Winix - AM80

Get a standalone dehumidifer and multiple air purifiers depending on the size of your living space. The Winix 5500-2 and AM80 (same unit, different look) is a benchmark of purifiers and one unit covers 360 square feet optimally. Buy as many as are needed to cover your living space and place them in different areas of the house. Bringing the humidity down will stop further mold growth. The purifiers will strip particulate matter from the air, including mold spores (which are larger particles, in relative terms) and smaller PM 2.5 / PM 1 particles. You may also want to consider buying a hygrometer and a quality air quality monitor. Units like the 5500-2 have a built-in PM/VOC sensor to control the fan speed based on air quality, but they are not all that accurate if you want more detailed readings. PurpleAir makes some very good monitors.

Winix 5500-2 or AM80, or Coway 1512 offer the best bang for the buck in terms of finished units as they sell for about $150 on sales--they mainly remove particulates, but for allergies, this is what you want. Each cover about 350-400 square feet of space for optimal performance and air quality, and they represent the most cost-effective performance relative to unit size/price/energy use/filter replacement costs. Buy as many as you need for your living space's size. Corsi-Rosenthal boxes are even less expensive.

Winix 5500-2 or AM80 (same unit, different look) or Coway 1512. They optimally cover 350-400 square feet a piece. They are the best bang for your buck when considering airflow, energy usage, and filter replacement costs. You can find them on sale for around $150. There are good aftermarket filters for them, too, from brands like Filter Monster, that further bring down operating costs (I've been using several Filter Monster products for years now and previously tested their particulate performance using a Purple Air PA-II--they perform comparably to factory filters.) Smaller units are actually less energy efficient due to a need to run on higher fan settings and larger units often have much higher purchase and filter replacement costs (although some are extremely energy efficient). Most air purifiers **do not** remove odors. They can disperse them by moving air around, but they do not have enough carbon to provide a significant level of adsorption to remove VOCs for any sustained period of time. Specialty purifiers that have large carbon canisters exist, and these work very well at odor removal, but they have some major downsides, such as price, energy usage, carbon canister replacement costs, and noise. Beyond that, air purifiers that excel in VOC removal sacrifice particulate performance, as you want slower airflow for adsorption (to allow sufficient 'dwell time' where the air is passing through the carbon bed), versus higher airflow for filtering particulates. An example of a purifier that removes VOCs is the AllerAir AirMedic Pro 6. I have one with a 40 pound Vo-Carb carbon filter and it was about $1,000 to buy, it's massive, loud, uses a ton of energy as it has a commercial motor, and the carbon canister is several hundred dollars to replace. Unless it is not possible, ventilation with outdoor air is a much more effective way to remove VOCs (and hence, odors.)

That is the one downside. The AM80 looks a bit better--I have several of them and they are not as obtrusive. The Coway 1512 is available in white and it looks pretty good in person.

Winix 5500-2 and AM80 (same unit, different look) and Coway 1512 are the best prebuilt units from a value perspective and can be found for around $150 on sale. Smaller units and larger units are less efficient, and buying several 5500-2s is more effective and efficient than a single large unit when factoring in things like purchase price, energy use, filter replacement cost, and effectiveness at filtering particulates. Each 5500-2/AM-80/1512 covers about 350 square feet optimally, although you may need more filtration than that for severe smoke. There are good quality aftermarket filters for them that are significantly less than the factory filters and perform equally well. If you are on a major budget, build a Corsi-Rosenthal Box. They are as effective as they are ugly--if you need air filtration in a pinch or on a budget, they are exceptional. If you want a real BIFL purifier that will last like 30 years, the AllerAir AirMedic line is built to this standard, but they also have some significant drawbacks and are not a great match for someone just looking for particulate filtration.

