{"id":2904,"date":"2026-07-19T14:39:57","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T14:39:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=2904"},"modified":"2026-07-19T14:39:57","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T14:39:57","slug":"how-to-keep-the-air-inside-your-home-clean-during-wildfires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=2904","title":{"rendered":"How to keep the air inside your home clean during wildfires"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MILWAUKEE \u2014 The eerie glow of an orange sun through thick wildfire smoke might be unnerving, but the biggest risk from the haze is something much harder to see.<\/p>\n

Read more Telemundo to air UEFA competitions, including the Champions League, in new rights deal<\/a><\/p>\n

Tiny particles in the air can cause a range of short-term and chronic health issues, experts say.<\/p>\n

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Wildfire smoke can settle over cities for days \u2014 like the recent blanket over parts of the U.S. from burning fires in Canada, which has created hazardous air for millions of people across multiple states.<\/p>\n

Health officials advise people to stay indoors \u2014 and to take steps to keep the air in your home clean.<\/p>\n

How to safely run your AC<\/h2>\n

If you have central air conditioning, it should clean the air in your home.<\/p>\n

Make sure filters are replaced on schedule and are of the highest level of filtration your system can handle. Filters rated MERV 13 or higher are ideal. Set the air to recirculate and close any vents that pull air from outside if you can. The University of Oregon\u2019s Center for Wildfire Smoke Research and Practice recommends running the system\u2019s fan through the entire smoke event, not just when cooling.<\/p>\n

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If you buy a portable air filter, look for a HEPA air filter or one that says it traps small particles of pollution. Ensure it does not generate ozone, another harmful air pollutant.<\/p>\n

If you can only afford one portable air filter, use it to create a \u201cclean room\u201d in your house where you can spend most of your time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe basic message is that something is better than nothing,\u201d said Amy Kalkbrenner, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.<\/p>\n

The science behind DIY air filters<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s good evidence that DIY filters made by duct-taping furnace air filters to a box fan work.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re simple, relatively affordable and scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency have found they are just as good at removing fine particles of pollution from the air as a small commercial air purifier.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe good news is they really work,\u201d said Kalkbrenner.<\/p>\n

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All you need to have to make one is: four 20-by-20-inch (50.8-by-50.8-centimeters) furnace air filters rated MERV 13 or higher, a box fan, cardboard and duct tape. The EPA\u2019s website shows how you can modify the design to only use one or two filters. The fan should blow out, and the arrows on the filters should point in. Make sure everything is taped up airtight.<\/p>\n

Using your window AC and cooling your air safely<\/h2>\n

Many window air conditioners, mini-split heat exchangers and portable air conditioners don\u2019t have the filters needed to remove fine pollution particles. But heat can also be dangerous.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen smoke and heat occur together, the impacts on your health are even greater than when they occur by themselves,\u201d said Jess Downey, a researcher at the University of Oregon\u2019s Center for Wildfire Smoke Research and Practice.<\/p>\n

Downey said the ideal scenario is running the AC unit and using an air purifier or a DIY box fan filter to clean the air. Make sure your AC is well-sealed in your window frame, she added.<\/p>\n

Make sure the window units are set to recirculate air. Portable units with a single hose should be used sparingly, according to the University of Oregon wildfire smoke center.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t have AC, any reprieve from hot, smoky air is important. Head to the library, shopping mall or other space with clean, cool air.<\/p>\n

Ways to seal up a home to keep hazardous air out<\/h2>\n

Whether it\u2019s a towel, some tape or something else \u2014 plug areas where air could enter from outside.<\/p>\n

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\u201cBeing from Chicago, I think you can liken it to trying to keep the cold air out,\u201d said Dr. Khalilah Gates, a lung doctor with Northwestern Medicine. \u201cAny areas in which air can come in, consider sealing up those areas to reduce the amount that\u2019s coming into the home.\u201d<\/p>\n

When smoke levels are high, experts recommend avoiding anything that burns \u2014 candles, fireplaces, even gas stoves \u2014 so plan ahead with some meal prep.<\/p>\n

How wildfire smoke affects the body<\/h2>\n

Exposure to wildfire smoke can lead to shortness of breath, chest tightness, headaches and a burning sensation in the nose and eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you ever start to feel those symptoms and they\u2019re not severe, it\u2019s important to acknowledge, \u2018Oh, my body is responding to this. I need to move away from it. I need to move inside,\u2019\u201d Gates said.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re wheezing, can\u2019t catch your breath or are in distress, get to the emergency room immediately, she said.<\/p>\n

Read more Texas residents say timely alerts and last year\u2019s catastrophic floods helped them prepare for this year\u2019s deluge<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The eerie glow of an orange sun through thick wildfire smoke might be unnerving, but the biggest risk from the haze is something much harder to see.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[77],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2904","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wildfires"],"yoast_head":"\nHow to keep the air inside your home clean during wildfires - Trusted Moving Group<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=2904\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to keep the air inside your home clean during wildfires - Trusted Moving Group\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The eerie glow of an orange sun through thick wildfire smoke might be unnerving, but the biggest risk from the haze is something much harder to see.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/trustedmovinggroups.com\/?p=2904\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Trusted Moving Group\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-19T14:39:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/trustedmovinggroups.com\\\/?p=2904#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/trustedmovinggroups.com\\\/?p=2904\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/trustedmovinggroups.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/98cd83efb686ecde03e082abca618eaa\"},\"headline\":\"How to keep the air inside your home clean during wildfires\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-19T14:39:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/trustedmovinggroups.com\\\/?p=2904\"},\"wordCount\":821,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/trustedmovinggroups.com\\\/?p=2904#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/trustedmovinggroups.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/e709b8e6f61afb3997c52643afd68d36.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Wildfires\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/trustedmovinggroups.com\\\/?p=2904#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/trustedmovinggroups.com\\\/?p=2904\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/trustedmovinggroups.com\\\/?p=2904\",\"name\":\"How to keep the air inside your home clean during wildfires - 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