For every fellow west coast resident; How to Deal with All This Smoke, a thread :

1) If you have HVAC:
• Program your circ mode to run more frequently, or turn it to On instead of Auto.
• Change your filter if you have one; MERV ratings 11 and higher are best for allergens, viruses and pollutants.

2) If you don’t have HVAC and have box fans, get a MERV 11+ air filter and put it on the backside of the fan. Use a bungee cord or tape to fasten it. This will create a filtration system to help remove smoke from the air inside your home.

3) Tape all windows and sliding glass doors around their glass seams, tracks, and window seams.

4) If you have multiple doors, try sticking to one entry/exit point, and use a purifier or box fan + filter near that door.

5) Have an attached garage? Use it to enter/exit, instead of front door. Be sure to close garage door before opening interior door; helps reduce amount that seeps into the main living areas of your home. Also a good idea to run a box fan + filter or air purifier in the garage.

6) For those that drive, have your car’s intake filter and cabin air filter replaced. They aren’t done automatically during service appointments; have it done, or replace yourself. Most are behind the glovebox; YouTube will guide you.

7) If you have asthma:
• Use an N95 or P100 mask/respirator if you need to be outside. It is the only mask that can filter the smoke.
• Make sure your inhalers aren’t expired or aren’t close to empty.

8) Dust off, but do NOT rinse ash off your car unless you’re washing it immediately. Ash + water = lye. It will damage your paint if you rinse and don’t remove with soap right away.

9) If you’re still harvesting any produce in your garden: wipe w/ cloth, soak 15min in bath of white vinegar + water (1pt vinegar:3pt water), rinse & let dry before storing. (Don’t worry about ash in dirt, it provides lime & potassium for plants, along w/ other trace minerals).

10) Do NOT use:
• Vacuum
• Gas oven/range
• Electric stovetop/air fryer/instant pot, etc. to fry/sauté
• Chemicals for cleaning

These increase indoor pollutants. Windows/doors not being opened for fresh air = more circulating in home; takes longer to be caught by filtration.

Adding onto 3) Tape up chimneys and doors not being used. Plastic sheeting in 3.5-4mm thickness is great for sealing windows, doors and air entry/escaping points. Frog tape is what I suggest with or without plastic, because it won’t harm walls and won’t leave residue behind.

11) Leave shoes and jackets in garage or entryway when you get back home. Remove clothing and toss directly into washing machine.

Adding to 2) For those w/o box fans, utility fans help too! We have this rotating btwn garage, (our dedicated entry/exit point), and just inside our entry from interior garage door to help filter. The smoke’s starting to accumulate after a few hours of sporadic use.

12) Do not use any exhaust fans, (kitchen, bathroom, laundry...). These will bring outside air in. Good idea to follow #3 above and cover these and tape as well.

13) Run your humidifiers, (if they’re clean). The essential oil diffusers that use water work too. If you don’t have either, run the shower or bath, use a stopper, and let the water collect a few inches.

Adding onto 11) When washing clothes, be sure to remove everything from the dryer as soon as the dry cycle is over. Learned the hard way today that the dryer is also a leak source, and our laundry stunk like a pellet smoker. Again.

Being asthma and allergy sufferers, we change our MERV13 HVAC filters every 3mos. We started doing every 2mos this year. We -just- changed our filter on 8/28, the day we returned from our road trip. This is only a 2.5wk difference!

14) Blow your nose a few times a day, (and wash your hands!). Have your little ones do it too. Sinus rinses, (NeilMed squeeze bottle is our fave), and saline spray for your littles, (Little Remedies non-aerosol mist is our fave), will help greatly too!