Bamboo charcoal air purifiers remove odors, particulate matter and pollutants from the air, but the question is obvious: Do they really work? Air purifiers do remove some contaminants from the air, but how effectively a given purifier works depends on the design, type of filter and other factors.
Bamboo charcoal bags come in multiple sizes that range from 50 grams to more than 1,000 grams. The filter bags are usually decomposable, and the fabric bags contain pieces of bamboo charcoal, which are naturally odor-free. You can handily use them in your car, garage, laundry storage areas, near pet habitats and any room of the house. Bamboo charcoal systems are popular because they use a plentiful, renewable resource, but do they work?
How Bamboo Charcoal Air Purifying Bags Work
Bamboo charcoal bags, or filters if you prefer the term, contain bamboo charcoal that has millions of surface pores that can absorb the smallest particulate matter. The charcoal breaks down the bacteria that cause odors while cleaning the air. The benefits of using bamboo charcoal to filter your air include:
- Absorbing moisture from the air
- Removing dangerous chemicals and toxins
- Removing formaldehyde
- Safe for use around children and pets
- Natural way to remove odors without artificial fragrances
- Cheapest way to filter your air because there are no mechanical parts or energy needed
- Removal of volatile organic compounds, known as VOCs
The amount of air that a given charcoal bamboo bag can purify varies based on the charcoal quality, quantity and placement. For example, a 200-gram charcoal air purifier bag typically purifies the air in areas up to 90 square feet, which is perfect for bathrooms, most kitchens, closets and other small rooms. Placing the bags near a source of air circulation can increase their effectiveness.
Recommendations for Choosing the Best Charcoal Bamboo Filter Bags
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best charcoal bamboo bags for your needs. The first is whether these bags are really the best choice for your home. Some air purifiers work better at specific tasks — such as air purifiers for mold. Our article on another topic, air purifiers for pets, can help you decide what to do to remove the stubborn odors associated with household pets.
In general, charcoal bamboo filters work on every type of odor, and activated charcoal is even more effective. Both regular and activated bamboo charcoal are made by burning bamboo at high temperatures. Activated charcoal is produced under specific conditions, and it’s more porous than regular charcoal. Bamboo makes an excellent choice of material for charcoal because it grows extremely fast as a renewable resource. Bamboo is the world’s fastest growing plant, and more than 1,400 types of bamboo grow in tropical and semi-tropical environments that include Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Australia and South America.
How You Use Filter Bags Affects Your Choice
The better quality bamboo charcoal bags last up to 2 years if you refresh the bags monthly. That involves pacing the bags in direct sunlight for several hours to refresh their absorbing ability.
If you use the bags in out-of-the-way areas of your home, it’s not important how the bags look. Decorative filter bags are manufactured for use in your home where guests gather. These bags come in decorator colors and patterns, and some have graphic messages. Functional features include straps and hanging hooks. Increasing the surface area exposed to the air makes your filters more effective, so hanging the bags with air surrounding them is highly recommended. Various fabrics are used, so you can coordinate your bag with your furniture’s upholstery. Linen is the most common material used in bamboo charcoal filter bags.
Charcoal Purity
Choosing filter bags with 100 percent activated bamboo charcoal is the most effective way to filter the air in your home naturally. Some bags feature a mix of regular bamboo charcoal and other substances, and the bag won’t work as well as one with 100 percent activated bamboo charcoal. There are also other considerations that might affect your choice. If you want to remove allergens for a family member with severe allergies or have to deal with the second-hand smoke of several family members, it might be wiser to choose an electronic air purifier or read more about the best air purifiers for smokers.
The Benefits of Air Filtration
Some people are skeptical about any benefits of air filtration, but those with asthma, allergies and sensitivity to odors readily support the tremendous benefits that air filtration brings to home environments. Today’s technologies can filter up to 99 percent of common air contaminants.
These contaminants include the particulate matter that causes offensive smells, allergens, other pathogens and the dangerous chemicals found in second-hand smoke. If you live near industrial plants, particles of soot, toxic chemicals and other contaminants can usually be found in your home. The specific benefits of air filtration include:
Reduction of Allergens
Allergens invade every home and not just during the spring and fall. You can find everything from pollen to pet dander — even if you don’t own a pet. Your body might trigger the release of an antibody called IgE, which is what causes an allergic reaction to different chemical compounds. Air purifiers can remove most pet dander, dust and pollen from the air you breathe.
Lower the Risk of an Asthma Attack
Asthma, a common respiratory disorder, affects one person out of every 12 people. Allergens, dust and other air contaminants can trigger asthma attacks that result from inflammation of the air pathways. Breathing clean, pure air each day is one of the best ways to prevent asthma attacks.
