During wildfire season, our indoor spaces become critical refuges. However, simply being inside isn’t enough to fully protect you from the tiny, harmful particles that can infiltrate your home. This is your personal wildfire survival guide, focusing on 6 essential air quality tips to minimize smoke exposure indoors and safeguard your family’s health.
- Strictly Limit Outdoor Air Entry: As soon as outdoor smoke is detected, close all windows and doors to minimize smoke exposure. Resist the urge to open them, even briefly, for “fresh air” as wildfire smoke can rapidly enter. Ensure pet doors are sealed, and use towels or weatherstripping to block drafts under doors and around windows. Your goal is to create a relatively sealed environment.
- Optimize Your AC for Recirculation: If you have an air conditioner, set it to “recirculate” mode. This means your AC will continuously cool and filter the air already inside your home, rather than drawing in smoky outdoor air. If your AC has a “fresh air intake” or “vent” option, ensure it is closed. Keep your AC filters clean (and consider upgrading to a MERV 13 filter if compatible) to improve particle removal.
- Run a High-Efficiency Portable Air Purifier: This is one of the most effective ways to minimize smoke exposure indoors. Place a portable air purifier with a true HEPA filter in the rooms where you spend the most time (e.g., bedroom, living room). HEPA filters are excellent at capturing the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) that constitutes the most harmful component of wildfire smoke. Ensure the purifier is correctly sized for your room.
- Avoid Activities That Create Indoor Particles: If you want to minimize smoke exposure, don’t add to the problem. Refrain from burning anything indoors – no candles, incense, gas stoves for prolonged cooking, or fireplaces. Avoid vacuuming with a non-HEPA vacuum cleaner, as it can stir up settled smoke particles. Limit frying, broiling, or grilling indoors, as these cooking methods produce their own harmful fine particles.
- Create a “Clean Air Zone”: If air purifiers are limited or your entire home is difficult to seal, designate one room as a “clean air zone.” Choose a room with few windows or doors. Seal it as best you can, and run your portable air purifier continuously in this space. This can minimize smoke exposure and provide a safer haven for vulnerable family members, like children, the elderly, or those with respiratory conditions.
- Monitor Your Indoor Air Quality with uHoo: The most crucial tip in this wildfire survival guide is to know your air. A uHoo air quality monitor provides real-time data on indoor PM2.5 levels. By watching these readings, you can see if your efforts to seal your home and purify the air are working. If PM2.5 levels remain high or start rising, it’s an immediate signal that smoke is infiltrating, prompting you to tighten your defenses or consider other options to minimize smoke exposure.
By diligently applying these air quality tips to minimize smoke exposure, you can significantly reduce the impact of wildfire smoke on your indoor environment and protect your health during hazy conditions.
