Fragrances and Indoor Air Pollution

May 30th, 2007

Many of us don't think about the air in our homes or workplaces when we think of air pollution. Instead we think of the black exhaust coming out of the city bus in front of us or a factory with smoke billowing from the stacks. However, there are many things that can and probably are making your indoor air quality plummet.

Some of these things happen infrequently such as new paint or carpeting. That new smell could be a sign of toxins that are working there way out of the materials and into your air. Fortunately ventilation and time should reduce the problem. Other contributors to poor air quality are used on a daily basis. Cleaning supplies for both your home and your body are full of chemicals and then mixed with more chemicals in the form of fragrance. The idea of fragrance isn't air polluting it's the fact that nearly everything these day has synthetic fragrances and it can put us on overload.

So if you are the type of person that likes to use fragrance to make your surroundings better make sure you avoid synthetic scents. Air fresheners that plug in or spray, low quality aromatherapy oils, and some types of scented candles are just a few examples of the main contributors to poor indoor air quality that we use to try and improve air quality.

Again it's not the fragrance that's a bad thing - it's the synthetic chemicals that simulate natural fragrances. So if you want to improve your indoor air quality it's helpful to stick with natural materials whenever you can. Build with wood and stone, clean with green products, and use fresh flowers and beeswax candles to add wonderful natural fragrances to your home.

- Jennifer