So last week I started sneezing like crazy every time I walked into my apartment. Turned out my neighbor decided to remodel and the whole hallway smelled like sawdust. My eyes got all puffy too. After three days of this misery, I remembered seeing those big air cleaning machines advertised somewhere. Figured I'd give it a shot instead of buying one outright.

How I actually got the machine

Called up two rental places Tuesday morning. First place wanted some crazy security deposit. Second spot sounded better - just ID and $60 for five days. Drove over around lunchtime. The dude showed me this white tower thing with buttons blinking. Said "plug it in anywhere, the filters eat particles". Carried the heavy sucker to my car trunk.

What happened after turning it on

Got home and plopped it right in my living room. Thing sounded like a mini airplane taking off on high setting! Switched to nighttime mode and it got quieter. Next morning? Wild difference. No more sneezing fits. Could actually breathe deep without coughing. My cat stopped licking her paws nonstop too - vet said that's allergy behavior.

After four days running 24/7, I opened it up. The pre-filter looked like it caught a dust bunny army. Gray fuzz everywhere. Main filter still looked okay though.

The real benefits I experienced

• Immediate relief without commitment - Felt better fast without dropping $300+
• Testing before buying - Now I know which features matter for my next apartment
• Zero maintenance hassle - Just plug and play, return when done
• Emergency solution - Perfect when unexpected crap hits the fan like construction dust
• Space saver - Didn't need to find permanent storage for another appliance

Returned it yesterday. The rental guy didn't even check the filters - just took my cash and waved. Honestly best $60 I've spent all month. Got me thinking maybe I'll rent one every spring when pollen season hits. Simple solution for temporary problems.