Managing Wildfire Smoke Getting Into Our Homes Can Be A Challenge

That goes especially for the kind we are seeing right now from Canada’s wildfires, drifting across large areas and into our region. Sadly, it is seems to be becoming an annual event. And it impacts indoor and outdoor air quality, despite anyone’s best efforts.

So here are some practical tips we researched and posted in prior years to help improve your air quality and stay healthier in your unit:

Keep windows and doors (of rooms you are not in) closed.

MASK UP! Most of us lived through it during the pandemic. N-95 masks will help in these conditions.

Use an air purifier with a HEPA filter. If it also has a carbon filter, that helps reduce odors and some chemicals.

Make a DIY box fan filter (also called a Corsi-Rosenthal Box): IT’S SIMPLE! Just Tape a MERV-13 furnace filter to a box fan. This is actually astonishingly effective and will help circulate cleaner air.

Run your air purifier(s) in the room you spend the most time in. Reducing the the area improves the efficiency, so if you are in your bedroom, close the door.

Avoid anything that adds to indoor pollution: No candles, incense, or smoking!

Avoid frying foods.

Vacuum with a HEPA filter and dust with a damp cloth to reduce particulate matter indoors.

AND, stay updated on the severity of the conditions – watch for air pollution alerts. You can use apps or websites like Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), IQAir, or AirNow to monitor smoke conditions. (Search these on Google for detailed information.

Avoid outdoor activity when AQI is above 100. To quickly access that: Click Here. At the time this is being written, Chicago is 419! This is amongst the WORST AIR QUALITY IN THE WORLD, as we are posting this in July of 2026.

You can use a “PM2.5” monitor for measuring air quality indoors if you want to track air quality closely. You can find these online, such as from Amazon: Click Here.

Finally, for tips specific to anyone with respiratory issues, or children, we would definitely suggest contact your medical/health provider.