#cleaningproducts — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #cleaningproducts, aggregated by home.social.
-
More about #Maine's #PFASBan from July 2025.
Excerpt:
"The Department of Environmental Protection is also recommending the board reject exemptions for #KitchenAppliances, #coffeemakers, electric fragrance warmers, and components in #CleaningProducts and furniture."Maine passed an amended law to ban #PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in 2024. Starting next year, it will be illegal to sell a range of products from #SkiWax to #cosmetics, that include intentionally added PFAS.
PFAS are known as 'forever chemicals' because they do not easily break down in the natural environment or living tissue. The products have been linked to serious health problems in humans, including cancer, kidney disease and low birth weight."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/adI0c#selection-1435.4-1463.13#MainePol #PFASBan #PFASPollution
#SaferChemicals #PFOS #Pollution #ForeverChemicals -
Letting it air out after another light-ish scrubbing. Let's see...
#plasticCleaning #laptopCases #laptop #plastic #cleaningTips #cleaningPlastic #cleaningProducts -
How to Make Natural #Beeswax #FurniturePolish (Three Recipes)
Three flexible recipes for all-natural beeswax wood polish. One is a simple two-ingredient food-safe recipe that you can use to give shine to wooden kitchen implements and dishes. The second is a natural beeswax furniture polish recipe that protects wood and gives a soft glow to tables, cabinets, and other wooden furniture. The last is a traditional one that beekeepers make with harvested beeswax. Vegan alternatives to beeswax are also provided.
By Tanya Anderson, January 23, 2024
Excerpt: "Waxes for Furniture Polish
Beeswax is a medium-hard wax created by bees that adds a protective, water-resistant coating to wood and a mellow glow. I harvest it from my own hives, but you can buy it easily enough. Keep in mind that it is vegetarian but not vegan. A vegan alternative would be candelilla wax, rice bran wax, or coconut wax. Paraffin wax is another idea, but it’s not a natural ingredient.
Carnauba wax is a very hard palm tree wax with properties similar to beeswax in furniture polish recipes. It gives a hard, glossy shine to wood. If you want to use vegan wax to make beeswax furniture polish, this is a good option."Learn more:
https://lovelygreens.com/how-to-make-natural-beeswax-furniture/ -
Clean Your Kitchen Vents Day.
#kitchencleaning #cleaning #cleaningservice #deepcleaning #bathroomcleaning #clean #cleaningmotivation #housecleaning #cleaningservices #cleaningcompany #homecleaning #cleaningtips #cleanhome #residentialcleaning #commercialcleaning #carpetcleaning #cleaninghacks #officecleaning #windowcleaning #kitchen #cleaningproducts #atlcleaningservice #atlcleaner #blackownedbusiness #restaurant #kitchenclean #moveincleaning #cleankitchen…
https://itsmostamazingindia.wordpress.com/2025/06/16/clean-your-kitchen-vents-day/
-
Just used some of this today. I have to say I was dubious about the results having been disappointed by other cleaning products like shower cleaners.
** But this stuff really works **
Just like it says it is magic
<< Remove mould & mildew on all colourfast curtains, blinds, drapes, fabric linings, nets, and thermal backed curtains… in minutes, and without taking them down! >>
Curtain Magic Works !. https://curtainmagic.co.nz/
-
Cleaning products can really effect me based on their odor and also their effect on my eyes/nose.
One product I really like are these toilet bowl cleaner tabs from Unscented Company. I didn't think they'd work but I drop them into the toilet, wait a few minutes, run the brush along the outer edges, and it's all clean. As good as harsh chemicals, no smell, biodegradable, all that good stuff.
https://unscentedco.com/products/toilet-bowl-cleaner-22-tabs-1
I'm not paid by them. I'm not getting anything for this. I just really like the product and I'm suggesting it if you are also looking for unscented, eco-friendly home cleaning products.
-
#FloorWaxing could be an important source of #PFAS #contamination, with increased #occupational health risks for #workers
May 25, 2022
"There’s a special satisfaction that comes from walking on perfectly shined floors — but is it worth the potential risk to floor waxing workers?
