How Do You Protect Yourself from Poor Air Quality Daily?

General
1

Hello everyone,

With air pollution, allergens and seasonal changes are becoming more unpredictable. I am curious to hear how others are protecting themselves from poor air quality on a daily basis.

Whether you are dealing with urban pollution, wildfire smoke, indoor dust or high pollen counts what steps do you take regularly to breathe cleaner air?

Here are a few things I try to do:

Use a HEPA air purifier at home
Wear a reusable mask on high AQI days
Keep windows closed during peak pollution hours
Monitor AQI through apps like IQAir and AirVisual

But I know there are lots of different approaches out there. So I do love to know:

What’s your daily air safety routine?
Do you use any specific masks, purifiers, or tech?
Any tips for travel or commuting in poor air conditions?

Let’s share advice and help each other breathe a little easier.

1 Like
2

Hi @duckket313,

Thanks for joining! This is a great question and I hope we can get some good suggestions here.

On top of these points that you mentioned, I also do the following:

  • Use a certified respirator on days of high pollution. For example, I often use a reusable mask (think something like Cambridge Mask) on days when the pollution isn’t too bad. However, when it becomes unhealthy or hazardous, I tend to move to something that I know fits me well and provides great filtration. In my case, the 3M Aura.
  • Try to avoid going out (when possible) when the air quality is exceptionally bad. If I must go out, I will ensure it is with a good respirator. I’m lucky in this regard as I work from home, but I know that just avoiding the pollution isn’t always possible. However, there are ways to minimise it (wear a mask, take different modes of transport, etc).
  • Move activities like excercise indoors.
  • Keep an eye on indoor air quality! This one is very important as we often focus so much on avoiding the poor outdoor air quality that we overlook the air indoors.

I have taken to carrying an Atmotube Pro with me most days and I’ve found this to be very handy to know when to mask. As for the respirator I wear, I tend to use a 3M Aura as they fit me well. Air purifier-wise, I am a big fan of box fans like the AirFanta 3 Pro!