Hints for a Great Smelling and Healthy Home
The Gatherings Vice President Malcolm Kirsop and his wife Dagmar have been concerned about an invisible, but noticeable, menace here in our condos Although we can't see it our noses are giving us a warning that there's a threat to our health from some unexpected places.
A ton of articles have been written about the variety and strength of smells that stink-up the hallways, porches and outdoor spaces of apartment buildings and condominiums. Recommendations to cut down on foul smells range from using cross ventilation and fans to spraying pleasant smelling air fresheners and other air sweetening chemicals on furniture, rugs and even on ourselves. Being a good neighbor, a must in condo living, seems also, to stress being kind, considerate and pleasant smelling. However, the Kirsop's remind us, with this goal of having everything "smell good" comes personal risks. They call attention to an abstract published by the National Institutes of Health which says:
"Fragranced consumer products, such as cleaning supplies, air fresheners, and personal care products, are a primary source of indoor air pollutants and personal exposure. Previous research indicates that fragranced products can trigger adverse health effects, with implications for workplaces and public places. The study investigated the prevalence and types of fragranced product exposures, associated health effects, awareness of product emissions, and preferences for fragrance-free policies and environments. Data were collected using an online survey with a nationally representative population (n = 1136) of adults in the USA. Overall, 34.7 % of the population reported health problems, such as migraine headaches and respiratory difficulties, when exposed to fragranced products. Further, 15.1 % have lost workdays or a job due to fragranced product exposure in the workplace. Also, 20.2 % would enter a business but then leave as quickly as possible if they smell air fresheners or some fragranced product. Over 50 % of the population would prefer that workplaces, health care facilities and professionals, hotels, and airplanes were fragrance-free. While prior research found that common fragranced products, even those called green and organic, emitted hazardous air pollutants, more than two thirds of the population were not aware of this, and over 60 % would not continue to use a fragranced product if they knew it emitted such pollutants. Results from this study provide strong evidence that fragranced products can trigger adverse health effects in the general population. The study also indicates that reducing exposure to fragranced products, such as through fragrance-free policies, can provide cost-effective and relatively simple ways to reduce risks and improve air quality and health."
The full abstract is certainly worth reading and can be found by clicking on this web address:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5093181/
Also of interest is the internet article below which not only reinforces the problems we face, but also provides some alternatives.
A ton of articles have been written about the variety and strength of smells that stink-up the hallways, porches and outdoor spaces of apartment buildings and condominiums. Recommendations to cut down on foul smells range from using cross ventilation and fans to spraying pleasant smelling air fresheners and other air sweetening chemicals on furniture, rugs and even on ourselves. Being a good neighbor, a must in condo living, seems also, to stress being kind, considerate and pleasant smelling. However, the Kirsop's remind us, with this goal of having everything "smell good" comes personal risks. They call attention to an abstract published by the National Institutes of Health which says:
"Fragranced consumer products, such as cleaning supplies, air fresheners, and personal care products, are a primary source of indoor air pollutants and personal exposure. Previous research indicates that fragranced products can trigger adverse health effects, with implications for workplaces and public places. The study investigated the prevalence and types of fragranced product exposures, associated health effects, awareness of product emissions, and preferences for fragrance-free policies and environments. Data were collected using an online survey with a nationally representative population (n = 1136) of adults in the USA. Overall, 34.7 % of the population reported health problems, such as migraine headaches and respiratory difficulties, when exposed to fragranced products. Further, 15.1 % have lost workdays or a job due to fragranced product exposure in the workplace. Also, 20.2 % would enter a business but then leave as quickly as possible if they smell air fresheners or some fragranced product. Over 50 % of the population would prefer that workplaces, health care facilities and professionals, hotels, and airplanes were fragrance-free. While prior research found that common fragranced products, even those called green and organic, emitted hazardous air pollutants, more than two thirds of the population were not aware of this, and over 60 % would not continue to use a fragranced product if they knew it emitted such pollutants. Results from this study provide strong evidence that fragranced products can trigger adverse health effects in the general population. The study also indicates that reducing exposure to fragranced products, such as through fragrance-free policies, can provide cost-effective and relatively simple ways to reduce risks and improve air quality and health."
