ALERT! Here’s what happened.
This is a tale of two hotels. It was the best of stays and it was the worst of stays. This summer I stayed in a new, exceedingly clean hotel in Wake Forest, NC. The manager was proud of his hotel’s investment of $50,000 in an indoor air handling and filtration system during construction. No noticeable odors were anywhere in the hotel. This was not a high-end property, just a company that cares about healthy indoor air for its guests and its employees.
Then a few days later I stayed in a higher-end hotel in Mooresville, NC. As the elevator door opened to my floor, I was hit by an overpowering smell of air deodorizer being pumped full blast into the hallway. There was no escaping it. The manager tried to explain it away saying that corporate management insisted on the fragrance. She claimed it was “aromatherapy”. I had to stuff a towel against the bottom of my room door, so the ‘aroma’ did not penetrate my room.
Things to consider.
Air fresheners are heavily marketed, trying to convince you that you can have the odor of pine forests, tropical flowers, or sea breezes in your home. What they don’t tell you is the air fresheners are made up of chemicals, and you are breathing in chemical vapors.
There are four basic ingredients in air fresheners: formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, p-dichlorobenzene, and aerosol propellants. They are strong irritants to eyes, skin, and throat, and the solid ones can cause death if eaten by people or pets. They are usually highly flammable and should not be used near open flames like candles or gas stoves. Use only in well ventilated area.
Most of us are exposed to air fresheners – since millions use them at home. We are also exposed to them in public bathrooms, and in many offices, retail stores, and restaurants.
TAKE ACTION! Here’s the good news about what you can do.
For many of us, getting rid of odors in our home can be as simple as opening some windows and letting in fresh outdoor air.
Try to eliminate the source of odors before they start:
- Move food and garbage outside or keep in enclosed containers.
- Clean up immediately after pet’s messes and keep them clean.
Baking soda, which is not toxic, can also be used to freshen the air in your home.
Help reduce the use of air fresheners now that you know these chemicals can affect your health.
