With the growing demand for manicures and pedicures the nail salon industry has grown quickly.

However, increased business in a nail salon means an increase in the number of chemical fumes that are generated. And sometimes just walking into a salon can take your breath away. Every nail salon needs an air purifier and here are 5 things you should be able to count on your air purifier to do.

1. Be On Duty 24 Hours--Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) evaporate into the air and often linger for hours. Depending on how many manicures and pedicures you and the rest of the technicians do in a day, your salon air can be thick with fumes from adhesive, nail polish, hardener, acrylics and more. Since the chemicals don't take a break, neither should your air purifier.

Your cleaner should have a split capacitor motor that will allow it to run safely 24 hours a day whether your shop is open or closed. This means that each time you walk in, and just as importantly, each your customers walk in, your shop smells fresh and clean because the air cleaner is constantly sending fresh air in to replace the chemical fumes.

2. Remove Chemical Odors--Not every filter will eliminate airborne chemicals. In order for it to be effective it needs to be a carbon based filter with an additive that is formulated to specifically eliminate chemicals. Read the fine print to make sure your cleaner contains a filter that will really be effective against the chemicals in your shop.

3. Eliminate Airborne Particles--Sanding and grinding of nails send a huge number of particles into the air. A cleaner with a high efficiency particle arresting (or HEPA) filter is a perfect match for this kind of situation.

Designed to remove particles with amazing efficiency, by definition a HEPA filter must remove 99,997 out of every 10,000 airborne particles down to.3 microns in size in order to receive the designation of HEPA.

Not only will HEPA filtration remove particles specific to nail salons, but it will take out other more usual particles such as dust, hair, mold and mildew spores, pollen, bacteria and viruses if they are greater than.3 microns.

4. Be Virtually Maintenance Free--A cleaner that cleans your air without your having to constantly take care of it is a real bonus. Avoid cleaners that require washing, spraying, or recharging the filter, and frequent filter changes.

This time out for maintenance means taking someone in your shop away from doing nails to handle it. And the air is also not being filtered. Instead, opt for a cleaner whose filter needs changing every 5 years and only needs to be vacuumed on the outside whenever you vacuum your salon.

5. Can Function Anywhere--Avoid cleaners that must be take center stage in your room. This makes furniture placement a nightmare. Choose a cleaner that can pull air from all four sides while still needing only about 6 inches clearance from any surface. This will allow your salon to continue to look attractive while keeping your shop smelling fresh and clean.