What Type of Air Filter Is Best for Holiday Cooking and Family Gatherings?

For holiday cooking and family gatherings, the Filtrete MPR 1900 and MERV 13 air filter is a great option. This air filter traps microparticles from cooking, including smoke, while letting cleaner air flow through.

Food is undoubtedly a highlight of the holiday season. We’re already drooling over dreams of cookies, casseroles, soups and glorious honey hams. But the extra time we spend in the kitchen during the “ber” months can be tough on indoor air quality. Lingering food odors, increased house humidity and airborne particles? Not exactly the holiday guests you invited. Here’s how to serve up festive flavors and keep your indoor air feeling as fresh as the first snowfall.

Why is indoor air quality a concern during the holidays?

Holiday cooking can feel like your oven is on overdrive. But every fry, grill, bake or sizzle brings more than just delicious smells to your kitchen. Particulate matter (PM) levels can skyrocket, especially if you’ve got a knack for burning things (no judgment here). Cooking can also release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. Got a gas oven? Older models, in particular, are sneaky sources of nitrogen oxide. These may be invisible guests in your home, but they’re enough to ruin the cheerful vibe.

Can HVAC filters help reduce cooking odors?

Cooking fills your home with mouthwatering aromas — but let’s be real, not all smells are welcome. Smoke and other pesky particles? You don’t need that hanging around. Designed with exclusive Filtrete™ 3-in-1 technology, including a high MPR 1900 and MERV 13 rating, a Filtrete™ MPR 1900 Premium Allergen, Bacteria & Virus Air Filter will help pull and capture countless microparticles — such as pet dander, smoke, bacteria and up to 72% of virus airborne particles* — while letting cleaner air flow through. The New York Times Wirecutter chose this filter for its effectiveness in removing ultrafine particles while keeping your HVAC system running efficiently. **

Can I improve indoor air quality without replacing my air filter?

Nice try getting out of this piece of homework. Replacing your HVAC air filter regularly is a must in the quest for good indoor air quality. During the holiday season, we actually recommend changing your house air filter more often. But since you asked, we’re happy to share a few extra tips to help you get fresher, cleaner air indoors:
 

• Turn on your vent hood: Most people don’t realize that you’re supposed to use your vent hood every time you cook — not just when there’s smoke or bad smells present (guilty). So as you start your hours- or days-long holiday cooking marathon, turn on your range hood to eliminate smoke, grease and odors from your home. Studies have also shown that cooking on the back burners allows the most pollutants to be captured by the vent hood.²
   
• Consider using an air purifier: We love pumpkin-cinnamon-cranberry-scented candles as much as the next person, but if your goal is to cover up cooking smells in your home, running an air purifier is a better bet. It’s not a replacement for a high-performance HVAC air filter, but it can boost your indoor air quality around the holidays.
   
• Make sure detectors are working properly: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are the peak days for home cooking fires, and the No. 1 culprit? Unattended cooking.¹ We’re not judging — who hasn’t walked away from their oven while that 20-pound turkey is roasting for hours? But here’s the deal: make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors work, so any kitchen fires or carbon monoxide issues are caught quickly.
   
• Clean your appliances: Caked-on food bits, mold spores, grease splatters and foul odors will all land you on the air-quality naughty list. In the days leading up to your holiday gathering, be the host with the most and give your appliances a top-to-bottom cleaning.
   
• Finally, crack a window for some natural ventilation while you’re giving your kitchen a workout.

The secret to hosting a memorable holiday gathering is simple. Aside from your grandma’s potato cheese casserole recipe, it comes down to creating an environment that feels fresher, cleaner and inviting. And that all starts with your air quality.

Sources

1. Thanksgiving Safety Information, NFPA.
2. Indoor Air Quality, Western States Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit.