In Every Home

Appliances for Cooking, Cleaning, & Care

Using an Air Cleaner to Manage Wildfire Smoke

During wildfire season, many people in areas affected by smoke use air cleaners (sometimes called air purifiers) to improve the air quality in their homes.

How an air cleaner is maintained and operated can affect its performance. If you are using an air cleaner to manage wildfire smoke, take these steps to ensure that your air cleaner continues to operate at a high level:

Change the filter regularly: Your air cleaner’s use and care manual will recommend how often to change your air cleaner’s filter. These recommendations are based on the manufacturer’s testing, but can vary depending on how often you use the filter and the level of pollutants in the air. An air cleaner that is used frequently in an area affected by wildfire smoke may require more frequent filter changes. If the filter is changing color or if the level of air coming out of the air cleaner drops, it could mean the filter should be changed. Keep extra filters on hand, especially during wildfire season.

Some air cleaners do not require filters, relying instead on an electrostatic precipitator (ESP), which charges particles and attracts them to a plate. Clean the plates regularly. Check your use and care manual for specific cleaning instructions.

Clean the outside: Some manufacturers recommend using a vacuum to remove dust from the outside of the air cleaner. Vacuum or gently clean the dust from the outside of the air cleaner when you notice a buildup. An air cleaner that is dirty on the outside is likely dirty on the inside, so make this part of the process when you are replacing or cleaning the filter.

Vacuum regularly: Air cleaners are only part of the equation if you are seeking cleaner indoor air. Do a thorough cleaning of the area and use a vacuum with a HEPA filter to remove particles that have settled so they are not kicked back into the air you breathe.

Change your furnace filter: If you change your furnace filter regularly, you might not have to change the filter in your air cleaner as often. However, a furnace filter is not a substitute for an air cleaner because it is designed to trap large particles. In addition, it is common for particles to miss the furnace filter and end up inside the home.

Give your air cleaner room to breathe: It might be more convenient to place an air cleaner against a wall and in a corner, but that will restrict airflow and reduce performance. Move the air cleaner toward the center of the room and operate it on high in an area free of obstructions. The more air that goes through the air cleaner, the more pollutants it will remove.

An air cleaner with a HEPA filter and activated carbon filter can also  help reduce the smell of smoke in your home. Run your air cleaner until the smell subsides and change the filter as recommended. This post from University of Colorado Boulder researchers offers more tips on how to reduce smoke odors.

Are you shopping for an air cleaner? Here is how to make the right choice

If you are shopping for an air cleaner, you will likely come across models that use different types of technologies to clear the air. More important than the method the air cleaner uses is whether the air cleaner is appropriate for the size of the room in which it will be used. Look for the AHAM Verifide® Mark and the air cleaner’s Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) on the air cleaner packaging. The mark means the air cleaner has been independently tested for its ability to remove tobacco smoke, pollen and dust and meets CARB ozone limits.  The suggested room size for the air cleaner will be noted prominently on the label.  Under normal circumstances, you could choose an air cleaner with a smoke CADR two-thirds the size of the room in which you will use the air cleaner. However, those in areas heavily affected by wildfire smoke should select an air cleaner with a smoke CADR that matches the room size. For example, an air cleaner with a smoke CADR of 200 would be appropriate for a 200 square-foot room in an area affected by smoke.

Tell us your top concerns with your indoor air quality.  We’d like to hear from you.

You’re getting warmer: How to choose the right air conditioner

It’s easy to forget what a heat wave feels like until it happens. However, you’re already behind the cooling curve if you wait until temperatures approach triple digits to shop for an air conditioner. It’s best to plan when temperatures are still cool, but the principles of choosing the best air conditioner stay the same all year, regardless of the temperature outside.

Choosing the right air conditioner involves more than just looking at price and power. It is important to  understand the area you’re trying to cool before you buy an air conditioner. Buy too strong of a unit for the room size and you’ll use more power than you need. Take home a unit that doesn’t have enough capacity, and you may end up sweating (and, perhaps, swearing) while you use too much energy as your unit runs continuously but never quite cools the room.

First, decide whether a portable air conditioner or room air conditioner is best for your home. After you learn some of the differences, it’s time to figure out how much cooling capacity you’ll need your new air conditioner to deliver:

Check your measurements: Your first step is to determine the square footage of your room. Both portable and room air conditioners must be connected to a window, so you should also measure the window. Take both measurements with you when you shop. A portable air conditioner  will also take up floor space. Consider whether the physical size of the unit is appropriate for the room if you are buying a portable air conditioner.

