One of the biggest problems we face as pet parents is pet odors. Stinky beds and wet dogs… and for some of us, litter boxes. It’s a constant battle cleaning and deodorizing… until now. Enter the CritterZone Air Purifier! We have been so thoroughly impressed with this little machine. We met with the folks at CritterZone, including it’s inventor, Bill Converse. Bill and his son explained that their air purifier is unlike anything else on the market. Besides it’s compact size, there is no filter to replace, nothing to clean, nothing to refill. the CritterZone will clean up to 800 square feet. Air purification is more than covering up odors. It’s about cleaning the air you and your pets breathe every day, literally destroying the odors in your home AND removing allergen particles. Sure, we use sprays and deodorizers to tackle a quick mess, but this product works continuously in your home to actually improve the air environment. CritterZone has a wall unit that will plug directly into your outlet, much like a plugin air freshener.

They also have a wired unit that can also run on a car adapter so you can take it with you! I prefer the wired unit with the ability to purify the air in my car, too. I’ve also gotten into the habit of packing it when I travel, to clean the hotel room air. At a cost of pennies per month, and nothing to refill or replace, this unit really pays for itself. I’ve been testing the CritterZone for over a month now, and can honestly say I will never stop using it! I noticed it working almost immediately after I plugged it in. The little machine makes virtually no noise. I notice a very, very slight ozone scent when I have the unit on high. I keep the unit running continuously on low, but if the animals are overdue for baths or I’m a little late with my mopping and dusting, I will bump it up to high.The CritterZone is not another air ionizer or ozone generator. In response to questions about the process, CritterZone said: Let’s “clear the air” about one thing first: The CritterZone isn’t an ozone generator OR an ionizer.

What it DOES do is reactivate indoor air by creating active ingredients that give the air the ability to clean itself, just like outdoor air does. dmh900 whole-house hepa air cleanerThose active ingredients create chemical reactions and break down contaminants. honeywell true hepa tower air purifier with allergen remover - hpa-160Depending on the area and the situation, those reactions can give off different odors as the air works to clean itself. surround air xj 2000 ionic air purifier ionizer cleanerSome of those reactions will include oxygen being converted to a faint amount of ozone. However, this is waaaaaaay less than the amount that naturally occurs outside —about 1/1000th in fact!

Here’s the cool thing… any smell you might notice right away is a sign the machine is doing what it is supposed to be doing — improving your air quality by breaking down particles that cause odors. So how long will it last? Well, it really depends on what the air quality was like before you plugged in the CritterZone. If your home/office/car is like most people’s, you probably have lots and lots of smells and unwanted particles floating around. But as the air gets cleaner, those reactions slow down. One option, if it bothers you, is to switch the machine to low and let it work more gradually. We hope this information sheds a little light on some of the complex processes that go into cleaning up the air in your home when you use a CritterZone. Please let us know if you have any further questions. We’d be happy to chat with you! It’s an electronic device that cleans your air with a process called “Continuous Charge Flow”. In this video, Bill Converse explains:

The CritterZone is only 4 ½ x 3 x 2 ½ inches, and easily fits on any wall or hardly takes up shelf space. Move it from room to room as needed, or buy a couple of them and never worry about bad air and pet odors again! And this is really cool: If your dog has an accident on carpet, you can place the CritterZone directly on the spot. Leave it for about half an hour and the scent will be completely destroyed. Your dog will not be able to find that spot to pee again! Enter the code “dogingtonpost” at checkout and CritterZone will give you $10 off AND donate $15 to our friends at the National Mill Dog Rescue! My daughter has asthma. Would she benefit from an ozone air purifier in her room? Answers from James T C Li, M.D., Ph.D. Despite manufacturers' claims, ozone air purifiers don't remove asthma triggers from the air. In fact, inhaled ozone can make asthma worse. Ozone generators sold as air purifiers intentionally produce the gas ozone. Ozone can mask odors by changing the chemical composition of particles or other gasses in the air, making the air seem fresher and cleaner.

However, ozone generators don't actually filter out the small particles that trigger asthma. Inhaling ozone, even in small amounts, can irritate the lungs. Specific effects may include throat irritation, coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath, as well as an increased risk of respiratory infections. Some ozone air purifiers are made with an ion generator or "ionizer" in the same unit. Ionizers do remove particles from the air, causing them to attach to nearby surfaces or to each other and settle out of the air — but they may generate unwanted ozone. Air filters that remove small particles — such as high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters — are effective in removing allergens from the air, without posing any ozone concerns. To work effectively, filters need to be cleaned or replaced regularly, according to the manufacturer's instructions. James T C Li, M.D., Ph.D. Ozone generators that are sold as air cleaners. Accessed July 10, 2013. Auten RL, et al. Biochemical effects of ozone on asthma during postnatal development.