There are many reasons to have an air-purifying solution at home – cooking smells, odors of dirty clothes, smoke, a family member that is sick and may be contagious, pet smells and many more.
It is widely known that the air inside the home is often more polluted than in the city streets.
What to do about it?
Bamboo charcoal is a great solution to your air quality problems. Let`s see why, how, and where it works.
How does it work
Charcoal adsorbs odor and pollutant particles by trapping them while air flows through the pores, purifying the surrounding air in the process.
Bamboo charcoal has an impressive surface area; It has millions of pores that can trap and store vast amounts of pollutants and other harmful substances.
Adsorption vs. Absorption
When talking about charcoal, the word adsorption (with a d instead of b) will come up quite often.
Adsorption means that the charcoal attracts substances which then cling to it and accumulate on its surface.
How is that different from absorption?
Absorption (with a b) happens when one substance diffuses into another without any special attraction.
For example, a towel will absorb water if it comes into contact with it due to the nature of its fibers. But a towel will not physically attract the water.
The main qualities of bamboo charcoal
Dehumidifier
As we already learned – the structure of bamboo charcoal is remarkably porous.
Water and air can pass easily through its pores.
When the air passes and the humidity is high, the charcoal will absorb the excess moisture, and air will be converted to dry.
If the air is too dry, the charcoal will release its moisture back that way adjusting the humidity in the air.
What`s even better – various impurities in the air will also be adsorbed in the charcoal and the air will get cleaner.
Antibacterial
The bamboo charcoal air purifiers kill the bacteria that might be present in the air. But how exactly does it happen?
To start with, the bamboo charcoal adsorbs the bacteria present in the air of your home.
Then, the bacteria doesn’t get to escape the charcoal pores and stays trapped there forever.
The organisms of these bacteria do not get the nourishment they need because there is no host to attack; This means that in a couple of days all the bacteria trapped in the bamboo charcoal will die.
Deodorizer
The best part about bamboo charcoal air purifiers is that it will not produce fake smells to mask odors that are present in your home.
Bamboo charcoal adsorbs and removes odor without trying to cover horrible smells with nicer smells as conventional air fresheners do.
What’s more, conventional air fresheners contain chemicals that are harmful to people, animals, and the environment.
The bamboo charcoal filters the bacteria and pollutants from the air thus removing the root cause of the unpleasant smells. There will be no need for the perfumes or the fresheners as all you will get is the pure and fresh air.
Air purifier
In addition to removing odors, bamboo charcoal also purifies the air by removing pollutants from the atmosphere.
It adsorbs ammonia, carbonic oxide, benzopyrene, and other components of smog, and lowers the concentration of environmental contaminants that trigger allergies and asthma.
How is bamboo charcoal made
Bamboo Charcoal is produced from the rapidly growing Moso bamboo. This type of bamboo can grow two feet or more in a single day, reaching a height of 60 feet(18 meters) in two to three months.
Due to the growth characteristics of Moso bamboo, millions of tiny holes are created as the plant densifies as it matures, a process taking approximately five years. It is these tiny holes that ultimately make bamboo charcoal superior to other charcoals.
The bamboo is turned to charcoal by burning it in a low oxygen environment. The process is slow, it can take days and as a result, volatile compounds such as water, methane, hydrogen, and tar are burned down and you are left with a clean end product (charcoal).
How long does it work
Longevity and cost-effectiveness is another area where bamboo charcoal beats conventional air fresheners.
You can use your bamboo charcoal purifiers up to one year.
All you need to do to make it effective for the whole year is reactivate it every two months. Reactivating is very simple – put in in the direct sunlight for 1 – 2 hours and you`re done!
Types of bamboo charcoal air purifying products
You can get bamboo charcoal in different forms. The good news is – they all work well as air purifiers. Now let’s dive in and see what you can get and what are the differences.
Regular vs activated.
The main difference between them is the surface area. Activated charcoal is processed to make it more porous, increasing its surface area and maximizing its ability to absorb odors, contaminants, and toxins.
This means that the activated charcoal is more effective and you need a smaller amount to get the same result.
Activated charcoal is available as loose granules, disks or embedded in filters and bags or poaches, so you can place it anywhere. You can also purchase loose granules in bulk and make your own simple air fresheners. Granules work best for large areas and potent smells. Identify the areas with the worst odor in your home.
Air purifying bags
Air purifying bags are one of the most convenient products to use. These bags are filled with activated bamboo charcoal and have an incredible ability to purify the air.
There are different brands that make them and most bags are beautiful. The good thing is – you can choose between many designs and see what fits best to your aesthetic and functional needs.
For example, you might want to choose a smaller bag for your gym bag than the car where your dogs travel after wet and dirty walks and hikes.
Briquettes
Bamboo charcoal briquettes are another popular product for purifying the air.
Some people like the black natural-looking esthetic and you can place them beautifully on shelves on trays however it won`t be the best idea to put them in your closet or gym bag if you want to avoid getting them dirty.
One great advantage of the briquettes over the purifier bags is that they are multifunctional. You can use them for filtering water as well. So if you buy a bigger quantity you don`t have to worry about buying separate products for water and air.
Carbon filters
Bamboo charcoal as well as other charcoals are also used in serious industrial and large scale air filters and are proven to be very effective.
For regular household purposes, these are too expensive and not at all necessary unless you have a serious air quality problem at home which is normally not the case.
Where to use it
The options are almost endless – you can use bamboo charcoal for purifying and deodorizing air in pretty much any space.
Neutralizing unpleasant odors is as simple as putting the charcoal in the areas where you notice the smell.
Want some ideas?
Here is a list of some of the typical spots where putting bamboo charcoal air purifiers will be useful:
- Trash cans
- School gym lockers
- Gym bags
- Fishing equipment
- Shoes
- Diaper pails
- Cars
- Pet runs
- Cats litter boxes
- Old washing machines
- Ashtrays
- Drawers
- Cabinets
- Closets
- Garage
- Basement
- Fridge
- Freezer
- Kitchen
- Bedroom
- Bathroom
- Newly renovated areas in your home
Does bamboo charcoal remove smoke odors
If you are a smoker, you are well familiar with the lingering smoke smell that stays in your house, balcony, or car.
Other common sources that leave a smoke odor are burnt food, a fireplace or an overheated appliance.
Smoke easily penetrates various surfaces and materials in a home including floors, walls, clothing, and furniture. Microscopic particles attach themselves to these surfaces which causes the odors to linger. Smoke odors are very irritating and they can cause headaches and nausea to some people.
Smoke smell is difficult to get rid of because it is never fully eliminated unless the particles that cause the smell are removed.
Bamboo charcoal is an excellent smoke odor adsorbent.
To make the process of eliminating smoke smell faster, try putting it in the area where it is the strongest or just closest to the source of smoke(like in case of burning food in the kitchen).
If you are a smoker, a good tip is to keep a bamboo charcoal poach next to your ashtray so that it can work constantly to remove the smell.
To see other uses of bamboo charcoal, check out this article.