"A study published earlier this year measured per- and #polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in #dust and airborne #ParticulateMatter [which means it's going into the air that everyone breathes -- just not humans] during professional floor stripping and waxing. After estimating PFAS emission rates generated from the process, researchers concluded that significantly higher levels of PFAS were present during floor waxing.
"The study was led by Jiaqi Zhou, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. Collaborators include Karsten Baumann; Naomi Chang; Glenn Morrison; Wanda Bodnar; Zhenfa Zhang; Jason Surratt; and Barbara J. Turpin — all with the Gillings School — and Joanna M. Atkin, with UNC’s Department of Chemistry.
"PFAS are human-produced chemicals commonly used in industry and consumer products. Most PFAS do not break down over time, so they remain in the environment and in the bodies of exposed human and #animals long after initial use. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to PFAS may be linked to harmful health effects, which was the impetus for this study.
"Published in Atmospheric Environment, the paper reports that floor waxing floor waxing workers could have increased occupational health risks due to PFAS exposures.
“Assessment of occupational exposure due to floor maintenance is important because PFAS exposures can lead to increased risk of #cancer, #immunotoxicity and #neurodevelopmental problems, the co-authors write."
#PFASPollution #WaterIsLife #EnvironmentalPollution #CleaningProducts #FloorWax #EnvironmentalPollution
-
#FloorWaxing could be an important source of #PFAS #contamination, with increased #occupational health risks for #workers
May 25, 2022
"There’s a special satisfaction that comes from walking on perfectly shined floors — but is it worth the potential risk to floor waxing workers?
"A study published earlier this year measured per- and #polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in #dust and airborne #ParticulateMatter [which means it's going into the air that everyone breathes -- just not humans] during professional floor stripping and waxing. After estimating PFAS emission rates generated from the process, researchers concluded that significantly higher levels of PFAS were present during floor waxing.
"The study was led by Jiaqi Zhou, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. Collaborators include Karsten Baumann; Naomi Chang; Glenn Morrison; Wanda Bodnar; Zhenfa Zhang; Jason Surratt; and Barbara J. Turpin — all with the Gillings School — and Joanna M. Atkin, with UNC’s Department of Chemistry.
"PFAS are human-produced chemicals commonly used in industry and consumer products. Most PFAS do not break down over time, so they remain in the environment and in the bodies of exposed human and #animals long after initial use. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to PFAS may be linked to harmful health effects, which was the impetus for this study.
"Published in Atmospheric Environment, the paper reports that floor waxing floor waxing workers could have increased occupational health risks due to PFAS exposures.
“Assessment of occupational exposure due to floor maintenance is important because PFAS exposures can lead to increased risk of #cancer, #immunotoxicity and #neurodevelopmental problems, the co-authors write."
#PFASPollution #WaterIsLife #EnvironmentalPollution #CleaningProducts #FloorWax #EnvironmentalPollution
-
#FloorWaxing could be an important source of #PFAS #contamination, with increased #occupational health risks for #workers
May 25, 2022
"There’s a special satisfaction that comes from walking on perfectly shined floors — but is it worth the potential risk to floor waxing workers?
"A study published earlier this year measured per- and #polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in #dust and airborne #ParticulateMatter [which means it's going into the air that everyone breathes -- just not humans] during professional floor stripping and waxing. After estimating PFAS emission rates generated from the process, researchers concluded that significantly higher levels of PFAS were present during floor waxing.
"The study was led by Jiaqi Zhou, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. Collaborators include Karsten Baumann; Naomi Chang; Glenn Morrison; Wanda Bodnar; Zhenfa Zhang; Jason Surratt; and Barbara J. Turpin — all with the Gillings School — and Joanna M. Atkin, with UNC’s Department of Chemistry.
"PFAS are human-produced chemicals commonly used in industry and consumer products. Most PFAS do not break down over time, so they remain in the environment and in the bodies of exposed human and #animals long after initial use. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to PFAS may be linked to harmful health effects, which was the impetus for this study.
"Published in Atmospheric Environment, the paper reports that floor waxing floor waxing workers could have increased occupational health risks due to PFAS exposures.
“Assessment of occupational exposure due to floor maintenance is important because PFAS exposures can lead to increased risk of #cancer, #immunotoxicity and #neurodevelopmental problems, the co-authors write."
