Don’t be fooled into buying those cute little air fresheners at the grocery store, even if they look totally “green” they’re probably full of crap like benzene and other nasty, toxic chemicals.
Check out what Scientific American had to say about your typical drugstore air freshener:
“Some of the most offensive ingredients—volatile organic compounds (VOCs), benzene and formaldehyde—can cause headaches and nausea and aggravate asthma, and have been linked to neurological damage and cancer. Perhaps even more worrisome, though, are dispersants known as phthalates that cause hormonal and reproductive issues, birth defects and developmental disorders. A 2007 review by the non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that 12 out of 14 widely available air fresheners contained phthalates. Some of the air fresheners that tested positive for phthalates were labeled as “all-natural” or “unscented.””
What to do?
First, just like that toxic Teflon pan you have, throw them out! And then if you have something in your house that’s smelling bad, open a window and then then put out a small bowl of white vinegar to absorb lingering odors. According to Rodale, “Beeswax candles are great alternatives to scented candles and actually help clean your indoor air by producing negative ions.”
Open windows, vinegar and beeswax candles. Sounds like a simple solution to me!