Open Thread: HoMedics Total Clean 4-in-1 Air Purifier

Last Updated on July 9, 2023

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Aldi is known to sell air purifiers from time to time, usually during the fall or winter. Many people use them to filter out dust, pollen, smoke, and mold to improve indoor air quality.

This fall, now that we are months into a pandemic and cooler temperatures are driving people indoors, some people are wondering if there are ways to make the indoors safer.

Can an air purifier filter out COVID-19?

The answer is . . . it probably helps if someone in your house is sick, but you shouldn’t give up other precautionary measures such as physical distancing, wearing masks, and cleaning surfaces. They’re all part of an overall layered system that offers protection, similar to cars that have seat belts, air bags, and other features that all work in different ways to keep you safe.

Consumer Reports says to look for a purifier with a HEPA filter and a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of over 240 (NPR recommends a rate of at least 300). Consumer Reports states that the CADR “reflects, in cubic feet per minute, the volume of clean air that an air purifier produces at its highest speed setting.”

NPR reports that COVID-19 transmits via “short-range airborne particles, ballistic droplets from coughing or sneezing, long-range airborne particles and contaminated surfaces.” They state that air cleaners can limit how much those long-range particles spread, adding, “In a typical home without an air cleaner, the air gets fully changed out about once every two hours through air leakage, often aided by mechanical ventilation systems in newer houses. So, in the right circumstances, portable air cleaners offer an additional layer of protection.”

With that said, Aldi is selling an air purifier in October of 2020.

What We Know:

The HoMedics Total Clean 4-in-1 Air Purifier (product code 703247) cost $49.99 in October of 2020.

Aldi also is selling a small plug-in air sanitizer, the HoMedics Total Clean Personal Air Sanitizer, for $29.99 at the same time, but this post deals with the larger air purifier.

Both the air purifier and the air sanitizer are Aldi Finds (Special Buys), which means they’re only in stores for a short time, and once they sell out, they’re gone.

This appears to be the first time Aldi has sold a name-brand HoMedics brand air purifier. Aldi sold a name-brand Holmes HEPA Type Air Purifier for $44.99 in September of 2019, for $59.99 in February of 2019, and for $34.99 in September of 2018. So the price has been all over the place for air purifiers at Aldi the past few years. Also, in July of 2020 Aldi sold a HEPA allergen remover for $59.99.

HoMedics is a name brand that sells a range of health, wellnesss, and self-care products, and the brand is not exclusive to Aldi. In fact, it looks like this same air purifier model is also sold for more on HoMedics’ website, and it’s also sold at a much higher price by Amazon and by Macy’s.

This device claims to remove up to 99% of airborne allergens. Features for the HoMedics Total Clean 4-in-1 Air Purifier include:

• 360° HEPA-type filtration that claims to remove up to 99% of airborne allergens as small as 0.3 microns
• Carbon odor filter that reduces odors and VOCs
• A Pre-filter that captures large particles
• An Ionizer with on/off
• Two speeds
• Smoke CADR: 58
• The ability to clean the air in small rooms such as kids’ bedrooms or home offices: 90 sq. ft.
• A claim that it changes the air in a 291 sq. ft. room every hour
• A night-light with on/off
• An essential oil tray with 3 pads
• A replace filter indicator

With a CADR of 58, this does not come near the recommended minimum of at least 240 (as mentioned above) for potentially filtering virus particles. Because of that, in our opinion, it’s perhaps better suited for lighter-duty general air cleaning.

What We Don’t Know:

We have not yet gotten our hands on this air purifier, so we can’t speak to how well it works. Our intention with open thread posts like this one is to provide a place for people to come and share questions and thoughts about the product. We also don’t know if this comes with a warranty.

Do you have experience with the HoMedics Total Clean 4-in-1 Air Purifier? Tell us what you think of it in the comments.