing mold.

Using an air purifier is a great way to limit the effect that mold has on your health. While air purifiers can’t completely eliminate a mold problem in your home, they can remove mold spores or airborne particles from your space and provide you with cleaner air to breathe.

Not every air purifier is able to deal with mold. In this guide, we go over the top 8 air purifiers for removing mold from your home (or office) so you can make an informed decision before investing in one.

Mold around the home

Living in a home with mold is bad for our health (as you probably already know), and anyone that suffers from asthma is at an even greater risk.

Mold loves dark and moist areas, where it happily reproduces by creating spores. Mold spores spread quickly and easily through the air. Inhaling high concentrations of these mold spores can be dangerous, which is why removing mold is so important. 

Airborne mold spores can also cause allergic reactions when inhaled or even touched. Physically removing the mold from the surface where it’s growing is also important to get rid of the infestation fully (not just removing it from the air).

Mold usually appears as spots (of any color) and has a musty odor.

There are more than 100,000 types of mold, with many common around and inside our homes

For more information on the most common types of mold and its effects on us jump down to the end of this article.

How Air Purifiers Eliminate Mold

An air purifier can remove mold spores and musty odors from a house but it can’t get rid of a mold infestation.

Any active mold growths must be physically removed to be truly eliminated. Mold should be removed using a dilute bleach solution or vinegar.

Vinegar is actually a better option as it also kills the spores.

However, if your mold has already reached maturity then it has released its spores into the air, and to remove them, you’ll need a good air purifier.

But not all air purifiers can remove mold.

The following factors determine whether or not an air purifier can filter out mold spores from your home’s air:

CADR rating

The clean air delivery rate (CADR) is how much air can be filtered (or cleaned) in a minute. It’s usually measured in ‘cubic feet per minute’ or CFM.

Each air purifier naturally has its own CADR.

Regardless of their capacity or area covered, an air purifier with a high CADR will have a faster impact on your air quality than one with a lower CADR.

A higher CADR means that the air purifier filters faster and more efficiently, making it better for removing mold spores, especially in larger rooms.

Filter type

The type of filter in an air purifier has a lot to do with how good it is at removing substances from the air, which in our situation is mold.

A mold air purifier should have a HEPA filter to safely and effectively filter mold spores and contaminants. Mold spores are trapped by True HEPA filters, which stop them from re-entering the atmosphere.

Air purifiers with H13 or H14 Medical-grade HEPA filter are even better, because they remove mold particles 3 times smaller than a general or regular True HEPA filter.

HEPA filters also remove larger, physical particles like pollen, dust mites, and other allergens.

UV-C sanitizer

Another surefire technique to ensure that your air purifier effectively purifies your air is to use one with UV light because of its ability to remove bacteria and mold.

UV-C radiation can attack mold on a molecular level, breaking them down and limiting the creation of new spores.

A UV light isn’t essential, but they’re a great option if you are choosing between air purifiers that otherwise have the same CADR, filters and capacity.

Capacity

The capacity is the maximum area (or ‘coverage‘) your purifier can clean without overloading it. Each air purifier has its own area of coverage.

The larger the purifier’s coverage area, the easier it is to cover a huge room, allowing it to purify all mold-infested areas.

When determining the best air purifiers for mold removal, we also considered the following factors:    

• EPA Rating
• Noise Level
• Smart Technology
• Portability
• Ease of use
• Warranty.
• Air quality indicator

8 best air purifiers for mold removal

Here are the 8 best air purifiers for removing mold, feel free to click on the images or links for more information on Amazon about each air purifier:

1. GermGuardian Air Purifier.

The GermGuardian is a four in one H13 HEPA air purifier that can remove 99.97% of airborne contaminants down to 0.1 microns in size, including mold spores. 

This model also includes a pre-filter, which catches dust, pet hair, mold, and other big particles while extending the HEPA filter’s life.

It has an activated charcoal filter that helps to get rid of the musty odors from mold, as well as a UV C light to kill mold.

Pros:

• Covers a huge area (743 sq. ft.).
• Quiet.
• CADR rating of 125.
• 3 stage filtration system.
• UV C light
• Zero ozone

Cons:

• A higher CADR would be better for a large room

2. LEVOIT Smart Wi-Fi Air Purifier

The LEVOIT Smart Wi-Fi Air Purifier is a perfect choice for removing mold from your home. It includes a H13 HEPA Filter that can remove mold, pollen, dust and smoke from the air.

It can clean a space of up to 360 square feet with CADR of 135 CFM.

But efficiency aside, we really like the smart controls and compatibility of this purifier.

Levoit even claims that the device’s filtration efficiency and speed are 30% higher than regular air cleaners thanks to its combination of Honeycomb activated carbon filters, H13 genuine HEPA filter, and Pre-filter.

Pros:

• Smart remote control
• Covers large rooms.
• Compatible with Alexa and Google Home Assistant
• VeSync app.
• Silent purifier (just 27 decibels)
• 2-year warranty

Cons:

• A higher CADR for larger rooms would be better (but it’s perfect for medium sized rooms)

3. HATHASPACE Air Purifier

The Hathaspace Smart True HEPA Air Purifier uses 5-in-1 filter technology that filters not only mold, but smoke, smells, pollen, dust, pet dander, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) as well

The H13 HEPA filter captures 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns and 99.95% of particles between 0.3 and 0.1 microns.

This purifier also has a honeycomb activated-carbon filter that collects mold spores, smells, smoke, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Pros:

• Has an Energy Star, ETL and CARB certifications.
• Washable pre-filter.
• Removes odors, smoke and VOC’s.
• Filter change indicator.
• 4 fan speeds.
• Quiet operation purifier.

