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
Canada Disability Benefit needs to be safeguarded from clawbacks, MPs unanimously agree
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Security guard shot, seriously injured outside of Drake's Toronto mansion
A security guard working at Drake’s Bridle Path mansion in Toronto was seriously injured in a shooting outside the residence early Tuesday morning, police said.
King Charles too busy to see son Prince Harry during U.K. trip
Prince Harry will not be seeing his father King Charles during his current visit to Britain as the monarch will be too busy, Harry's spokesperson said on Tuesday.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Turfing Poilievre from House a clear sign of desperation by Trudeau Liberals
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
Apple unveils new iPad Pro with 'outrageously powerful' AI-powered chip
Apple is hoping its latest iPad lineup will breathe new life into its sluggish tablet market. In a pre-recorded live streamed event from its Cupertino, California headquarters, the company introduced the latest versions of its iPad Pro and iPad Air tablets, and an all-new Apple Pencil Pro.
Your body needs these three forms of movement every week
Movement is movement, right? Not exactly. Here’s what your body is looking for in addition to your morning walk or yoga session, according to experts.
Testifying in hush money trial, adult film actor Stormy Daniels describes first meeting Trump
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday in the hush money trial of former U.S. president Donald Trump, prepared to testify about a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential election 10 years later.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.