Neutralizing Odors
One of the strongest benefits of air filtration is the ability to neutralize odors. Household odors can include the smells of industrial pollutants, pet odors and cumulative bathroom and kitchen odors. Odors that many people find unpleasant include the strong odors of chemical cleaners. Odors often come from VOCs, and these compounds can generate risks to your health. Air purifiers remove VOCs, allergens, bacteria and other odor-causing particles to refresh the air continuously.
Reducing Second-hand Smoke
It’s always great to have some sort of air purifier if you have smokers in the house. Especially during winter when you can’t open a window without losing heat, smoking can quickly cause a buildup of second-hand smoke with volatile and dangerous chemicals. The smoke is inhaled by other members of the family, and cigar or cigarette smoke can make the eyes run, cause sneezing, promote lung congestion and generate unpleasant odors. The best HEPA filters and activated bamboo charcoal are excellent ways to remove smoke from the ambient air.
Reducing Pathogens
You’re probably well aware that when a person in your home comes down with a cold or flu, others in your family immediately catch the illness. That’s because many microbes spread in the open air, and even when sick family members are segregated, others get sick. Most air purifiers claim to remove pathogens, and activated bamboo charcoal does an excellent job of removing pathogens from the air. There’s still a risk the disease will spread, but you can reduce the risks with air filtration.
Improving Sleep
How many times have you had trouble falling asleep because you had trouble breathing quietly or were suffering from an allergy or asthma attack? Your eyes might become irritated by pollutants in the air, and you’re forced to rub your eyes every few minutes while trying to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. Air filtration removes the root causes of these irritants so that you can fall asleep normally.
Removing Asbestos
If you live in an older home, you might have asbestos insulation that’s never been removed. Air filtration removes one of the most harmful contaminants that homeowners might face. The dangerous material was used extensively in construction many years ago before the dangers were recognized, which triggered a ban on asbestos use. Asbestos removal is still big business, which means there are plenty of homes and buildings with asbestos.
The Specific Benefits of Choosing Bamboo Charcoal
Bamboo charcoal filter bags are one of the best options for removing humidity, polluting chemicals and pathogens from the air. Activated charcoal is made from various kinds of materials including peat, coconut husks and various kinds of wood. Bamboo charcoal is about 10 times more effective in eliminating contaminants from the air. It’s porous and more absorbent, which makes it one of the best ways to purify air.
Frequently Asked Questions
People are wise to ask questions about any filtering technology — even ones that employ natural techniques like charcoal air purifiers. Some of the most common questions include the following concerns.
Does Bamboo Charcoal Really Purify Air?
Bamboo charcoal really removes particulate matter from the air, which includes chemical molecules of pollutants, allergens, pathogens, VOCs and odor-inducing molecules that are responsible for bad odors in your home. You can see the evidence first-hand by noting the difference in weight of the filter bags as they absorb contaminants. Charcoal has long been used for many scientific and everyday personal applications. Activated bamboo charcoal absorbs more impurities than any substance found in nature, and bamboo’s growth rate ensures a steady and sustainable supply.
Does Activated Bamboo Charcoal Really Work?
Activated charcoal purifies water supplies throughout the world, and activated bamboo charcoal really removes toxins and contaminants from the air. Usually packaged in a linen bag, the purifier works without electricity, mechanical parts or added chemicals. The charcoal absorbs volatile organic compounds and pathogens and renders them inert. Activated charcoal is often used by healthcare professionals to absorb poisons and drug overdoses.
How Long Does it Take for Bamboo Charcoal to Work?
The effects of bamboo charcoal air bags aren’t instantaneous — it might take several days to purify the air in a larger residence or business concern. You’ll notice an immediate difference in air quality, but if you have a strong buildup of cooking or pet odors, it might take a few days to clean the air.
Why Is Activated Bamboo Charcoal Considered Safer than Other Air Purifiers?
Bamboo charcoal air bags are 100 percent natural. There are no wires, plugs or chemicals to worry about. They work 24/7 to remove pollutants from the air. An example from the ingredients in one air purifying solution include cyclodextrin, alcohol, hydrogenated castor oil, citric acid, alkanolamine, benzisothiazolinone, aluminum chloride and modified poly dimethicone. That’s a lot of chemicals added to your air that are simply unnecessary.
Concluding Thoughts
Charcoal bamboo filter bags are the perfect air purifier to clean the air of your home, car and workspace because the bags are relatively cheap, require no electricity and composed of 100 percent natural products. Using this air filtration system introduces no questionable chemicals into your home, and it makes your home more comfortable in an easily sustainable way.
