Like many of us who enjoy the open road, we give little thought to the quality of the air we breathe inside our traveling homes. Every geographic area we pass through gifts us with pollen, dust, allergens and pollutants that wreak havoc with our sinuses. Don’t forget mold and mildew as they are culprits as well, especially if your RV has been dormant.
I’m not fond of sneezing and I also don’t like lingering cooking odor, so I had been researching a solution to alleviate my morning tissue ritual. Hence, a means to cleaner air, especially since the unforeseen viral confluence has kept many of us confined.
The Chinese buffet…
I admit to learning the hard way. Not feeling like sandwiches for lunch, we ventured out and brought back General Tso’s Chicken and Szechuan Beef. Yummy… and smelly. After chuckling over the fortune cookies’ prognostications, we placed both Styrofoam boxes in the refrigerator and left for the afternoon. By this time, all but our bedroom smelled of Chinese takeout.
When we returned, our coach smelled spicy. The odor intensified when I opened the refrigerator and the buffet palace aroma wafted into the RV. I groused at myself and threw the leftovers in the garbage, turned the exhaust fan on high, and sprayed an aerosol odor eliminator. It only masked the miasma, so I removed the garbage from our coach. I went on the hunt and shortly thereafter we acquired two MiniAer ion generating air purifiers.
Why ion generating air purifiers?
My spouse’s first patent was on ion generation/electrostatic precipitation, which is principally used for purification and sterilization, so we knew the best way to clean the air was through ion generation, creating ozone to purify the air. HEPA filters are terrific for dust, but if you wish to rid the air of bacteria, viruses, fungus, etc., ozone accomplishes that. Ozone (trioxygen) is well known as an oxidizing agent to sterilize air and water and for killing germs. It has been an effective wound-healing therapy since before WWII.
Coming from the medical industry, we were cautious of marketing hyperbole and chose the MiniAer over several other online options because its main feature is a 30-minute auto-timed refresh. Others only offered manual full-on or off, and that was a nonstarter. The manufacturer’s specification reads one unit covers up to 250 square feet. We acquired two and plugged one unit above the range and the second in the bathroom.
According to the manufacturer, if you desire a deep cleaning, use the continuous low or high function, or simply use the 30-minute auto-timed refresh daily or as needed. We did a deep penetrating clean for a few hours the first day. Thereafter, we use the refresh each morning and prior to bed. We remain pleased with how effective the refresh works to eliminate the greasy smell of a hearty breakfast, when Mother Nature calls or when voiding the black tank. The unit keeps the bathroom smelling clean.
Stinky foods, bathroom smells and kitty litter… goodbye!
Four months ago, we adopted a 4-month-old kitten and placed her litter box next to my desk. When I’m writing and she visits her litter box, I plug the kitchen unit in over the box, press the refresh button and in less than a minute that distinct smell vanishes.
I’m not one to overly praise, but now that the air in our traveling home is significantly cleaner and my tissue ritual is nil, I would rate this unit a 10 as a remedy for odor elimination (especially for pet owners) and improving the air quality inside. It is compact, plugs into any standard electrical outlet, and emits a low-decibel noise with UV light to aid in getting rid of bacteria, mildew, fungus, etc.
Other users found it worked
I asked on Facebook if others had good experiences with the MiniAer and received a few responses. User Sarah H. from Perry, Georgia, was nice enough to share pictures of where she placed her MiniAer in her coach and reported positive feedback. She stated: “We noticed a fresher smell within the first hour and after three days of using the 30-minute refresh twice daily, we awoke to no sticky eyes, attributing that to reducing the allergens in the air. I fully recommend this to any RV owner.”
Another user, Cheryl M. of Mesa, Arizona, writes, “When we were in Durango, I slow-cooked chicken one day. After a couple of hours, our coach smelled, but not in a good way. I moved the unit from the bedroom to the kitchen and turned on the refresh and by the time it stopped, the foul smell was completely gone. We also like the refresh for bathroom use.”
You can find the MiniAer on Amazon. The unit retails for $149.00. I find that somewhat expensive, but after trialing the unit in several areas, the reason we purchased this device was its auto-timed 30-minute turn-off. That’s a safety measure. You can also access FAQs on the manufacturer’s website and read about its attributes and larger models for medical offices and home use. Happier breathing!
Read the edited version published on January 22, 2021 here:
This little device rids RVs of smells – Say goodbye to odor! – RV Travel
When researching how to find the best ionizer, there are several online. We chose this one because it has an automatic “30 minute” timer to automatically shut off. Prices vary across the board so do your homework.
Kate Doherty has been writing for more than 30 years in technical and general media. In her previous business, she and her spouse dealt with special projects within the military/government sector. Recently she published “Masquerade: A Logan Scott Novel” under the pen name Bryan Alexander, a thriller now available in eBook and paperback on Amazon. It’s a page-turner!