None of them use monumental amounts of energy except the ones that actually are BIFL, as these use commercial motors. Those use a lot of energy. For most, the Winix 5500-2 or AM80 (same product, different look) or Coway 1512 represent the best value of cost, features, efficiency, effectiveness, filter lifespan, replacement filter costs, generic replacement filter longevity (see Filter Monster), and longevity. They often go on sale for around $150. These units provide optimal performance for up to about 400 square feet. If your living space is larger, you would need multiple units placed in different areas of the home to get the best results. Multiple smaller units generally provide better performance than a single, larger unit. Both of these have reusable prefilters, which if cleaned often, will extend the life of the pleated HEPA filter (which cannot be cleaned). They also both have sensors that allows them to ramp or reduce fan speed based on air quality readings. The Winix has a really nice night mode, where it ramps down the fan speed when air quality is good + it is night, and it also dims all of the LEDs. Keep in mind though that the higher the fan speed, the more air turnover you get, and the faster particulates (including allegens) that are in the air will be filtered. If your roomate's allergies are severe, keeping them on a higher speed continually might be necessary to achieve allergy relief. Finally, keep in mind that most purifiers do not do much for odors or volatile organic compounds. (It doesn't sound like you are buying it for this reason, but I still wanted to note this.) There are specialty units that do offer significant VOC adsorption capacities, but these are specialty products that are generally extremely expensive and have quite a few downsides.

They absolutely work at filtering particulate matter (PM) from the air, and PM is liked to millions of premature deaths every year, it is especially harmful to children, plus it is causally linked to the onset of certain diseases. The do not work very well at filter volatile organic compounds (VOCs), unless they are specialized units with massive carbon canisters. Consequently, they are not effective at removing odors unless they are one of these specialized units. In your stated case, you're describing particulates, so you do not need a specialized unit. You simply need enough filtration to cover your home. What size is your home? Generally, multiple smaller units are more effective than a single, large unit. The Winix 5500-2 or Winix AM80 (they are the same product with a different look) and the Coway AP-1512 represent the best values between airflow, features, energy efficiency, and filter replacement costs. These provide optimal filtration for up to about 400 square feet per unit. Multiple units throughout the home in different areas will achieve the best results. The larger Coway AirMega 400 is on a great sale right now. This is a good unit. While Coway advertises it for covering over 3,000 square feet, this is not accurate (and is 'optimistic' marketing), and it will provide *optimal* filtration for around 600-700 square feet.

The Winix 5500-2 or AM80 (same unit different look) and Coway 1512 are the most cost-effective units short of building your own Corsi-Rosenthal Boxes. Multiples of these units are cheaper to run than one very large unit. Yes, they make a huge difference in removing particulates from air. Particulate matter is linked to the deaths of millions of people every year and it wreaks havoc on the human body--especially that of children. The lower the PM levels indoor, the better, and purifiers/CR Boxes are extremely effective in lowering PM. They do not remove odors. Only specialized units with large carbon filters designed for VOC adsorption can do this, and these units are extremely expensive to purchase and operate. If you are on a budget, you can build your own purifier, called a Corsi Rosenthal Box. They are cheap, ugly, and extremely effective at removing particulates from the air.

I second this. I have the 5500-2 (AM80 actually - but it’s only an aesthetic difference) and the smell in my room drastically changed. Mine wasn’t specifically animal but a culmination of prior animals, general dust, and the related musk from high humidity. I set it facing the registers in the room and it was a game changer. I know it really helped since I had to run the hvac fan constantly to get the humidity under control, which before getting the purifier I dreaded since it made the smells worse. And it makes quick work of my son’s dinner choice consequences (turns red and everything 😂).

I prefer winix products, they do there job , nothing fancy

Yes, they really work. You only have to run it for a week and check the washable filter to know it works. We have winix and levoit, both are relatively inexpensive and pull a ton of crap out of the air.

I like the winix and Levoit ones. Winix I appreciate the color indicator for air quality to know when to turn it up higher. I think it does have the ionizer someone else mentioned but I turn it off now, and I think they have models without it that are probably cheaper.

I have a Winix that we use in the common areas. I like that it has HEPA filtration because my husband has emphysema. I can't say that it helps a great deal with dust though. I think my unit was $300-$400.

