Mold thrives in moist environments like subterranean basements. The threshold for mold growth is around 50%-65% humidity, so if you think you might have mold in your basement, you'll want to get a in order to measure humidity. We tried an analog hygrometer first, but it was clunky and inaccurate. We've since found a simple, inexpensive that works much better: If you have humidity above 50%, you should get a mold test. An environmental contractor can do this for you, or you can order a You just mail the cassette into the lab after leaving it exposed to the air, and they tell you what kinds of molds you have. If the mold test comes back negative, but you've got odor or allergy problems, skip ahead to the allergen-control section. To kill mold, you need to get the humidity below 50%, and around 35% is optimal. If it's a mold problem in your basement, having a contractor install vapor barriers around the outside of the foundation

of the house is probably the best long-term option. (For an average size home, this can cost up to thousands.) If a vapor barrier isn't an option (due to cost or because the basement isn't a problem), then you can kill the mold by running a A professional can install an expensive, high-throughput dehumidifier that can cover an entire house. We opted to try out a cheap Soleus portable, and it worked continuously for five years before breaking. It kept our entire basement around 40%-45% humidity, effectively killing the mold at an amortized cost of about $35/year. When it broke, we put in a This keeps our entire basement at 35% year-round, and below 35% if we run it in "continuous mode." If none of the above are an option, then you can: My wife and I had tried air purifiers like ionic breezes and filtered fans, but we only had marginal improvements in our allergy problems, and these devices were too maintenance-intensive.

We still woke up each morning with stuffy noses, head congestion, sore throats and dry eyes. Our infant son was also having recurring stye eye infections, and each morning, his nose was clogged shut with dried mucus. On a recommendation, we tried a high-end Rabbit Air BioGS filter: Our model has three filters: one pre-filter cleaned by a vacuum once a month, one HEPA filter replaced every three years and one filter washed about every three months in a sink. The difference for us was immediate. We woke up with clear noses, clear heads and rested eyes the next day. We were so impressed that we bought two more: one for our son's room, and one for the basement. Our son's eye and nose problems disappeared the morning after we started running it in his room. (It's quiet enough that the baby can sleep with it on.) We also got a good idea of which rooms in the house were the most polluted. The clean-filter indicator came on for the Rabbit in our bedroom after

just two weeks (instead of 3 months), and when I pulled off the cover, there was about a finger's-width of accumulated dust and pet hair on the pre-filter, and thick coat on the HEPA filter underneath.small air purifiers for smokers After that initial cleaning, it's since needed cleaning only everydoes air purifiers help allergies couple months as recommended by the manufacturer.use compressed air to clean laptop We recommend this device to anyone with allergy problems. To make matters worse, my wife and I love dogs. So, for years, we've been trying high-end vacuum technology trying to keep up with their shedding. On this front, two technologies have stood the test of time: the

The Roomba works best if the dogs are confined to a single level of the house, or in a condo/apartment. We just set the Roomba to vacuum before leaving the house each day, and then empty its container when we get back. It excels at keeping rooms free of dust and pet hair, and it becomes rather intelligent about floor layout after its fourth or fifth journey. We have a mid-level Roomba, and my parents have a high-end Roomba, but as far as I can tell, the only real difference between them is price. And, apparently, we're not the only ones to have discovered that the Roomba is the mortal enemy of the Chihuahua, which leads to endless amusement during cleanings: We'd tried Orecks and Hoovers to get at the pet dander stuck in our carpets, but they're worthless compared to the Dyson Animal: This thing feels like it could rip the carpet off the floor. For clearing up pet-related allergies, it's in a league of its own.I suffer from allergies. It's not severe enough that I take prescription medication, but I do carry two tablets of Benadryl everywhere I go.

And as much as I look forward to the spring each year, it would be nice to be able to open the windows in my apartment without fear of a full-fledged attack. The Honeywell Bluetooth Smart Air Purifier HPA250B might not eradicate that fear completely, but it's one of the best home air purifiers you can buy if you're an allergy sufferer. That's because Bluetooth connectivity allows the machine to use your phone's Internet connection to receive updates on local allergen levels, and adjust its cleaning levels accordingly. At $269.99, it costs a good deal more than air purifiers that lack connectivity, but it could help you breathe more easily. Design and FiltersThe Smart Air Purifier is relatively attractive—as far as air purifiers go. It's an upright design that measures 18.9 by 17.8 by 10.1 inches (HWD) and weighs 13.9 pounds. It's made entirely of plastic, with a ridged design that gives it a bit of visual flair, though ultimately it's still the sort of device you'll want to tuck into a corner.

