Improve Indoor Air Quality in the Winter w/ Venta Airwasher

Ugh, it gets so stuffy in our home! Living in a small, fully-carpeted apartment with three people and dog can make the air quite stale. Through the summer we try to keep the sliding glass door open a little to get some air circulation going. That’s just not an option during the fall and winter though. The outside air gets too cold and we have to close everything up if it rains. That means indoor air quality can suffer.

Having an air purifier has been lifesaver for us. Unfortunately, we have run into some difficulties with that as well. With the amount of fur Speckles sheds and the unusual amounts of indoor dust that our apartment seems to amass, the filters get crazy full all of the time. It seems that, as soon as I vacuum the filter, the indicators blinks to tell me that I need to do it again. We also have to change all of the filters a couple times a year.

Improve Indoor Air Quality w/ a Different Kind of Air Purifier

So what other options are there? At one of the events I attended last month, I was introduced to the Venta Airwasher. Instead of just sucking air through a series of filters, the Airwasher does what its name implies and cleans the air using water. Pollen, dander, dust, bacteria, and other particles get trapped in the water while clean air is blown out. Using cold evaporation, the Airwasher doubles as a humidifier by replacing much needed moisture back in the air.

With really only one moving part, set up of the Venta Airwasher is super simple. Just fill with water, add the treatment additive, and turn on. Here, I’ll show you.

The Venta Airwasher comes in three sizes and two colors, white or anthracite (dark gray). We have the LW25 in anthracite, which is the ideal size for our living area since it covers rooms about 400 sq. ft. The smaller LW15 covers up to 200 sq. ft. and the larger LW45 covers up to 800 sq. feet.

We’ve only been using the Airwasher for a week and so far so good. The air in our home smells fresh and we’re breathing just a bit easier. It’s still early in the testing period so I’ll have to update you later on how it’s working for us.

Using the Venta Airwasher — Air Purifier + Humidifier

The Airwasher stays on pretty much all day and night in our home. The energy consumption is low and sound from the built-in fan is minimal. We do tend to put the Airwasher on “1” when it’s time to sleep to cut down on noise. In case you’re wondering, the vents are very narrow so stray fingers, toes, and pet noses won’t get caught in them and injured!

Only a limited amount of maintenance is needed. Each day I have to refill about 4 cups of water. After 10-14 days, the basin should be rinsed out and the water and Water Treatment Additive mixture is to be replaced. Twice a year, Venta Cleaner can be used to thoroughly clean the unit.

The price breakdown is as follows:

• Venta Water Treatment Additive (5-month supply) = $22.99
• Venta Cleaner (good for one cleaning) = $12.99

That’s roughly $100 per year, which is half as much as we spent on filters for our other air purifier. Not bad, eh? The Airwasher can function without the Water Treatment Additive but it won’t be at peak performance. One dose of the additive is included with the unit. Specially formulated essential oils for aromatherapy can be purchased as well but those are totally optional. See all the products available here.

As mentioned, we’ve only had the Venta Airwasher for a short time. I’m curious to see if it will improve the moisture in our house and if it will help prevent the spread of any germies this winter. I’ll let you know more about how we like it in a few weeks!

Do you use an air purifier and/or humidifier?

I received the above item(s) for review purposes. All opinions are my own.