How to keep wildfire smoke out of your home: Turn off anything that draws in outside air

Wildfire smoke blankets the Montavilla neighborhood in SE Portland on Tues., Sept. 15, 2020. Dave Killen/StaffThe Oregonian

The East Coast and Midwest are blanketed in air-polluting wildfire smoke from Canada. People are closing their windows and turning off anything that draws in outside air, like a fresh air system, dryer or portable air conditioner with a hose vented out a window.

It's important to prevent smoke, which is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning building materials and vegetation, from entering your home. Smoke not only irritates your eyes, but it can impact your respiratory system, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What can you do? Lessen the amount of harmful smoke that comes into your home. You can do this by making sure all windows and doors are shut, and gaps are covered with weather sealing or even masking tape.

Here are more things you can do right now to block smoke and improve the indoor air quality:

Check the outdoor air quality in your area at IQair.com or the EPA's airnow.gov by typing in your city or ZIP code.

Oregonians have learned to prepare for wildfire smoke events. No air cleaner or filter will completely eliminate all air pollutants. But air purifiers, properly fitted with HEPA filters, can reduce particle concentrations by as much as 85 percent, according to the EPA.

If you want to get rid of the smoke smell, you’ll want an air purifier that has a carbon filter to absorb odors, says Consumer Reports. Many units have the two types of filters.

Experts recommend buying a portable air cleaner that has a clean air delivery rate (CADR) greater than 300 cubic feet per minute for highly-occupied rooms or a bedroom for someone with asthma.

Some HEPA cost-effective air purifier options with fast shipping include:

Tiny smoke particles stick to surfaces and embed in porous carpeting, furniture, books and even paint, according to experts at ServiceMaster, which specializes in restoring buildings after water, smoke or fire damage.

The company offers these tips to reducing smoke odor:

— Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

[email protected] | @janeteastman

More on improving air quality

• Stop wildfire smoke from entering your home: Energy-saving ways to improve indoor air quality

• Prevent wildfire smoke from entering your home: It's OK to run air conditioners

• Smoke in your home: How to clear the air, clean up and prevent fires from spreading

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