Can lighting a few candles really hurt your air quality? “The short answer is: not really,” writes Wirecutter sustainability editor Katie Okamoto in her guide to tapered candles.
So don’t think twice about lighting a menorah or any other festive candles—but maybe start by trimming the wick to about 0.25 inch, which helps the candle burn evenly and with less soot.
That said, it’s always a good idea to ventilate your home and to have at least one air filter somewhere in your house, especially if you’re planning to have any flames burning indoors.
If you have a forced-air heating and AC system, you might already have both of those critical air-quality tools. Most modern HVAC systems are set up to bring in a bit of fresh air, and they all have one or more filters.
During the holidays, consider adding a high-performance, high-MERV filter to your HVAC system and setting your air handler’s fan to run continuously even when the heat is off. That will provide constant circulation of filtered, ventilated air, which goes a long way toward scrubbing out smoke particles and diluting the buildup of any fumes.
Don’t have central air? Planning on doing something super-smoky like getting a fire going or lighting up indoors? Crack a window or two for better ventilation. Portable HEPA air purifiers offer excellent filtration, but even a DIY box-fan purifier is much better than nothing.