#PFASPollution #WaterIsLife #EnvironmentalPollution #CleaningProducts #FloorWax #EnvironmentalPollution
-
#FloorWaxing could be an important source of #PFAS #contamination, with increased #occupational health risks for #workers
May 25, 2022
"There’s a special satisfaction that comes from walking on perfectly shined floors — but is it worth the potential risk to floor waxing workers?
"A study published earlier this year measured per- and #polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in #dust and airborne #ParticulateMatter [which means it's going into the air that everyone breathes -- just not humans] during professional floor stripping and waxing. After estimating PFAS emission rates generated from the process, researchers concluded that significantly higher levels of PFAS were present during floor waxing.
"The study was led by Jiaqi Zhou, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. Collaborators include Karsten Baumann; Naomi Chang; Glenn Morrison; Wanda Bodnar; Zhenfa Zhang; Jason Surratt; and Barbara J. Turpin — all with the Gillings School — and Joanna M. Atkin, with UNC’s Department of Chemistry.
"PFAS are human-produced chemicals commonly used in industry and consumer products. Most PFAS do not break down over time, so they remain in the environment and in the bodies of exposed human and #animals long after initial use. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to PFAS may be linked to harmful health effects, which was the impetus for this study.
"Published in Atmospheric Environment, the paper reports that floor waxing floor waxing workers could have increased occupational health risks due to PFAS exposures.
“Assessment of occupational exposure due to floor maintenance is important because PFAS exposures can lead to increased risk of #cancer, #immunotoxicity and #neurodevelopmental problems, the co-authors write."
#PFASPollution #WaterIsLife #EnvironmentalPollution #CleaningProducts #FloorWax #EnvironmentalPollution
-
#FloorWaxing could be an important source of #PFAS #contamination, with increased #occupational health risks for #workers
May 25, 2022
"There’s a special satisfaction that comes from walking on perfectly shined floors — but is it worth the potential risk to floor waxing workers?
"A study published earlier this year measured per- and #polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in #dust and airborne #ParticulateMatter [which means it's going into the air that everyone breathes -- just not humans] during professional floor stripping and waxing. After estimating PFAS emission rates generated from the process, researchers concluded that significantly higher levels of PFAS were present during floor waxing.
"The study was led by Jiaqi Zhou, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at the UNC-Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health. Collaborators include Karsten Baumann; Naomi Chang; Glenn Morrison; Wanda Bodnar; Zhenfa Zhang; Jason Surratt; and Barbara J. Turpin — all with the Gillings School — and Joanna M. Atkin, with UNC’s Department of Chemistry.
"PFAS are human-produced chemicals commonly used in industry and consumer products. Most PFAS do not break down over time, so they remain in the environment and in the bodies of exposed human and #animals long after initial use. Scientific studies have shown that exposure to PFAS may be linked to harmful health effects, which was the impetus for this study.
"Published in Atmospheric Environment, the paper reports that floor waxing floor waxing workers could have increased occupational health risks due to PFAS exposures.
“Assessment of occupational exposure due to floor maintenance is important because PFAS exposures can lead to increased risk of #cancer, #immunotoxicity and #neurodevelopmental problems, the co-authors write."
#PFASPollution #WaterIsLife #EnvironmentalPollution #CleaningProducts #FloorWax #EnvironmentalPollution
-
Study to focus on how #PFAS travels from Maine's rural schools to #ResidentialWells
MDI Bio Lab plans to sample water from homeowners near several #HancockCounty schools."Scientists say #cleaning supplies and #FloorWax commonly used in schools are made with PFAS chemicals that go through septic systems and seep into the #groundwater. Mount Desert Island Regional School System Superintendent Mike Zboray said the district hopes to switch to #PFASfree alternatives."
Author: Vivien Leigh (NEWS CENTER Maine)
Published: 6:15 PM EDT May 23, 2024BAR HARBOR, Maine — Researchers plan to test residential wells near several Hancock County schools to determine if their wastewater is causing the spread of PFAS chemicals.
Filtration systems were installed at Mount Desert High School several years ago after elevated levels of toxic chemicals were discovered in its drinking water.
