Those plug-in air fresheners may leave your living room smelling like Hawaiian Breeze, but did you know the chemical fragrances are actually highly toxic?
In the winter months, we work hard to save energy by keeping the heat in. But our efficiency efforts, combined with synthetic items like air fresheners, cleaning products, upholstered furniture, carpets, scented beauty products and scented candles, actually worsen the quality of our indoor air.
According to
GreenNexxus, these synthetics "off-gas" – meaning they emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are all toxic.
It is estimated that indoor air is about
five times more polluted than outdoor air - outdoor, city air that is! Because we're not about to throw open the windows for any extended period of time, here are some suggestions from GreenNexxus to breathe a little easier:
-Choose eco-friendly cleaning supplies that are less toxic than conventional products. Look for those with the EcoLogo certification so you don’t have to decipher labels. Better yet, switch to vinegar and baking soda for most of your cleaning needs.
-Ensure your stove top is properly vented (especially if you have a gas stove) and avoid cooking with Teflon coated pans since they emit toxic fumes when used at high temperatures.
-If you’re painting choose low VOC or zero-VOC paints. Home Depot, Home Hardware and Benjamin Moore all carry lines of these eco-friendly paints that make a newly painted room livable and much healthier.
-Avoid room fresheners, especially those that plug in. The chemical fragrances used in these are highly toxic.
-Buy fragrance-free beauty products and avoid all aerosols (you inhale all of those tiny spray particles).
-Choose soy or beeswax candles rather than regular candles, which are made from petroleum products. And go the unscented route since artificial fragrances are toxic in their own right.
-If you heat with a wood stove or wood insert ensure the chimney is properly cleaned annually.
-Incorporate house plants into your home decorating - they help to clean the air by absorbing toxins. Spider plants, philodendrons, mums, peace lilies, gerbera daisies and English ivy are some of the best. You need about one plant for every 100 square feet of living space in your home to really take advantage of the benefits.
Get more tips from GreenNexxus readers >
On August 26th, catch a screening of Fresh, a new documentary by Ana Sofia Joanes that examines the consequences of our industrial food system and offers a practical alternative for how we grow, buy and eat our food. 