Choose your capacity: Air conditioner capacity is measured in BTU (British thermal units). Check the unit labeling as you shop. You’ll likely see a chart with BTU and the appropriate room size for cooling. Choose a size appropriate for the room or rooms you’ll be cooling.  If you are placing the unit in a kitchen, sunny room, or room with high ceilings, you may need to size up.  Some manufacturers may also have capacity information available on its website.

Frigid features: Some units can be turned on or off via smartphone or tablet, so you can come home to a cooler space on a hot summer day. Others offer a “follow-me” function that measures the temperature both at the location of the unit and of the remote control. If you’re sitting across the room from the unit and holding the remote control, the unit will take the temperature in the remote into account and adjust its output based on both temperatures. Other features you might find are programmable timers and alerts that tell you when the AC filter needs to be changed.

Post-flood Appliance Safety and Cleanup Tips


If you are anticipating flooding in your area, it is important to know how to safely handle appliances that have been in a flooded home.

Flooding can cause serious damage to appliances and make them hazardous to operate, even if they look normal. If your home has been flooded or you are expecting flooding, follow these appliance safety tips, which include information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Red Cross.

  • If the storm requires you to evacuate, unplug appliances except for refrigerators or freezers before leaving. Turn off gas and electricity if your home is damaged or if you are instructed to do so.
  • Do not turn on or plug in any appliances after a flood, as doing so could cause an electric shock or fire.
  • Flooding may cause gas appliances to move or break. Leave immediately if you smell gas or suspect a gas leak. Turn off the gas and leave the door open.
  • Clean and sanitize all hard surfaces, including countertops, concrete, plumbing fixtures and major and portable appliances. This is critical to remove and to prevent mold. Use hot water and dish detergent to clean, and a capful of bleach in a gallon of water to sanitize. Wash your hands with boiled and cooled or sanitized water after cleaning.
  • Wash any contaminated clothes in a laundromat or machine in a location that hasn’t been flooded if yours hasn’t been inspected, serviced and cleared for use.
    Cleaning up after the flood
    Cleaning up after a flood is a major project. These steps will help you speed up the process:
  • Use a dehumidifier to reduce humidity in your home. Your dehumidifier should be positioned in a dry area at least six inches from a wall. Avoid using extension cords to reduce the risk of electric shock. Open windows if the outdoor humidity is lower than the humidity in the house.
  • If you use a wet-dry vacuum during cleanup, follow all manufacturers’ directions to avoid electric shock. Be prepared to replace your appliances after the flood. While it’s possible that some may be recovered, don’t use them until they have been thoroughly inspected by an electrician or qualified technician who can assess whether they are safe to use.
  • Your air conditioner will also help reduce indoor humidity. However, do not use your AC if it has been in contact with flood water.
  • Use fans to improve ventilation and move humid air outside the home.

Storm Prep: How to keep frozen and refrigerated food safe


If you’re preparing for a major storm, stocking up on enough food and water should be part of your plan. You also need to have a plan to keep your food safe to eat during and in the wake of the storm, especially if you lose power.

Eating food that hasn’t been stored properly can lead to a number of foodborne illnesses. Those can be serious under normal circumstances, but the potential lack of access to medical care during a severe storm makes avoiding illness even more important. Additionally, many foodborne illnesses can cause vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration. The condition can quickly become life threatening if you don’t have access to sufficient water.

Be prepared to keep your food safe during any serious storm with these important safety tips from the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

  • Use a thermometer: Monitor the temperatures in your refrigerator and freezer. Refrigerators should be kept at between 34 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, freezers at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature in the freezer is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, the food is safe to eat or refreeze. Any perishable foods that have been refrigerated and kept at temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours should be thrown away. Tip: Look for a thermometer that sends the temperature directly to your mobile device or can be monitored remotely. Otherwise, don’t open the door to check the temperature until the power is back on.
  • Make and store ice: If your freezer can make ice, make as much as you can starting days before the storm is set to arrive if you have advance warning. You can use the ice to help keep the food cool if you lose power, or use it in a cooler. You may also freeze containers of water. The ice will help keep food in the freezer cold, and you can also drink the water when it melts if your water supply is cut off. Tip: Buy dry or block ice to keep the refrigerator cold for extended periods. Fifty pounds of dry ice keeps an 18-cubic-foot, fully stocked freezer cold for two days, according to FDA.
  • Move food to the freezer: If you know the storm is coming, move leftovers, milk, fresh meat and other foods that can be frozen to the freezer. They’ll last longer if the power goes out.
  • Keep coolers handy (and the ice to fill them): Food will stay safe in refrigerators for about four hours after a power outage. Move them to ice-filled coolers if the power is off or is expected to be off for longer.
  • Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed: Only open them when necessary when a power outage is a possibility, even if you haven’t lost power. This will help keep the temperatures in both down.
  • Keep the freezer full: A full freezer will keep food frozen for about 48 hours if it isn’t opened. That time is cut in half, to 24 hours, if the freezer is only half-full.