#Maine #PFASPollution #FloorWax #Schools #MaineSchools #WaterIsLife #EnvironmentalPollution #CleaningProducts
-
Chemicals Found In Popular Household Products Potentially Linked To Autism, Multiple Sclerosis, Study Suggests
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ariannajohnson/2024/03/25/chemicals-found-in-popular-household-products-potentially-linked-to-autism-multiple-sclerosis-study-suggests/ #health #autism #multiplesclerosis #consumersafety #productsafety #birthdefects #cleaningproducts #flameretardant -
Wool can be made without killing animals. I think we need to go back to using #hemp, #wood and #wool -- and less synthetics. But most of all, make furniture and rugs that last -- so generation after generation can use them!
What You Need to Know About #OffGassing
Even after an install, a project’s furnishings and finishes can leach harmful chemicals into the air for years through a process called off-gassing. Here’s how you can combat it.
by Audrey Gray
"'Okay, I want to tell you about some things,' she recalls telling her client, going on to carefully explain the dangers inherent in both flooring choices—primarily the health impacts of chemical inhalants. Not only would these #chemicals flood a home during the installation of new #carpet or #vinyl planks, but they would continue to gradually leach into the air for years to come—a more subtle (but dangerous) process referred to as off-gassing. Thompson didn’t want her client’s family exposed to a vapor stew of chemicals every day, least of all in the yoga space, where the whole point was to breathe deeply while near the floor.
"She offered her client some carefully sourced options such as an all-wool carpet with a natural #rubber pad, and advocated for solid, #sustainably sourced wood downstairs instead of a composite of plastics. 'I thought she’d be excited,' Thompson says. 'But because of her beliefs about animal rights, I learned that wool wasn’t acceptable to her…and there were price point issues too. I thought, ‘Wow, this is a whole new level I hadn’t encountered.’”
"Welcome to what materials experts call 'one of the most complicated issues in health and wellness,' the murky and unregulated (at least in the U.S.—Europe is much stricter) relationships humans have with thousands of airborne #toxins emanating from our building materials, #furnishings, #CleaningProducts, #CarInteriors, #iPads, and even #candles.
"'Nobody’s telling you what is coming from all those vapors mixing in the air,' says Jillian Pritchard Cooke, the founder of Wellness Within Your Walls, an education consultancy focused on dramatically reducing the dangers of off-gassing in the built environment. 'It’s up to us to understand the individual effects each chemical can have on your #NervousSystem, your #lungs, and your cellular makeup. We need to be doing right by our clients.'
"Designers have, of course, been aware of the dangers of volatile organic compounds (#VOCs) for a long time, and have helped influence some wins in the marketplace, like the rising popularity of low- or no-VOC paints and the 2015 ban Home Depot and Lowe’s instituted in 2015 on toxic #phthalates (a class of industrial chemicals that help make plastic bendy) in flooring.
"But the problem endures, and unfortunately, many of the worst effects of VOCs—showing up in health conditions—accumulate over long periods of time.
"One of the best arguments for incorporating #vintage pieces in design, apart from saving space in landfills and decreasing carbon emissions, is that they are far safer from an off-gassing perspective. #Recycling building materials (for instance, saving the doors during a retrofit) helps too."
#Recycle #Repair #Reuse
#ThrowawayCulture #Synthetics #Plastics #Pollution #Underconsumption -
Wool can be made without killing animals. I think we need to go back to using #hemp, #wood and #wool -- and less synthetics. But most of all, make furniture and rugs that last -- so generation after generation can use them!
What You Need to Know About #OffGassing
Even after an install, a project’s furnishings and finishes can leach harmful chemicals into the air for years through a process called off-gassing. Here’s how you can combat it.
by Audrey Gray
"'Okay, I want to tell you about some things,' she recalls telling her client, going on to carefully explain the dangers inherent in both flooring choices—primarily the health impacts of chemical inhalants. Not only would these #chemicals flood a home during the installation of new #carpet or #vinyl planks, but they would continue to gradually leach into the air for years to come—a more subtle (but dangerous) process referred to as off-gassing. Thompson didn’t want her client’s family exposed to a vapor stew of chemicals every day, least of all in the yoga space, where the whole point was to breathe deeply while near the floor.
