How to Make a DIY Home Air Purifier

There’s nothing like open windows and a cool breeze to make the air in your home smell fresh and inviting. When windows are closed during the cold winter months, the air in your home doesn’t recharge as frequently, and overheated air can feel stuffy. Cleaning the air in your home is an easy solution.

An air purifier can clean your inside air by getting rid of odors, dust, pet dander, cigarette smoke, and outside pollutants like car emissions or allergens that creep into your home according to Good Housekeeping. Air purifiers can help neutralize these irritants and help you breathe easier.

Before you purchase an expensive furnace add on or room air purifiers it’s important to know that most air purifiers consist of a filter or multiple filters and a fan that moves air around. When the air goes through the filters, pollutants are captured in the filters and that cleans the air inside your home.

So, all you really need are filters, a way to move the air and a bit of elbow grease and you can make a DIY air purifier for a fraction of the price of the ones sold in stores. it’s easier than you think to make the best air purifiers for your home.

Build a Box Fan Air Purifier

These easy-to-follow instructions from The New York Times Wirecutter make building an air purifier from a 20-inch (50.8 centimeters) electric box fan and a 20 by 20 inch high-quality furnace filter, and tape, a great project for even novice DIYers. Wirecutter tested the end result in a test space in New York City and found that the particle load decreased after 35 minutes. Check out this video on how to make a box fan purifier.

2-Gallon Plastic Bucket Air Cleaner

This budget friendly DIY option from Oh So Spotless can clean dust, smoke, and small particles from your home. All you need is a round 2-gallon (7.5 liter) plastic bucket, a small portable fan, a good quality furnace filter, sandpaper, and a drill. You can follow the step-by-step directions to build it yourself.

Water Air Purifier

This home-made air purifier uses water to remove pollen and dust from the air in your home or office. The best part is that it is made mostly from recycled and upcycled materials. All you need are two soda bottles, a brushless blowing cooler fan, a 12-volt adapter and DC jack. You can follow  these easy directions on this YouTube from Making Tricks.

Using Nature to Purify Your Home

Plants are nature’s best air purifiers so why not use them to clean the air in your home? In fact, a study from NASA found that plants can be used to remove indoor pollutants including smoke and household cleaners. Some of the best plants to use are: aloe vera, spider plant, weeping fig, English ivy, bamboo palms, and snake plants. You can beautify your space and make it easier to breathe at the same time.