What to keep, what to toss

The CDC offers these tips to help you decide what is safe to eat and what should be discarded:

  • Any food that has come into contact with flood or storm water should be thrown away. This includes containers with screw caps, snap lids, crimped caps, twist caps, flip tops, snap-open, and home canned foods.
  • Throw away any food that has an unusual odor, color or texture.
  • Thawed food that still contains ice crystals may be eaten or refrozen.
  • Throw away any canned foods that are bulging, opened or damaged. Cans that have come into contact with flood or storm water should be washed in a solution of 1 cup bleach and 5 gallons of water.
  • Never use potentially contaminated water to wash dishes, brush your teeth, wash your hands, wash or prepare food or prepare baby formula.

Never rely on a food’s smell or taste to determine whether it’s safe to eat. When in doubt, throw it out.

Food Safety Tips for a Power Outage

Summer comes with the threat of hurricanes and other serious storms. It is important to have a plan in place to keep your food safe to eat should your home lose power. Follow these tips from the USDA to prepare before the storm hits:

  • A fully packed, free-standing freezer (that has remained closed) will stay at acceptably cold temperatures for two to four days.
  • Place dry ice, a block of ice or several frozen gel packs in a well-insulated cooler; transfer perishables from the refrigerator to the cooler.
  • According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation, a 50-pound block of dry ice will keep the contents of a full, 18-cubic-foot freezer cold for two days.
  • The following partially defrosted foods may be safe to eat/refreeze if they still contain ice crystals or have been kept below 40 degrees: beef, veal, lamb, pork, ground meat, casseroles, soups and stews, hard cheeses, juices, flours, nuts, packaged waffles and pancakes, frozen meals/convenience foods.
  • If dairy items, poultry, meat, seafood, fresh pasta, fresh greens, eggs, soy meat substitutes and leftovers have been held at 40 degrees or higher for more than two hours, discard them.
  • If opened mayonnaise, tartar sauce, horseradish, commercial garlic in oil or other spreads have been held at 50 degrees or above for more than eight hours (or any salads made with those items), discard them.
  • The following items are safe (if they had been opened/refrigerated): Peanut butter, jelly, mustard, ketchup, olives, pickles, Worcestershire sauce, barbecue sauce, soy sauce, vinegar-based dressings, fruit, raw vegetables and hard cheeses (including grated).
  • Never taste food to determine its safety, and do not rely on odor or appearance.
  • Food information hotlines: USDA Meat and Poultry, 800-535-4555; FDA Seafood, 800-FDA-4010; FDA’s Food Safety Information, 888-723-3366.

For more tips, visit the USDA’s Food Safety website.

Bring New Culture to Your Kitchen on July 4: Advice from a Professional Chef


What is on your Independence Day menu this year? Of course, you can go with the traditional hot dogs and hamburgers, cooked on an outdoor grill. Holidays have a way of triggering cravings for those familiar favorites. But maybe this is the year you try something different, a new dish, or a twist on the traditional. 

So where should a home cook look for inspiration? Stepping outside of the July 4th barbecue box and exploring new culinary landscapes can be intimidating, and it helps to have a little guidance. We caught up with Chef TJ Delle Donne, assistant dean and associate instructor for the Johnson & Wales College of Food Innovation & Technology, for some advice. Delle Donne has cooked on some big stages, including serving as chef de cuisine at the 90th birthday celebrations of both former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush. He shared his thoughts on how you can prepare and try some new cultural flavors this Independence Day.   

