Smoky air causes spike in sale of air purifiers in Ontario
As Toronto recorded some of the worst air quality readings in the world this week, many people decided to go to home improvement stores to purchase air purifiers to help them breathe easier.
“We only have one large air purifier left on the shelf and a few small ones left for bedrooms, but it’s been a busy week for sales,” said Cheryl Papageorgiou, manager of the Home Depot’s Leaside location in Toronto.
Papageorgiou said the store had plenty of large air purifier units on the shelf on Wednesday night, but customers lined up to buy them.
“We had maybe 10 units in the evening, and they were all purchased by this morning," said Papageorgiou.
With the blanket of wildfire smoke hanging over Toronto, even if you stayed inside your home, the fine particulate matter that makes up the smoke can still creep in.
Running an air purifier with a high-efficiency particulate air filter (HEPA) can trap wildfire smoke, dust, allergens and pet dander.
HEPA filters are certified to capture more than 99 per cent of fine particles, and they work best with a clean filter which needs to be replaced every six to 12 months.
"If you are experiencing wildfire smoke, you want to be sure the air purifier is on the highest setting, and you are running it 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Tanya Christian with Consumer Reports told CTV News Toronto.
While an air purifier will help you breathe easier, if you don't have one, there are other things you can do to clear the air, like checking that your furnace filter isn't clogged or dirty and upgrading to a filter that catches smaller particles.
"If you're concerned about smoke and you're looking for a filter, you should be looking for something that is a MERV 13,” said Papagerogiou.
A MERV 13 filter will catch smaller pollutants, but depending on your furnace, it could also impact airflow. One option is to switch back to your regular filter when the smoke situation passes.
Joey Fox, an air quality expert with the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, said it’s about trying to filter as much air as possible in your home and keeping smoky air out.
“Even if you don't have the smoke smell inside your home, you want the particulate matter to be as low as possible as you're going to have air leaks in your house and want to filter as much air as possible,” said Fox.
As well as keeping your windows and doors closed, you could also use weather stripping to keep outside air from getting in.
Window units may have filters that require cleaning, but they're usually not fine enough to trap smoke.
Air purifiers sell for between $100 to $1,000. Most are designed to clean only one room at a time, so if you buy one, check the room size and how much replacement filters cost.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.