Honeywell, Inc., of Minneapolis, Minnesota, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that the company made unsubstantiated efficiency and allergy relief claims for its Honeywell Air Purifiers — portable, room air cleaners designed for use in homes and offices, which contain enviracaire® True HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters. Honeywell is one of the country's leading manufacturers of air purifiers. According to the FTC, advertisements for Honeywell's air purifiers claimed that its products remove nearly all, or "99.97%," of the impurities from the air that people breathe, including mold spores, dust mite allergens, bacteria and viruses. The FTC also charged that Honeywell's claim that its air cleaners provide noticeable allergy relief was deceptive. Indeed, according to the FTC, there is no conclusive evidence that air cleaners are an effective method for treating allergy sufferers. The proposed agreement to settle these charges would prohibit Honeywell from making any representation regarding the efficacy, benefits, or performance of any air cleaning product without reliable evidence to substantiate the claim.

According to the FTC's complaint detailing the charges, advertisements for Honeywell Air Purifiers that appeared in national magazines and on national television contained such statements as: The complaint alleges that, through such statements, Honeywell falsely claimed that it possessed and relied upon a reasonable basis to substantiate its claims that: In fact, the 99.97% figure refers to the filter's expected efficiency in removing particles that actually pass through the filter. While the filter's efficiency is a factor in assessing the effectiveness of an air purifier in particulate removal, the FTC charged that this figure overstates the actual effectiveness of an air purifier in removing pollutants from the air in a user's environment. According to the FTC's complaint, the actual effectiveness of an air purifier depends on a variety of factors, including the amount of air that the air purifier processes, the nature of the pollutant, and the rate at which the pollutant is being introduced into the environment.

In addition, the FTC alleged that Honeywell did not possess a reasonable basis to substantiate its allergy relief claims. There is no guarantee that individuals suffering from allergies or other respiratory problems will derive a discernable reduction in symptoms through the use of these, or other air purifiers. sharp portable air conditioner air purifierAccording to the FTC, whether individuals will derive such relief depends on many variables, including the source and severity of their allergies, the rate at which the allergens are emitted into their homes or offices, whether the allergens tend to remain airborne, and other environmental factors.air purifiers are they safe The proposed agreement to settle the allegations would prohibit Honeywell from making certain efficacy claims about Honeywell Air Purifiers, enviracaire® True HEPA filters, or any other air cleaning product which is normally used for personal, family, or household purposes, unless at the time of making the claims it possesses and relies upon competent and reliable scientific evidence. tri power air cleaner for sale

Furthermore, claims that state or imply a level of performance under any set of conditions, such as household living conditions, must be substantiated by evidence that either relates to such conditions or that was extrapolated to such conditions by generally accepted procedures. In addition, the proposed settlement would require Honeywell to possess and rely upon competent and reliable evidence, and when appropriate, scientific evidence, for any claim regarding the benefits, performance, or efficacy of any air cleaning product which is normally used for personal or household purposes. Finally, the proposed settlement contains a number of recordkeeping and reporting requirements designed to assist the FTC in monitoring compliance with the terms of the order. The Commission vote to accept the proposed agreement for public comment was 4-0. This matter was handled by the FTC's regional office in San Francisco. This page was posted on Allertech Vent Guard, 16" x 60" ( 20 Vent Filters per Roll)

DetailsAllerTech Velcro Installation Strip, 30" FREE Shipping on orders over $49. 10 x 7 x 4 inches #8,202 in Home and Kitchen (See Top 100 in Home and Kitchen) #5 in Home & Kitchen > Heating, Cooling & Air Quality > Air Conditioners & Accessories > Air Conditioner Accessories See all 197 customer reviews See all 197 customer reviews (newest first) love love love this item. I live on the 31st floor and the A/C vent is connected from the building supply. So what ever is in their vent would come into my apt each day.I used a single layer. Filtered really well but was way to restrictive overal. One day I had a duct vent house pop off from the pressure. In winter, adhesive melts of some of the vents. Like this product for what it is intended to do is block dirt and dust particles. It does cut down on the air flow somewhat because of the density of the product.Cut down on allergies. Double sided tape could be better. I use this in my window air condition and the velcro strips helps a lot and makes a clean look

I have a severe dust problem in my house that I believe is fiberglass dust blowing out of my air conditioner vents. Vent Guard is NOT effective against fiberglass dust. The product description stated that the installation Velcro strips were included. They were absent from our shipment. Thus, at this point 3/5 stars. Pro: Works good, have to cut to size, includes velcroCon: Doesn't appear to be the highest quality product / Price is a bit highUses: Reduce allergens / Airflow See and discover other items: indoor heater/air conditionerRecent pollen counts have skyrocketed due to the tree pollen from maple, juniper and poplar. My poor nephew, John, can hardly breathe this time of year. He has severe allergies to tree pollen. I'm not too bad because my allergies are at their worst in late July and August. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, there are some things to do that may reduce your symptoms when your particular allergen is high.• Keep the windows closed, particularly on those enticing warm, dry spring days.

