Majority of us use air fresheners such as Lysol and Febreze on a regular basis to get that fresh scent we all love in our homes. But despite the aroma it may give off, what else is in these products that may be harmful to our health?
Believe it or not, many air fresheners are made with formaldehyde; which is a well known carcinogen, naphthalene; a suspected carcinogen, toluene; which has been known to cause liver and kidney damage, and xylene; which is a neurotoxin.
So how do these fresheners work? Even though they may smell great, they’re simply just masking an undesirable odor rather than getting rid of it. Others use a nerve-deadening chemical that negatively affects our sense of smell. Some even let out an oily film that coats our nasal passages, and many can trigger asthma attacks and affect our central nervous system.
What can you do to get that fresh aroma around your home, and be environmentally friendly at the same time? There are a few things:
1. Make sure you have good ventilation in your home
2. Use baking soda as your deodorizer around the house, or use a non-aerosol, essential oil based, eco-friendly air freshener
3. Or make air freshener with 1/2 cup baking soda and 20 drops of an essential oil. Store in a jar and punch holes in the lid. (Credit: http://www.davidsuzuki.org)
A Few Things About Air Fresheners You Probably Didn’t Know