Cons:

• Its replacement filters are more expensive than other brands

4. NuWave OxyPure Large Area Smart Air Purifier

NuWave OxyPure Large Area Smart Air Purifier is a Lab-tested Filter System that has a 20-year lifespan(!) reusable stainless-steel Pre-Filter, a Bio-Guard Filter, an Ozone Emission Removal Filter, and four HEPA/Activated Carbon Filters (one in the device + three extra).

This Smart Air Purifier removes lead, mold, dust, pollen, smoke, pet dander, allergies, bacteria, viruses, gases, and volatile organic compounds from an area of over 2,600 square feet.

With your Wi-Fi-enabled smart device, you can monitor and run the purifier from anywhere in your home.

This purifier is perfect for large spaces and comes with an impressive CADR of 356 and a 5 year warranty.

Pros:

• Wi-Fi capabilities.
• Perfect for large rooms (CADR 356 CFM)
• Smart-touch controls and auto-monitoring capabilities.
• Has long lasting filters.
• Ozone-free
• 5 year warranty

Cons:

• More expensive than other options (but that’s because it has a large capacity, high CADR and comes with a longer warranty)

5. Alen 75i Air Purifier

The Alen 75i Air Purifier has a medical-grade H13 True HEPA layer that captures 99.97% of pollutants as small as 0.1 microns in size, which means it can filter out almost all common allergens and contaminants like mold, dust, odors, pet dander, asbestos, lead dust, and pollen.

It also has a vacuumable prefilter to help extend the life of the HEPA filter.

This purifier cleans and covers 1300 square feet every 30 minutes with a CADR of 347 CFM, absorbing airborne contaminants quickly, making it ideal for mold pore capture.

Pros:

• Covers larger rooms.
• Quiet operation purifier.
• Removes odors.

6. Cozmor Air Purifier

The Cozmor Air Purifier has a medical-grade HEPA H13 filter with CleanFuse technology that removes up to 99.98% of airborne particles.

Pollen, mold, dust, smoke, and other odors, including pet odor and pet dander, are safely and effectively removed by the brand’s HEPA filter.

But it does only cover spaces up to about 250 square feet, with a CADR

Pros:

• Quiet operation.
• 2 year warranty.
• CARB approved for sale.

Cons:

• Not suitable for larger rooms.

7. InvisiClean Aura II Air Purifier

The InvisiClean Aura II Air Purifier is capable of removing mold, dust mites, pollen, and pet dander that are all frequent allergy triggers.

The H13 99.985% medical-grade HEPA filter and activated carbon pre filter with optional ionizer and disinfecting UV-C light combine to make this one powerful air purifier.

Harmful bacteria, viruses, and mold spores are killed by the UV light. Nasty smells and musty odors are removed by the activated carbon filter.

The purifier covers an impressive 1,276 sq ft with 1 air change per hour, and a 319 sq ft with 4 air changes per hour. 

Pros:

• CADR rating of 170 CFM.
• Energy saving purifier.
• ETL Listed and CARB approved for sale.
• Quiet operation purifier.

How long mold spores live in our air

Mold is always present in our surroundings, and its spores can remain airborne for an indefinite period of time.

Mold spores are never totally eradicated from the air as long an active mold growth is present. Mold spores can also become airborne and disperse if you disrupt them, allowing them to form new mold colonies throughout your home. 

This means that if a moist location remains unaddressed for a day or two, mold spores in the air will likely gather on that one spot, resulting in mold growth. To avoid exposure, even if you have an air purifier that can remove mold, you need to physically remove the mold from your house.

There are many types of mold in our home, including:

1. Mucormycetes– Mucormycetes can be found in decaying items such as fruits and vegetables in a wet home. The spores can then spread from our food.
2. Stachybotrys– is one of the most prevalent molds you may find in a home. Moisture from flooding, high humidity, leaks, condensation, or some other sort of moisture infiltration is the primary cause of black mold.
3. Aureobasidium pullulans- This saprophyte mold grows quickly in wet parts of the home and is extremely toxic.
4. Aspergillus– is an allergenic fungus that can grow on any wet surface at home.
5. Ulocladium- Ulocladium is a brown mold that can be in people’s homes. Like all mold it likes to grow on wet surfaces in homes.
6. Chaetomium – Chaetomium is a mold fungus genus that can colonize a wide range of substrates. This mold is most typically found in water-damaged houses.
7. Acremonium- A toxigenic mold that can be discovered in damp condensation lines and drainage areas indoors.
8. Trichoderma- It is an allergic mold that develops quickly and thrives in damp areas at homes. Usually white in color.
9. Alternaria- This is a kind of mold that thrives in form of allergenic mold and can be found under sinks and along tub and shower bases at damp homes.
10.  Cladosporium- This is an allergenic type of mold that thrives in wet surfaces at a home.
11. Fusarium- is an allergenic mold that may grow and spread in temperatures below freezing points.
12. Penicillium-Penicillium mold is both a pathogenic and allergenic mold and can be found in wet areas at home.

Allergenic mold causes and produces allergies and allergic reactions like asthma attacks, whereas pathogenic mold causes health issues in people who are sick.

Effects of mold

Mold in your home can make you unwell in some situations, especially if you have allergies or asthma. Even if you are not allergic to mold, mold exposure can be harmful to your health.

Effects of Mold on asthmatic people include:

• Shortness of breath.
• Chest tightness.
• Serious asthmatic attacks

Effects of Mold on non-asthmatic people include:

• Respiratory problems
• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Red eyes
• Skin rash               

Mycotoxins are fungal products produced from some mold species, they are extremely toxic and can have negative effects on in healthy people.