(WCCO) With only a few days left to shop before Christmas, it's also prime time to get caught up in sales pitches for one of the season's "must-haves": air purifiers.

The pitches are flying from stores such as The Sharper Image and Oreck. Even Marshall Field's is selling ionic air purifiers.

Sales pitches position the purifiers as "modern" appliances aimed at "improving the quality of your environment."

"I went through the sales pitch and the whole thing and ... you kind of believe it when you're hearing it," said Suzie Rogers of Mendota Heights, Minn.

Rogers bought an Ionic Breeze from The Sharper Image for $550, hoping to rid her home of allergens such as dust and mold.

"I was just thinking about my kids, and I wanted it to be healthier for them," Rogers said.

The ionic air cleaner is supposed to act like a magnet, positively and negatively charging particles in the air, which then stick to plates inside the units.

Rogers' model even came with something called "germicidal protection."

"I kind of thought we would all kind of stay a little healthier, and that hasn't exactly happened," Rogers said.

What ionic air cleaners promise customers such as Rogers is a breath of fresh air. But the Minnesota Department of Health worries some companies' claims seem more like hot air -- and consumers might not be getting what they think they're paying for.

"It's important that people know that you can't eliminate all contaminants by using one air purifier or air filter," said Kathy Norlien, a research scientist with the state health department's Indoor Air Unit.

Norlien says ionic air cleaners are potentially dangerous for people with allergies and asthma, because some of those cleaners emit ozone as they clean the air.

"Ozone is a lung irritant, and people with asthma and other lung diseases can have decreased lung function by breathing in ozone," Norlien said.

Investigators at Consumer Reports agree. Recent tests on some of the most popular models sold at stores such as The Sharper Image found many did little to clean the air, and some emitted potentially dangerous levels of ozone.

Some manufacturers, including Oreck, have added features to remove the ozone.

"The company's come out with a cartridge that not only removes odors, but it converts ozone into oxygen," an Oreck salesperson said.

The Sharper Image added something similar, called Ozone Guard. New independent testing is not yet complete.

The state health department suggests other ways to clean the air in your home.

"Don't allow people to smoke inside your home," Norlien said. "Minimize the use of candles, incense, air fresheners, even wood smoke."

Using exhaust fans on appliances is also recommended. Following some of those tips may have given Rogers better results.

"Since so many people seem to rave about it, I thought I should be raving about it too, and I'd see the differences," Rogers said. "Neither of us have seen any differences."

Many of the ionic air cleaners that received poor ratings in Consumer Reports are still being sold in stores such as Best Buy and Marshall Field's.
 

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Pure Air Control Services, Inc.

1-800-422-7873