"She offered her client some carefully sourced options such as an all-wool carpet with a natural #rubber pad, and advocated for solid, #sustainably sourced wood downstairs instead of a composite of plastics. 'I thought she’d be excited,' Thompson says. 'But because of her beliefs about animal rights, I learned that wool wasn’t acceptable to her…and there were price point issues too. I thought, ‘Wow, this is a whole new level I hadn’t encountered.’”
"Welcome to what materials experts call 'one of the most complicated issues in health and wellness,' the murky and unregulated (at least in the U.S.—Europe is much stricter) relationships humans have with thousands of airborne #toxins emanating from our building materials, #furnishings, #CleaningProducts, #CarInteriors, #iPads, and even #candles.
"'Nobody’s telling you what is coming from all those vapors mixing in the air,' says Jillian Pritchard Cooke, the founder of Wellness Within Your Walls, an education consultancy focused on dramatically reducing the dangers of off-gassing in the built environment. 'It’s up to us to understand the individual effects each chemical can have on your #NervousSystem, your #lungs, and your cellular makeup. We need to be doing right by our clients.'
"Designers have, of course, been aware of the dangers of volatile organic compounds (#VOCs) for a long time, and have helped influence some wins in the marketplace, like the rising popularity of low- or no-VOC paints and the 2015 ban Home Depot and Lowe’s instituted in 2015 on toxic #phthalates (a class of industrial chemicals that help make plastic bendy) in flooring.
"But the problem endures, and unfortunately, many of the worst effects of VOCs—showing up in health conditions—accumulate over long periods of time.
"One of the best arguments for incorporating #vintage pieces in design, apart from saving space in landfills and decreasing carbon emissions, is that they are far safer from an off-gassing perspective. #Recycling building materials (for instance, saving the doors during a retrofit) helps too."
#Recycle #Repair #Reuse
#ThrowawayCulture #Synthetics #Plastics #Pollution #Underconsumption -
Wool can be made without killing animals. I think we need to go back to using #hemp, #wood and #wool -- and less synthetics. But most of all, make furniture and rugs that last -- so generation after generation can use them!
What You Need to Know About #OffGassing
Even after an install, a project’s furnishings and finishes can leach harmful chemicals into the air for years through a process called off-gassing. Here’s how you can combat it.
by Audrey Gray
"'Okay, I want to tell you about some things,' she recalls telling her client, going on to carefully explain the dangers inherent in both flooring choices—primarily the health impacts of chemical inhalants. Not only would these #chemicals flood a home during the installation of new #carpet or #vinyl planks, but they would continue to gradually leach into the air for years to come—a more subtle (but dangerous) process referred to as off-gassing. Thompson didn’t want her client’s family exposed to a vapor stew of chemicals every day, least of all in the yoga space, where the whole point was to breathe deeply while near the floor.
"She offered her client some carefully sourced options such as an all-wool carpet with a natural #rubber pad, and advocated for solid, #sustainably sourced wood downstairs instead of a composite of plastics. 'I thought she’d be excited,' Thompson says. 'But because of her beliefs about animal rights, I learned that wool wasn’t acceptable to her…and there were price point issues too. I thought, ‘Wow, this is a whole new level I hadn’t encountered.’”
"Welcome to what materials experts call 'one of the most complicated issues in health and wellness,' the murky and unregulated (at least in the U.S.—Europe is much stricter) relationships humans have with thousands of airborne #toxins emanating from our building materials, #furnishings, #CleaningProducts, #CarInteriors, #iPads, and even #candles.
"'Nobody’s telling you what is coming from all those vapors mixing in the air,' says Jillian Pritchard Cooke, the founder of Wellness Within Your Walls, an education consultancy focused on dramatically reducing the dangers of off-gassing in the built environment. 'It’s up to us to understand the individual effects each chemical can have on your #NervousSystem, your #lungs, and your cellular makeup. We need to be doing right by our clients.'
"Designers have, of course, been aware of the dangers of volatile organic compounds (#VOCs) for a long time, and have helped influence some wins in the marketplace, like the rising popularity of low- or no-VOC paints and the 2015 ban Home Depot and Lowe’s instituted in 2015 on toxic #phthalates (a class of industrial chemicals that help make plastic bendy) in flooring.
