Time for cleaner, more creative thinking on air filters

It is worrisome to live in a city that constantly issues red alerts for heavy smog. But what was even sadder was when I found out about the skyrocketing prices for the filters for my three air purifiers.

At the store of the Swedish company which manufactures the air purifier, each filter costs about 300 yuan ($46) and the largest one is 700 yuan. But the almost dark gray filters, which were white when I first installed them convinced me the cost was worth it. It is hard not to imagine those dark gray filters could be our lungs if we didn't use such air purifiers.

Such psychological factors are what has pushed up the sales for major air purifier manufacturers. Though the air smells a little fresher in a room with such a purifier, the sheer price for such machines is still relatively high. A leading air purifier for a 30 square meter room costs nearly 5,000 yuan.