5 Ways to Arm Your Home (and Lungs) For the Smoky Season
Fires across Australia are blowing smoke and haze throughout the region. Here are 5 ways to protect your home and lungs
Chiquit Brammall
11 December 2019
Design journalist and freelance editor. Dollhouse architect. Serial renter.
For yet another consecutive week, the Bureau of Meteorology is reporting smoke across large parts of Australia’s eastern states, as bushfires continue to burn in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Earlier this week in Sydney, NSW, the Air Quality Index (AQI) showed a reading of 1,063 in Rouse Hill, while south-west of Sydney, Oakdale recorded 1,044 – both much higher than the ‘poor’ cut-off of 100 and the ‘hazardous’ cut-off of 200.
Since we can’t just pack up and leave home for a super-long smoke-free holiday whenever bushfire smoke and haze sets in, we need ways to keep airborne pollution out of our indoor spaces. Here are five practical things you can do to breathe better at home.
Since we can’t just pack up and leave home for a super-long smoke-free holiday whenever bushfire smoke and haze sets in, we need ways to keep airborne pollution out of our indoor spaces. Here are five practical things you can do to breathe better at home.
1. Pay attention to your windows
Check that the seals are impregnable so that the smoky odour, and more importantly the pesky particulate matter (specifically PM2.5, or those invisible pollutants that can make you sick), cannot permeate your home.
People with respiratory conditions should avoid going outside, says Dr Richard Broome from NSW Health, so it is recommended to keep doors and windows shut when the AQI reading reaches unhealthy values. Keep these shut when you’re not home too.
Check that the seals are impregnable so that the smoky odour, and more importantly the pesky particulate matter (specifically PM2.5, or those invisible pollutants that can make you sick), cannot permeate your home.
People with respiratory conditions should avoid going outside, says Dr Richard Broome from NSW Health, so it is recommended to keep doors and windows shut when the AQI reading reaches unhealthy values. Keep these shut when you’re not home too.
If you can, get your windows cleaned, too – this will provide you with a clearer view of the outdoors, even though it’s hazy. Imagine a hazy view + dirty windows = possible seasonal affective disorder (SAD) caused by reduced daylight.
Find a cleaner near you on Houzz to rid your home of airborne pollutants
Find a cleaner near you on Houzz to rid your home of airborne pollutants
2. Brighten up with daylight-simulating bulbs
With the smoke and haze filtering our sunny skies, it tends to feel darker during the day. Change your light bulbs to those that simulate a daylight glow, or get brighter bulbs to combat the cloudy ambience. Again, prolonged lack of daylight can cause seasonal affective disorder – and darker interiors can also strain the eyes.
Tip: Installing tubular daylighting devices can also naturally brighten up your interiors.
With the smoke and haze filtering our sunny skies, it tends to feel darker during the day. Change your light bulbs to those that simulate a daylight glow, or get brighter bulbs to combat the cloudy ambience. Again, prolonged lack of daylight can cause seasonal affective disorder – and darker interiors can also strain the eyes.
Tip: Installing tubular daylighting devices can also naturally brighten up your interiors.
3. Get your air-conditioner filters changed
Trevor Cook, national customer services manager at Fujitsu General Australia, recommends cleaning your air conditioner’s filter. “Filters are an integral part of an air-conditioning unit. They filter particles in the air and catch dust to ensure that clean air is delivered back into the room,” says Cook.
“When you use an air conditioner regularly, dust accumulates on the filter. If left uncleaned, this can clog the indoor unit, whichcan reduce air flow and diminish the air conditioner’s performance.”
This should be done every three to four weeks if you use it every day, or every three to four months if you only use it every few weeks.
Trevor Cook, national customer services manager at Fujitsu General Australia, recommends cleaning your air conditioner’s filter. “Filters are an integral part of an air-conditioning unit. They filter particles in the air and catch dust to ensure that clean air is delivered back into the room,” says Cook.
