Problem Overflow

Smoke, smells and damp getting into your apartment, and how renters stop them.

Smoke from next door

Picking an air purifier for smoke in a small apartment

Easy · About 15 minutes

Where I am
You've seen a dozen purifiers and they all say the same things.
Where I want to be
One that fits your room and won't keep you awake.
What's in the way
The labels are confusing and the sizes vary a lot.

Try this first, free: Measure the room you want to protect. Length times width tells you the floor area you need the purifier to cover.

The fix

  1. Match the room size on the box to your room. Pick one rated for a room a bit bigger than yours.
  2. Look for a true HEPA filter for the haze and a thick activated carbon filter for the smell. A thin carbon sheet does little.
  3. Check the noise on the lowest setting, and choose a quiet one for the bedroom.
  4. Put it a little away from the wall with space on all sides, near where the smell enters.
  5. Run it on low all day. Turn it up when the smell is strong.

What this won't fully fix: A purifier cuts the smell and the haze, but it can't catch every gas in smoke. Only the smoking stopping does that.

Moving out: Unplug it and carry it with you. There is nothing to undo.

What to get

HEPA air purifier with carbon on Amazon Replacement carbon filter on Amazon

These open an Amazon search, so you can pick the one that fits. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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