How to keep indoor air clean if you don’t have an air purifier

An air purifier, such as one that uses a HEPA filter, is the best way to improve the quality of your indoor air – but if you stay indoors to avoid wildfire smoke and don’t have access to an air filter, there are a few other things you should you can do to keep the air in your home as clean as possible.

The next best tool after an air purifier is an air conditioner, said Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a physician of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Keep your windows closed and make sure your air conditioner is set to recirculate air, said Dr. Samantha Green, a family physician at Unity Health Toronto. You may want to replace the air filter in your central air conditioner. Wirecutter, a New York Times company, has guidelines for the air filters and purifiers that can help protect against wildfire smoke, and a tutorial on how to make a DIY air purifier.

If you don’t have air conditioning, portable fans and ceiling fans can help. Keep fans close to where you are indoors – and if you have several fans, turn them all on. “Anything that can help circulate the air is better than nothing,” said Dr. Galiatsatos.

You should turn off bathroom exhaust fans as much as possible if they’re bringing in outside air, said Dr. Green. Some range hoods over kitchen ranges also allow outside air to enter your home (if you’re cooking, you should use the range hood, but try to limit the time it’s on).

To further minimize airborne contaminants, do not light candles or make fires or broil meat. Smoking indoors is always a bad idea, said Dr. Galiatsatos, but especially if you’re already susceptible to exposure to smoke from wildfires. “Now is the time to promote lung health,” he said.