The full abstract is certainly worth reading and can be found by clicking on this web address:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5093181/
Also of interest is the internet article below which not only reinforces the problems we face, but also provides some alternatives.
The Danger of Air Freshener and 10 Alternatives for a Great Smelling Home
by Kimberly Snyder | Mar 10, 2012 |
You’ve probably seen the commercial: A mom walks into a teenager’s room, takes a sniff and tells him no “nice” girl would ever want him because his room smells like (shocker!) teenage boy. She tells him it’s time to “wash” his room and hands him a bottle of Febreze, which he proceeds to spritz on every stinking surface in the room, from his pillow to his bed. In the next scene a girl walks in, sniffs around, and decides the boy is all right. There’s so much wrong with this commercial, I could go on for hours… but I want to focus on the one that is going to have a long-term effect on health: air fresheners. They can be quite harmful to your health, and the same can be said about disposable diapers.
I always gag when I walk into a Febreze-sprayed room. The worst is when the cleaning crew uses it like crazy in actors’ trailers, and then we have to sit in there all day.
Air fresheners come in many different forms, from air and fabric sprays to plug in “burners” to solids. While they can perfume the air of your home, they don’t actually neutralize smells and they can wreak havoc on your home’s air quality.
What’s in Air Freshener
According to the EPA1, air fresheners contains four basic ingredients: formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, aerosol propellants, and p-dichlorobenzene.
Formaldehyde can cause a number of health effects including:
- Watery eyes
- Burning eye, nose, throat and other mucous membranes
- Difficulty breathing
- Nausea
- Asthma attacks
- Respiratory problems
- Asthma
- Chemical pneumonia
- Pulmonary damage
- Increased cancer risk
- Breathing problems
- Development of chronic health issues
- Anemia
- Skin lesions
- Liver damage
- Loss of appetite
- Changes to the blood
It’s quite ironic, really, that something designed to “improve” indoor air quality by making it smell better actually winds up making your home more toxic. Studies show that use of air fresheners in the home can trigger asthma and allergies, along with other breathing problems. Because your home is a relatively closed space, adding elements that diminish air quality can harm your family and contribute to the toxic brew of chemicals that wind up trapped in your system. Air fresheners can also harm pets, which have a faster metabolism. They may also be especially dangerous for people with pulmonary conditions such as asthma, allergies, or COPD.
Alternatives to Air Freshener
Everyone’s home can get a little stale from time to time. If you’d like to sweeten your environment, however, you can make far healthier choices than air fresheners. Here are a few suggestions.
1. Make a pomander. Stud an orange with whole cloves and cure it in the oven on low heat for about an hour – or place it in a paper bag somewhere cool and dry for about six weeks. Hang it with a ribbon or set in a pretty bowl to sweetly scent the area.
2. Open the windows. Every house can benefit from a good airing out. On a day with good air quality and a slight breeze, open your windows for a few hours. Open windows on all sides of the house to create a cross breeze that gets air moving.
3. Simmer spices. You can simmer spices such as whole cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg on the stovetop or in a simmering pot.
4. Odor absorbers: Use a neutral odor absorbent such as a box of baking soda in a stinky area, or sprinkle especially smelly spots (such as the garbage can) with a little vinegar and baking soda.
5. Vinegar can remove odors from surfaces when you spray a little on and wipe it up.
6. Create your own potpourri from bulk herbs, flowers, and spices and leave a little in a bowl.
7. Use essential oils. Dab a little on a light bulb or a warmer to gently scent a room.
8. Put a little citrus peel down the garbage disposal and turn it on to de-stink your drain.
9. Eliminate cooking odors by placing a shallow bowl of vinegar nearest the scent.
10. Soak a cotton ball in vanilla and place it in a bowl where you want your home to smell better.
Try these natural options- and ditch the toxic, store-bought air fresheners!