“When you use an air conditioner regularly, dust accumulates on the filter. If left uncleaned, this can clog the indoor unit, whichcan reduce air flow and diminish the air conditioner’s performance.”
This should be done every three to four weeks if you use it every day, or every three to four months if you only use it every few weeks.
So as not to stress out your air conditioner, make sure it’s been recently serviced – this should be done every year or two depending on how often you use it. You may want to check that your air conditioner has air purifying or ionising functions, so you’re purifying your indoor air while keeping your energy consumption low.
Some air conditioners are also fitted with an air purifier with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, which captures pollutants in your home, including particulate matter of 0.3 microns and above.
Tip: When outdoors, consider wearing a P2 face mask, which help filter out tiny PM2.5 particles if you achieve an airtight seal.
Some air conditioners are also fitted with an air purifier with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filter, which captures pollutants in your home, including particulate matter of 0.3 microns and above.
Tip: When outdoors, consider wearing a P2 face mask, which help filter out tiny PM2.5 particles if you achieve an airtight seal.
4. Install indoor plants
Plants are natural air purifiers. In particular, bamboo palms, cornstalk dracaena, spider plant, gerbera daisies and heartleaf philodendron are good at reducing VOC (volatile organic compounds) and purifying indoor air, and they’re low-maintenance. They also bring a touch of freshness and life to what could otherwise look like a cold, sleek interior. Aside from being natural air purifiers, indoor plants are also natural humidifiers.
Plants are natural air purifiers. In particular, bamboo palms, cornstalk dracaena, spider plant, gerbera daisies and heartleaf philodendron are good at reducing VOC (volatile organic compounds) and purifying indoor air, and they’re low-maintenance. They also bring a touch of freshness and life to what could otherwise look like a cold, sleek interior. Aside from being natural air purifiers, indoor plants are also natural humidifiers.
And you don’t need to build a vertical garden in your home to enjoy the benefits that indoor plants bring. A couple of pots in strategic corners will also help.
Green Up Your Home With Feel-Good Indoor Plants
Green Up Your Home With Feel-Good Indoor Plants
5. Speaking of humidifiers, get one
Smoke and haze bring dry, polluted air into our homes and cause us to stay in air-conditioned interiors where the air is cool but also dry (and recycled). A humidifier balances out that dryness so you can hopefully avoid feeling dehydrated too. It doesn’t hurt if you can find a humidifier that blends in with your decor.
Indoor Air Pollution: Is Your Home Making You Sick?
Your turn
How do you deal with smoke and haze? Share your tips in the Comments below. And if you found this story useful, like it, save it and share it with those who are also battling airborne pollutants.
More
Is your garden feeling the effects too? Read up on How Do I… Keep My Garden Alive in a Drought?
Smoke and haze bring dry, polluted air into our homes and cause us to stay in air-conditioned interiors where the air is cool but also dry (and recycled). A humidifier balances out that dryness so you can hopefully avoid feeling dehydrated too. It doesn’t hurt if you can find a humidifier that blends in with your decor.
Indoor Air Pollution: Is Your Home Making You Sick?
Your turn
How do you deal with smoke and haze? Share your tips in the Comments below. And if you found this story useful, like it, save it and share it with those who are also battling airborne pollutants.
More
Is your garden feeling the effects too? Read up on How Do I… Keep My Garden Alive in a Drought?
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Add 3M aircon filters that can be bought at DIY shops to existing aircon filters to improve filtration effectiveness of your aircon.
what about energy or heat recovery ventilators. I would have like to see more information on those. I doubt this season of dust and smoke is a one off and the option to build better homes and renovations for current and future conditions must be considered
Matt Beitzel a Heat Recovery Ventilation system will indeed keep your indoor air clean; not only from outside air pollution like smoke but from indoor air pollution such as CO2 and VOC’s. However you won’t achieve anywhere near the best or most cost effective results without sealing the building properly first. Passive House is the ideal way to implement such a system to keep the building comfortable, healthy and efficient all at the same time.