Smoke Eater Machines – Why You Need a Smoke Purification System
Smoke eater machines are powerful units designed to capture smoke particles, allergens, and odors. They are often used in restaurants or offices that need to accommodate smokers while still providing a clean, healthy environment.
A good cigar smoke air purifier should have a HEPA filter and carbon filter. The HEPA filters will trap the smoke particles, while the carbon will adsorb the odors.
Removing Tobacco Smoke Particles
A smoke purification system can reduce the number of harmful solid particles (smoke) in your home’s air. To do so, a good smoke purifier must include a Hepa filter capable of capturing the tiny tobacco smoke particles, which range in size from 0.3 to 0.1 microns. However, the best Hepa filters (such as those found in our top pick, the Coway Mighty) are capable of removing even more dangerous pollutants, including much smaller volatile organic compounds (in their gaseous form), which cause both the smell and cancerous fumes associated with second hand smoke.
Carbon filters, which are also typically used to remove cigarette smoke smells, work by gas adsorption; they open up the tiny spaces Smoke purification system that hold the molecules that make up odors and volatile organic compounds. To truly eliminate odors and chemicals from smoking, you’ll need to choose a carbon-based filter with a high smoke CADR rating.
Keep in mind, though, that an air purifier is not a substitute for cleaning and properly ventilating your home when someone is smoking, especially with pipes or hookahs. Additionally, the toxins and VOCs associated with second hand smoke can damage your furniture and other materials, as well as linger on fabrics, and cause health issues in non-smokers. To prevent this, you’ll need to regularly clean your home, using a deodorizer that contains vinegar or baking soda for surfaces and a deep cleaning product for carpets, and washing all fabrics exposed to smoke with a high-quality detergent.
Removing Tobacco Smoke Odors
Cigarette smoke carries a distinctive and unpleasant smell, and it can linger on furniture, drapes, and clothing long after smoking has stopped. Moreover, it contains a wide range of harmful chemicals, including carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen cyanide, and volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde, acrolein, and benzene. It also consists of tars that accumulate on fabrics and can be released in vapor form when they burn.
Tobacco smoke odors can be hard to get rid of, but there are some simple steps you can take to make your home smell better. For instance, you can open windows and use fans to improve air circulation. You can also clean fabrics and surfaces with baking soda, white vinegar, activated charcoal, and ozone treatment to absorb and neutralize smoke odors.
Another way to remove cigarette smoke odors is by using an air purifier for smoke. These devices have a circulating fan and one or more filters that suck the air in the room they’re placed in, passing it through a HEPA filter and an activated carbon filter to remove odors and harmful contaminants. They’re especially effective at eliminating cigarette smoke odors, but they’re not the only way to reduce secondhand smoke in your home. Other options include a steam cleaner, essential oil diffusers, scented candles, and Febreze Plugs.
Removing Tobacco Smoke Chemicals
When it comes to tobacco smoke there are two different pollutants that need to be removed from the air – particulates and gaseous chemicals. Particulate contaminants such as ash and combustion by-products (around 0.3 microns) are easily eliminated with a basic hepa air purifier. However, the vast majority of toxic second hand smoke is comprised of harmful gases and odours that are not particles. To remove these odours and gases you will need to use a specialist air purifier with a medical grade Hepa filter and a carbon filter.
Tobacco smoke contains many harmful chemicals and gases, notably carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN). These gaseous compounds are commonly known as volatile organic compounds or VOCs. Other gases associated with tobacco smoke include formaldehyde, acrolein, benzene and nicotine as well as polyaromatic hydrocarbons and certain tobacco-specific nitrosamines.
Despite what you might see advertised in some High Street stores, not all air purifiers are capable of removing these gases and odours. This is because a carbon filter needs to contain a substantial amount of genuine activated carbon to have any chance of success. The more carbon in the carbon filter, the greater its surface area – allowing for more of the harmful chemicals, odours and gases to be adsorbed. It is for this reason that the best smoke purifiers will contain at least a kilo of active carbon to ensure they are fully effective against tobacco smoke.
Removing Tobacco Smoke Damage
Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals that can be harmful to our bodies. These include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which cause smoky odors, and particulates such as nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide. Smoke also leaves behind yellow or brown residue on furniture, carpeting and fabric surfaces that can leave permanent discoloration. Cleaning these Smoke purification system surfaces with restoration equipment that has HEPA filters helps remove these toxic substances, and can even help restore surfaces to their original color.
Many common household items can help reduce a smoky odor, including white vinegar and baking soda. White vinegar works to neutralize odors, not just mask them, by attacking the molecules that give a room or car the smell of smoke with its low pH. Baking soda is a natural odor-absorber; sprinkle an odorous couch or upholstered chair with a light layer of baking soda and let it sit for several hours before vacuuming.
If DIY methods aren’t enough to rid a space of smoke smells, an air purifier can be a great option. A HEPA filter helps remove the particulate matter that’s left behind from cigarette smoke, while an activated carbon filter captures odors. For the best results, look for a unit that combines an HEPA and carbon filter, like the Blueair 211+. This specialized filter system also includes an ozone treatment that creates ozone, which hits the odor molecules and oxidizes them.
