From choosing the right furniture to adding the right kind of décor items, a lot of time and efforts go into making our homes beautiful. Home enhancement is not just limited to making space look soothing to the eyes but also means it should smell fresh all day long. Nearly every home these days has room fresheners. Another major source of fragrance in our daily life is provided by the perfumes we use.
But, did you know that these aromas, no matter how good they smell, are causing more harm to you than you can imagine? These artificially generated fragrances can be a major cause of indoor air pollution. Let’s understand how room fresheners and perfumes are contributing to and aggravating indoor air pollution.
How does air freshener affect Health and environment?
Air fresheners, room fresheners, and perfumes contain numerous harsh chemicals, which are mostly the major ingredients. Air fresheners contain chemicals like formaldehyde, benzene and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) that cause headache, asthma and even cancer in some cases. Perfumes and similar products contain chemicals like phthalates and VOCs too. The substances present in scented products blend with air inside your home, causing indoor air pollution. These VOCs present in the scented products react with sunlight and other chemicals in the air to form ozone pollution, which is carcinogenic in nature. Ozone pollution created by VOCs generates a range of secondary air pollutants such as formaldehyde and ultra-fine particles, causing serious health issues related to the heart and lungs. Phthalates present in fragrances are linked to health problems like headaches, irritation in eyes, nose, and throat, nausea, asthma, sinus, hormonal and respiratory issues to name a few.
Ways to get rid of these indoor air pollutants
One of the first steps to take care of this situation is by controlling the usage of perfumes and room fresheners in our daily lives. While completely discontinuing the usage of perfumes and room fresheners seems like a distant reality, we must take some steps to keep our indoor air as pollution-free as we want it to smell good. The best solution to the problem of indoor air pollution caused by room fresheners and perfumes is installing an air purifier in your home. There are several air purifiers present in the market. It is important that you check all the features before choosing the right air purifier for your home.
A lot of factors contribute to indoor air pollution, many of which we are unaware of. And most of these indoor air pollutants can be taken care of with an air purifier.