Keeping your patients and staff safe is a top priority for any dental practice and making sure to clean your air purifier is a key part of this process.
Air purifiers are an important appliance used in most dental practices. They remove harmful pollutants from the air and create a more hygienic environment. However, these machines need to be cleaned regularly to ensure they are not harboring dangerous particles. This blog post will discuss how you should clean your air purifier and when you should replace the filter, ensuring that your dental office is as hygienic as possible at all times.
How to clean an air purifier
There are four areas on all air purifiers that require regular cleaning attention. These are the exterior surfaces, the pre-filter, the air outlet, and the filter itself. Dental air purifiers require regular cleaning and each area will need cleaning at different intervals.
Before you begin cleaning any of these areas, make sure that the air purifier is unplugged and you are wearing appropriate protective gear such as masks and gloves. Air purifiers harbor all toxic contaminants it’s removed from the air within them, so it’s best practice to protect yourself when getting close to them and cleaning them.
Exterior surfaces
You need to clean the exterior surface of air purifiers in dental practices, in particular treatment rooms, at least once a day. The exterior surfaces are another surface in the dental practice that can harbor harmful bacteria and have switches on them. These cause people to make contact with the purifier. Wipe the exterior surfaces with a warm, soapy cloth before disinfecting them and drying the surfaces.
The pre-filter and air outlet
These are the grills on the air purifier where air enters and exits. It’s important to clean any dust, hair, lint, or other debris that gets stuck here. These blockages cause less air intake, so it’s important to clean these areas to ensure your air purifier is running efficiently. Wiping the grills with a soft, dry cloth will help remove debris caught in the grills, but the most effective way is to use a hoover.
How to clean an air purifier filter
In this section, we’ll focus on cleaning air purifiers with HEPA filters. These are medical-grade filters that should be used by all air purifiers found in dental practices. The first thing to do when cleaning an air purifier filter is to wear proper protective gear. Filters are where the purifier traps all the harmful particles it collects, so it is important to be safe when handling it. It’s also advised that you handle and clean the air purifier filter in a well-ventilated space.
How you clean the filter will depend on the HEPA filter in your purifier. Some HEPA filters can be washed and reused, but only wash HEPA filters labeled ‘washable’ or if approved by the manufacturer. If not, washing the HEPA filter will only damage it and make it ineffective.
To clean a washable HEPA filter, simply run it under cold water until the water runs clear. Don’t use any cleaning products or you will damage the filter’s structure. You should wash a HEPA filter every 3-6 months. But just because a filter is washable does not mean it can be used forever. In most cases, it should be replaced after 2 or 3 washes.
HEPA filters that aren’t washable cannot be cleaned and need to be replaced. It is standard to replace HEPA filters every 6-12 months, but some air purifier models have indicators that prompt you to replace the filters. When disposing of HEPA filters make sure you are wearing proper protective gear and do it in a well-ventilated space. Remove the filter from the air purifier and place it straight into a sealable bag. It should be treated as hazardous medical waste and disposed of accordingly.
How can Mars Purifier help?
We provide a range of air purifiers that have been specially designed for use in dental practices. Get in touch with a specialist in our team today to find out more.https://marspurifier.com/do-we-need-air-purifiers-in-every-uk-school-and-classroom/
