If you’re a smoker, you’ve already compromised the air quality in your home (and likely in your vehicle, as well). Even if you’re not smoking directly inside the house, you’re still allowing smoke to enter when you smoke next to windows, or bring it in on your clothing and personal items. You’re putting everyone in the house at risk by smoking inside, which means you’ll need at least one room or area to act as a clean air refuge for when you need a breath.
This guide will help you create a space that’s smoke-free and safe to breathe in; though, you can never fully rid your home’s air of tobacco/cigarette smoke until you’ve stopped using tobacco entirely.
Quit Using Tobacco
Tobacco products contain known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents), plenty of toxic chemicals, some heavy metals like lead and nickel, and even radioactive materials like uranium (seriously). When you smoke, those chemicals are delivered into the air and immediately affect everyone around you. If you’re smoking in an enclosed area, you’re essentially increasing the danger by concentrating those chemicals and toxins within a confined space.
Creating a clean air refuge might offer some temporary relief, but as long as you smoke in your house, you’ll be at the mercy of your habit and your health will be at risk; as well as everyone else’s health who shares the living space.
If you’re looking to quit, try something different like tobacco free pouches. Quitting has never been easier or more encouraged, and there are plenty of support resources, alternative products, and options for leaving tobacco behind for good.
Natural compounds like CBD are being researched for their effectiveness in treating addiction, including nicotine addiction, which is promising. Perhaps one day we won’t have to depend on nicotine gum or prescription medications to leave nicotine behind once and for all.
Designate An Area
To start with, you’ll need to pick an area of your home that you don’t frequently spend time in while you’re smoking. If you do most of your smoking in the living room, pick a space on the opposite side of the home. The further you are away from the concentrated smoke, the better. A bedroom with a good, solid door works nicely for this purpose.
Next, you’ll want to make sure the area is well-insulated. You might want to buy a stopper for the door to block the space between the door and the floor to prevent leakage into the room. Cigarette smoke has a nasty habit of finding its way into every possible space, and you don’t want it getting in your refuge room!
Be sure to buy new fabrics for the room, including curtains, upholstery, and even carpeting, if you can. Cigarette smoke will stick to fabrics, and even if you wash them regularly, it’s nearly impossible to remove the odor and danger completely.
Buy An Air Purifier
Next, you’ll need an air purifier for the room. Here are some suggestions for the best air purifier for smoke. The type of air purifier you buy will determine how effective it is at filtering things like smoke, allergens, and pollutants. HEPA, Carbon, UV, and Ionic purifiers are some of the most popular choices on the market, with HEPA purifiers being the standard for things like smoke or pollutants/allergens.
The air purifier is best placed by the door leading into the rest of the house. That way, it can begin purifying any air that comes into the room when you open the door, or that trickles in through cracks in the door frame, under the door, etc.
It’s best to turn the purifier on a few hours before you enter the room to ensure a clean space. Or, you can allow the purifier to run continuously for constant filtration.
Open The Windows
One of the easiest (and most important) things to do for your clean air refuge is to open the windows and allow fresh air to come in. It’s a good idea to choose a room with at least two windows, to allow for a refreshing cross-breeze to flow through the room. This will help remove odors and old, stale air, and allow fresh air in to be purified by your purifier.
Be sure to protect your refuge and make sure no one is smoking in it or leaving the door open. Remember that the best way to create a clean space in your home is to leave tobacco in the dust. Smoking is a liability and nothing more, so there’s always a good reason to quit forever.
Final Thoughts
Smoking inside can seriously affect air quality and exposed everyone in the home to the harmful effects of cigarettes. You wouldn’t want to endanger your family, right? It’s time to make the best choice for everyone!