Even healthy people are being warned of the dangers of exposure to bushfire smoke haze. According to the ABC, the smoke that is blanketing the country and lingering in some capital cities may cause serious illnesses.
The best thing you can do to protect your home from bushfire smoke is to prevent it from getting inside.
Don’t wait for the smoke to worsen before you close your doors and windows. According to CHOICE’s household heating and cooling expert, Chris Barnes, it’s important to seal off your home “ahead of hazy days”. Block air movement under exterior doors using draft stoppers or towels.
If smoke has made it inside your home, there are a number of ways to clear it out. While air conditioners are designed to filter out dust rather than smoke, turning yours on may help to filter and clean the air in your home.
If your area is particularly affected by the smoke, you may decide to invest in an air purifier. These will filter the air in your home, helping to clear it of smoke particles. According to CHOICE, buying a purifier with a HEPA filter is most effective when it comes to filtering smoke. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particle air.
Similarly, vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters are most affective at removing smoke particles that have settled on the floor and other surfaces. Cleaning your home of this settled dust is also a great way to keep the air clean.
To check the air quality in your area visit:
South Australia – air quality in a number of regions is measured by the EPA SA.
Queensland – the air monitoring network stations track air quality across the state.
Western Australia – the Air Quality Index of Western Australia provides hourly updates.
New South Wales – the department of Planning, Industry and Environment.
Australian Capital Territory – the ACT government measures air quality in the ACT.
Victoria – the EPA AirWatch service.
Tasmania – visit EPA Tasmania for real-time air quality data.
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