Once again, California is enduring tremendous wildfires. Redding stands at the upper end of the Sacramento Valley with three wildfires burning from three directions, and each is only an hour away. With smoke pluming on all fronts, Redding has unhealthy air quality, no matter what direction the wind blows.
So much smoke in the air easily wafts into offices, buildings and homes. Even now, you may smell the smoky odor with all the doors and windows shut. If you can smell it, that means smoke particulates have permeated the air, and will eventually find their way into your furniture, your bedroom, your curtains, and your carpet. If left in place long enough, the odors remain and the particulates can do physical damage, like cause discoloration. They can even penetrate walls like tobacco smoke, and remain in your home or office for years.
Your Health Comes First
Although Preferred Carpet Care helps with getting those particulates away from your carpet, upholstery, bedding, and other areas, it’s even more important to protect yourself and your loved ones from unhealthy levels of wildfire smoke. Here are a few things you can do to keep your home and family safe from the effects of smoke particulates.
- Use your air conditioner and the best air filters you can find to capture the particles. Make sure filter inserts are clean, and make sure the fresh air intake on your air conditioner is closed, if you have one. Filters need to be changed or cleaned at least every three months and more often in dirty environments like what we are experiencing right now.
- Do your best to keep the smoke outside. That means keeping the doors and windows fully closed so more smoke does not make it through.
- Keep an eye on yourself and others for any health effects, including shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, or lethargy. Contact a medical professional to learn more, and make sure you do not discount any symptoms they tell you to monitor.
- Have a mask on hand. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends you purchase and use N95 respirator masks, especially if you need to go outside for any reason. These are already recommended for preventative measures against COVID-19, so right now they serve a dual purpose — protecting you from smoke and viruses.
- Visit airnow.gov to get the latest information about the current air quality index (AQI) in Redding.
- Visit California’s CAL FIRE website for the latest information about wildfires in California, including in and around Redding.
When the Smoke Clears
Preferred Carpet Care in Redding is happy to help you keep smoke from lingering in your fabrics. We have years of training and experience, as well as specialized equipment, to remove smoke particulates from your home or business. Our tools and gear are equipped with HEPA filters to make sure no smoke particulates escape our removal process. We also use ozone machines to neutralize the molecules causing smoky odors and follow up with you to find out if another session is needed.
To schedule a professional cleaning, contact us via phone or website. If the wildfire situation demands we reschedule with you, then we are more than happy to do so. This year’s wildfires will eventually be contained, but until then, lets make sure that all of us do not lose the battle to wildfire smoke.