Winix - AM80

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 😂).

With that size room I’d probably want to put one in each quadrant but I’m dramatic-your budget may limit you to 2 though, which I think would be the minimum for the room. I had a good time with Winix 5500-2 (mine was AM80 for aesthetics, but pretty much same thing). I have high humidity and also had a bathroom leak and it was a game changer while I was fixing those issues, and since. The 5500-2 and AM80 can still be found, at $205 and $190 respectively. There are newer models that are pretty much the same thing available as well. The 5510 on Amazon for $179, and the 5520 for $199. Somewhere in there is the AM90-same aesthetic of the AM80. 5500-2, AM80, 5510 I believe all use the same filters - so replacements should be the most available. Not sure about 5520-I read somewhere it was smaller, but I think I’ve seen it included in the compatible models when buying replacement filters for mine. There was an older model (5300-2) with a different lower end carbon filter that was cheaper, but I don’t see it available anymore. My mother sent this to my aunt in Chicago as she wanted to start cheaper and be able to replace the filters more often at lower cost. So we know about old Midwest buildings! One thing, sometimes people complain about the “plasma wave” option that turns on automatically which is an ionizer. Apparently it creates a small amount of ozone, so a lot of people turn it off. Something about birds. You can definitely turn it off too if you don’t want it. I actually grew up using full on ionizers as air purifiers recommended by her drs and allergist for my sisters asthma and you can’t beat the smell of sterility they bring.😅 Double check Winix site for pricing too though! I think they are comparable to Amazon, but may also only have the newest models. I also heard there’s a Costco specific model, not sure what that one is. I’d probably go with the two of the 5510s!

Oh a double check my pricing! I just saw a 5500-2 with the older aesthetic for $152! https://a.co/d/hgis3a1 5500-2, 5510, 5520, AM90 are all “color” options in this listing, but they are in fact the different models with the different prices. https://a.co/d/aBUYET8 am80 that I bought

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

Winix

I prefer winix , filters are good and cheap to replace ,

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.

Air cleaners/purifiers (I have one in every single room, 2 in the open living dining kitchen area). Some brands offer pet specific filters (I use Winix plasma waves in larger rooms, and Levoit for smaller rooms, both the cylindrical and the rectangular). Regular vacuuming. Blankets on furniture that can be put in washing machines. If you have hardwood, minimize your area rugs and mop once a week, if possible. If you need area rugs, try washable rugs you can toss in the washing machine. I have three dogs, a breed that is notoriously difficult to house train. I keep an armada of enzyme cleaners and a black light on hand. They are also a breed that loves blankets, so I use specially formulated enzyme cleaner in the washing machine when I wash their blankets. The washing machine runs daily here.

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.

It makes sense for air purifiers for the same reason it makes sense for face masks- you want the air to be purified in one go. The misconception that some people have is that air purifiers are supposed to reduce the concentration of particulate matter in the room and hence the highest CFM takes priority. In reality, the actual goal is to reduce the concentration of particulate matter that people breathe in, which sounds similar but has a different meaning. A non-HEPA purifier may theoretically succeed at the former, but it won't succeed at the latter; the mechanism of purifying the air through multiple passes with a weaker filter intrinsically means that particulate matter will be blown across the room and into the breathing space of someone before it can be purified. This why CDC/WHO and many other public health will generally recommend HEPA purifiers and suggest non-HEPA purifiers as a temporary measure for emergencies (I.e forest fires). Some good HEPA filter options are Winix, Smart Air, and Jafanda.

Thirding air purifiers! I finally gave in and traded my two big winix HEPA guys for a gigantic corsi rosenthal box made of four 20x20x4-in home AC filters. It's much louder but the performance is out of this world, and the filters last forever now. My two 1,200sq ft rated filters struggled in my 500sq ft space with even monthly changes (desert life, lots of animals, massive grading project nearby, endless dust), but this one box handles it no problem, and for many months now.

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.

I got annoyed when my winnnix developed a noise, but then I realized it was the unit I’ve been running almost 24/7 for ten years. Bought another refurb and I’m going to attempt to take the ten year old one apart and see if it can be fixed. I imagine there’s buildup at the parts you can’t regularly clean.

I double checked and it’s my 2019 era one that has the noise! The 2015-ish one is still fine.

Both of my Winix air purifiers started smelling like smoke, they are different models, cleaned weekly and filters changed regularly, I don’t recommend them.