Get inspired 

New culinary adventures aren’t just for professional chefs. If you are looking to explore new and unfamiliar cuisines, solid research and development is the key, Delle Donne says. That’s available to everyone. “Take out a cookbook you haven’t seen in a while. Blow the dust off, look inside and see if you get inspired,” he says. Is it time to recreate the incredible meal you had on vacation? “A lot of times, it’s putting something you had—maybe Korean street tacos you had on a trip out West. Go down the rabbit hole on a Google search and see what inspires you.” 

Sometimes you can find inspiration in your own family. And food may be the best way to connect with a new culture “That’s the beauty of this country—we’re a cultural mosaic,” Delle Donne says. “Sometimes, you can find it in your circle. You have to be inquisitive and open your mind a little. If it is not your family, it might be your colleagues, your friends. Say ‘Tell me about how your family ate in Ghana, or Turks and Caicos. Tell me about your Mexican heritage, your Canadian heritage.’” Or the cultural inspiration may be closer to home. “If they’re from Kentucky, they must have a macaroni-and-cheese recipe in their repertoire. Everyone wants to introduce you to their culture through food. It’s an international language.” 

While the flavors may be new, you likely will recognize the cooking techniques – and the appliances – that you’ll use to bring the dishes to life.  

“Grilling in Japan is the same as grilling in Kentucky,” Delle Donne says. “Roasting in France is the same as roasting in Virginia. Don’t be intimidated by braising, roasting, sauteing, grilling, broiling. It’s the same technique. It’s just the pantry that changes.” 

And you might be surprised by the similarities to your regular menu, even on the Fourth of July. “If you go to England or Ireland, those ingredients look a lot like our ingredients—potatoes, sausage. The hot dog is obviously from the migration of the Polish and German population.” 

If you are looking for quick inspiration, Delle Donne had a few suggestions on some that might be a good fit for an Independence Day feast:

Elote salad: Instead of eating traditional corn on the cob, take it off the cob for a twist on grilled Mexican street corn.

Shawarma station: This involves marinating, grilling and slicing. Line up the flatbreads and toppings and have people build their own.

Ramen bar: Put the hot broth in a coffee percolator, then make a station with noodles, hardboiled eggs, mushroom, seaweed and other ingredients.

Hot dog variations: “Every culture does ground meat in a casing,” Delle Donne says. “Maybe do kielbasa, or bratwurst, or knackwurst.” 

Build-your-own pizza: This might work best with an indoor pizza oven. “This is always fun for the kids. Neapolitan-style pizzas is a cool way to get some Italian flair into the Fourth of July,” Delle Donne says.

Others that might hit the spot on the Fourth are birria (Mexican beef stew), tandoori chicken or braised beef tacos.

Once you have chosen your menu, it’s time to collect the ingredients. “Highlight or pull out any ingredients that you might not be able to get at your local grocery store and see where you can find them. “Is it a Latin or Korean grocery store? See where you can find them and have fun with the whole process. Cooking is an art form that should alleviate stress.” 

Appliances for the “cook-in” 

While the Fourth of July is synonymous with outdoor cooking, the kitchen offers plenty of advantages. Home cooks sometimes don’t use tools like a broiler, Delle Donne says. “They use it to store pots and pans and don’t realize it can give you flame-broiled food. It’s a fantastic resource for cooking indoors.” If you are trying new dishes, it is important to use the right tools. “If you’re making tandoori chicken and it calls for a clay pot, get a clay pot. That’s how you get the most authentic flavor profiles,” Delle Donne says. Don’t be afraid of deep frying, either. “Deep fryers are safe and they’re fun. A lot of people who want a frite, or a French fry, or a tot, they try to bake them, and it doesn’t come out the way they expect. Deep frying is a technique, and it’s the best for crispy food.” 

Make ventilation a priority


You don’t have to worry about ventilation when cooking outside. If you are cooking inside and you have a ventilation hood, turn it on. Ventilation is an important and sometimes overlooked aspect of the cooking process. It is the solution to manage cooking byproducts like smoke, steam and grease.  

“Ventilation is probably one of the most important parts of cooking,” Delle Donne says. “If I were building a kitchen in my home, in a school, in a restaurant, it’s one of the first things I would think about. Any food is full of water or fat, and that creates steam or smoke. It’s going to happen.” 

Ventilation is also the best way to manage cooking-related odors and improve indoor air quality. “You don’t want to breathe in any smoke or grease particles. Getting it out of your house is paramount. Turn the hood on.” Don’t worry, you still have many good options for improving ventilation while cooking, even if you don’t have a ventilation hood. 

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