I have two Winx filters and they work really well but after 3 years or so the motors start making a ticking sound. I contacted the manufacturer who is not willing to sell me a motor and suggested I just buy a whole new units...

Winix Plasma Wave is an affordable effective unit. I used three when I lived in a polluted area. I now use it sporadically to clean up the plastic dust and other crap that accumulates in a home

I’ve been really impressed by my Winix. I have a huge one that really seems to do the job. I change the filter once the year but vacuum it all out more often than that to keep it running really well.

I’ve been using my Winix with Plasmawave since 2019 without issue, and that includes moving about once per year. These units have held up to that. I can tell you they really work. I have a mold allergy, and mold is literally everywhere in outdoor or indoor air with spores just waiting to land in a suitable environment for growth, but I have no symptoms at home with my two small Winix. I also have pets. These reduce any odors from that, and they are at what one might consider end of life for a typical air filter system. 5 years is typical. 10 is incredible. I am not washing the pre-filter nearly as often as I should and am slow to replace the carbon and HEPA filters sometimes, so 5+ is just astounding in my case.

The PlasmaWave I looked at used an ionizer which is a huge no for me.

PlasmaWave is just a glorified ionizer. I personally cannot stand the scent of ionizers, it gives me headaches.

You want a HEPA filter and actual activated carbon granules-sometimes the activated carbon is just a paper thin layer-not doing much. For cost, consider replacement filter costs not just up front ones. I also like ones that have a sensor so you can leave it on “auto” and it will kick on when you cook or air gets worse without you having to keep track of it. Also don’t splurge on plasma ion or ozone or whatever else-mixed studies show it can react with chemicals to form more dangerous ones at worst and generally not much better at best. Right now you may want to sacrifice optimality for actually having something going to clean your air since it’s a time of high uncertainty. What’s in stock at home depot may be superior to the “best” air purifier that arrives in 2 weeks. Those caveats-no one can give better advice based on “feel” than what’s tests show-and wirecutter actually tested performance https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-air-purifier/ . If you prefer anecdotes, here are some of my experiences: Winnix has been in stock at home depot. I evacuated with my air purifier and I needed something to leave during cleaning to try and detox my pasadena apartment. It was in stock and had hepa+carbon-it seems to be working. Oransi is the one I evacuated with, love the looks, it really seems to work well, lots of aftermarket filters available-downside is that sleep mode sets fan speed to auto, I want it to just turn lights off and leave the fan mode. But It has lasted at least 6+ years. Levoit is what was at the apartment I evacuated to. It seems a little less powerful per dollar spent than my oransi, but it’s night mode turns off the lights while still letting you set the fan speed. My roommate left a Coway going in his room and that thing worked very well to prevent any smoke smell from settling, and it’s highly recommended by wirecutter. If I had to buy right now and I could get one in a reasonable timeline, it’s how I would go.

Any filter with a charcoal filter layer will help some (Winix is one brand commonly available at Costco…I also have a more elaborate Rowenta)…my Winix came with multiple charcoal layer replacements. Dealing with total incontinence here, and not to criticize your MILs efforts, but you might want to look into the actual sources of the odors. Chairs, clothes that sit around waiting for wash, previously soaked furniture or carpet? If bedding or fabric furniture smells and you can replace it, do so. I use a combo of Depends on my father, and all his sleeping or seating surfaces have a first layer of puppy pee pads (Costco has large ones that work well and are cheap), and then a fabric layer on top (whether sheets or a chair cover or towel, tucked into the sides of the chair). Once he’s wet, after I changes his pants all clothes and chair covers and bedding goes in the wash (3-5 loads a day).  For the mattress you can find on Amazon washable mattress covers (the whole bed ones don’t work that well but that’s my base layer and then a thicker more absorbent one that I fit across the middle section of his bed, and on top of that layered dog pee pads).  So again, not sure if any of this advice helps but this method works for me.

I have 2 Winix HEPAs that have been running 24/7 for 6+ years. I clean the screen every week or so, replace the carbon every month, and the HEPA every ~8 months.