The top of the machine is home to all of your controls. It has a number of sleek, touch-based buttons that allow you to choose from four different cleaning levels (Allergen, Germ, General Clean, and Turbo), or a VOC sensor (for automatic operation based on Volatile Organic Compounds). There's also a Timer option, in which you can set a period of one to 18 hours for the machine to run before automatically shutting off. A Dimmer button controls the attractive (primarily blue) backlighting, and Bluetooth and Power buttons round out your control options. The Smart Air Purifier can efficiently handle spaces up to 310 square feet, which should make it appropriate for most rooms in the house (or some studio apartments in New York). It uses a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, along with an odor-reducing carbon pre-filter, which can capture 99.97 percent of air particles as small as 0.3 microns. It does this as the air passes through the filters, removing dust, pet dander, pollen, and smoke from your air.

The HEPA filter should be replaced once every 12 months, while the pre-filter should be replaced once every three. Lights on top of the purifier will let you know when it's time to replace a filter, and the app will automatically send you notifications, which I'll touch on in a bit. Setup and PairingThere's not much you need to do in order to get the Smart Air Purifier running out of the box. It comes with two filters you must unwrap and install first. Instructions are provided, but installing filters is easy; all you have to do is press on the front grille of the machine to make it spring open, then place the filters into the corresponding tabs, which makes for a snug fit. After that, you can simply plug the machine in and turn it on. Just make sure the front faces away from furniture or walls and that no grilles are blocked. Pairing the Smart Air Purifier via Bluetooth is equally simple. First you need to download the free Honeywell Portable Air Purifier app for your Android or iOS device.

The purifier is compatible with devices running Android 4.3 and above, as well as devices running iOS 6.0 and above. Keep in mind your device must also be equipped with Bluetooth 4.0 (which rules out some older mobile handsets and tablets). When you first open the app, a message will appear with instructions for how to connect with the air purifier. Basically, you press a Connect button on the app, then hold down the Bluetooth button on the air purifier for two seconds. It took me a couple of tries to get the timing right, but you only need to pair once, and the process was simple enough. App and PerformanceOnce connected, the app has an attractive interface with all of the same controls you'll find on top of the air purifier, as well as some useful features you wouldn't be able to use otherwise. A small information button at the bottom left corner of the screen places an overlay with directions on top of everything, making it easy to understand what each button does. The app is also very responsive: There's no delay between tapping a function in the app and the corresponding action taking place on the machine.

In addition to all of the standard controls, the app has filter reminders at the bottom of the home screen, which gives you a better idea of how much time you have left before replacing a filter. The app will automatically send you a notification ahead of time, along with the option to buy a new filter immediately or remind you later. The app also features a Proximity Sensor setting, that, when enabled, automatically turns the purifier on or off when your mobile device is within Bluetooth range (which is about 30 feet). This is useful if you're looking to conserve energy (the air purifier itself is Energy Star certified), though I'd rather have it cleanse the air throughout most of the day. Luckily, the app also makes it easy to set cleaning schedules, in which you can designate the day, time frame, and level you'd like the purifier to work at. That way it can remain off while you're out of the house, then do a quick Turbo cleanse before you get home. Perhaps the best feature the Smart Air Purifier gains through connectivity is the Auto-Set function, which automatically sets the machine to run at optimal settings based on outdoor pollen levels in your area.

There's an Allergen Alert toggle at the bottom of the home screen, which opens up another menu where you enter your zip code. It then tells you the current allergen conditions for the area (including Grass, Mold, Ragweed, and Tree), and your machine will adjust its cleaning levels accordingly. You can also set Allergen Alerts and receive daily notifications or just when allergen levels are particularly high. The only downside here is that your mobile device must remain connected in order for the purifier to adjust its cleaning when set to Auto. And because Bluetooth has a limited reach, that means this setting will really only work when you're home. Still, it's a nice feature to have, and probably the best reason for picking this unit up. It's also worth noting that the Smart Air Purifier is generally quiet while in operation. The Germ and General Clean settings are virtually undetectable. Allergen has a noticeable hum, while Turbo sounds like the low setting on an air-conditioning unit.