If not for the whole house, then close those in your bedroom. Filter the indoor air with an air purifier or fine filter on your air conditioner. • Watch the pollen count. Local weather reports usually include the pollen index and identify the major pollen sources. If the count is high but you aren't allergic to tree pollen, you are probably fine right now. /allergy-weather-forecast.asp).• Get the pollen off: As soon as you come indoors, change your clothes, your shoes and consider a quick shower. A saline nasal spray will rinse the pollen from your nasal passages. These actions will prevent you from transferring pollen from your body to the indoor environment. • Time your outdoor activities: Pollen counts are usually highest in the early morning until noon. They are low immediately after rain but rise quickly as the rain dries up. Schedule your garden activities for the afternoon or early evening if you have allergy problems.• Use sunglasses: Sunglasses not only protect your eyes from the sun but also provide a shield that reduces the amount of pollen that gets in your eyes.• Avoid line drying: It is fantastic to have those fresh linens and clothes drying outside on a line.

They seem to smell so fresh and you save all that electricity. But, and this is a big but, line drying exposes your sheets, your towels and clothes to the pollen in the air.There are plenty of over-the-counter and prescription treatments available and you should always consult a physician for serious allergy problems. However, these simple measures can substantially decrease your pollen exposure. It is so tempting to get out in the garden on a warm sunny day and get all those plants in the ground, but have patience. April is a very volatile month with huge swings in temperature. We neared 80 degrees last Saturday but the forecast warned of nighttime temperatures in the 30s by the end of the week.The weather is fine for planting out trees and shrubs, hardy perennials and crops that love cool weather but hold off on those heat-loving tomatoes, peppers, basil and those beautiful mandevilles and other exotics. Most of the Lehigh Valley has an average last frost date of May 15. Until then, it is not unusual to have a sudden cold snap that will stunt or even kill many plants.

For the next few weeks, watch the weather forecast and cover up new plantings on cold nights. Keep your tropical treasures and houseplants indoors until the nighttime temperatures are reliably in the 50s. Wait until after Mother's Day to even consider planting tomatoes and even longer for peppers and basil. Early planting may gain you a little growth if the weather is cooperative but if it turns cool, your heat-sensitive plants will shut down, stop growing and, if they survive, never fully recover.Catasauqua Garden Club: Plant sale 9 a.m.-noon May 9, at the Catasauqua Library, 302 Bridge St. Plants and Penn State soil test kits. Come early for the best selection. Sales benefit an agricultural scholarship at the Catasauqua High School and the library.It was a beautiful weekend for gardening. I sorted plant pots — the dead, the maybe alive, and the living. I tend to not plant things when I get them so there is usually a backlog of 20 to 30 pots in my holding area at one time. A spring chore is to sort out the casualties, clean up the rest and repot as necessary.

After Fran cleared the winter debris off the deck, I planted a container herb garden, window boxes of oregano, a shallow planter of thyme, a big pot for peppermint and another for the chives, parsley and tarragon, several pots of rosemary. Still some room for the more tender herbs: lemon verbena, basil and some of the annual sages — pineapple, for instance, that aren't quite ready to set out.We really enjoyed the warm weather Saturday, allowing our kitten, Emma, to join us on the deck. She loved smelling the fresh scents, watching the birds and even managed to chase and eat a few flies. Emma is just starting her leash training and learning the limits of her tether as she explores the outdoors during her first spring.Sue Kittek is a freelance garden columnist, writer, and lecturer. or mail: Garden Keeper, The Morning Call, P.O. Box 1260, Allentown, PA 18105This Week in the Garden•Start seeds for: Pumpkins, eggplant, summer squash, and winter squash. Continue sowing: Eggplant, summer squash, and winter squash, baby's breath, cosmos, and zinnias.•Direct sow: Celeric, celery, cabbage, carrots, collards, bunching onions, onion sets, parsnips and Swiss chard.

Continue sowing cabbage, carrots, collards, bunching onions, onion sets, parsnips and Swiss chard, Chinese cabbage, endive, escarole, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, head lettuce and leaf lettuce, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, peas, radishes, spinach and turnips.•Plant bare root trees, perennials and shrubs when soil is warm and dry enough to work.•Follow a schedule for starting seeds. Check packets for instructions such as start indoors four weeks before last frost date. Then, using a calendar, count back from your area's date (April 10-15 for southern Lehigh Valley, May 10-15 for northern areas) for the appropriate starting time.•Visit nurseries as they open for inspiration and new plants. Shop for summer bulbs.•Consider applying a top dressing of compost to lawns and beds.•Test soil for new beds. Retest soil in poorly performing areas or if you haven't tested in the last 3-5 years.•Cut back ornamental grasses. Divide clumps when you see new growth.•Prune and divide late summer and fall blooming perennials.