"But the problem endures, and unfortunately, many of the worst effects of VOCs—showing up in health conditions—accumulate over long periods of time.
"One of the best arguments for incorporating #vintage pieces in design, apart from saving space in landfills and decreasing carbon emissions, is that they are far safer from an off-gassing perspective. #Recycling building materials (for instance, saving the doors during a retrofit) helps too."
#Recycle #Repair #Reuse
#ThrowawayCulture #Synthetics #Plastics #Pollution #Underconsumption -
Wool can be made without killing animals. I think we need to go back to using #hemp, #wood and #wool -- and less synthetics. But most of all, make furniture and rugs that last -- so generation after generation can use them!
What You Need to Know About #OffGassing
Even after an install, a project’s furnishings and finishes can leach harmful chemicals into the air for years through a process called off-gassing. Here’s how you can combat it.
by Audrey Gray
"'Okay, I want to tell you about some things,' she recalls telling her client, going on to carefully explain the dangers inherent in both flooring choices—primarily the health impacts of chemical inhalants. Not only would these #chemicals flood a home during the installation of new #carpet or #vinyl planks, but they would continue to gradually leach into the air for years to come—a more subtle (but dangerous) process referred to as off-gassing. Thompson didn’t want her client’s family exposed to a vapor stew of chemicals every day, least of all in the yoga space, where the whole point was to breathe deeply while near the floor.
"She offered her client some carefully sourced options such as an all-wool carpet with a natural #rubber pad, and advocated for solid, #sustainably sourced wood downstairs instead of a composite of plastics. 'I thought she’d be excited,' Thompson says. 'But because of her beliefs about animal rights, I learned that wool wasn’t acceptable to her…and there were price point issues too. I thought, ‘Wow, this is a whole new level I hadn’t encountered.’”
"Welcome to what materials experts call 'one of the most complicated issues in health and wellness,' the murky and unregulated (at least in the U.S.—Europe is much stricter) relationships humans have with thousands of airborne #toxins emanating from our building materials, #furnishings, #CleaningProducts, #CarInteriors, #iPads, and even #candles.
"'Nobody’s telling you what is coming from all those vapors mixing in the air,' says Jillian Pritchard Cooke, the founder of Wellness Within Your Walls, an education consultancy focused on dramatically reducing the dangers of off-gassing in the built environment. 'It’s up to us to understand the individual effects each chemical can have on your #NervousSystem, your #lungs, and your cellular makeup. We need to be doing right by our clients.'
"Designers have, of course, been aware of the dangers of volatile organic compounds (#VOCs) for a long time, and have helped influence some wins in the marketplace, like the rising popularity of low- or no-VOC paints and the 2015 ban Home Depot and Lowe’s instituted in 2015 on toxic #phthalates (a class of industrial chemicals that help make plastic bendy) in flooring.
"But the problem endures, and unfortunately, many of the worst effects of VOCs—showing up in health conditions—accumulate over long periods of time.
"One of the best arguments for incorporating #vintage pieces in design, apart from saving space in landfills and decreasing carbon emissions, is that they are far safer from an off-gassing perspective. #Recycling building materials (for instance, saving the doors during a retrofit) helps too."
#Recycle #Repair #Reuse
#ThrowawayCulture #Synthetics #Plastics #Pollution #Underconsumption -
Wool can be made without killing animals. I think we need to go back to using #hemp, #wood and #wool -- and less synthetics. But most of all, make furniture and rugs that last -- so generation after generation can use them!
What You Need to Know About #OffGassing
Even after an install, a project’s furnishings and finishes can leach harmful chemicals into the air for years through a process called off-gassing. Here’s how you can combat it.
by Audrey Gray
"'Okay, I want to tell you about some things,' she recalls telling her client, going on to carefully explain the dangers inherent in both flooring choices—primarily the health impacts of chemical inhalants. Not only would these #chemicals flood a home during the installation of new #carpet or #vinyl planks, but they would continue to gradually leach into the air for years to come—a more subtle (but dangerous) process referred to as off-gassing. Thompson didn’t want her client’s family exposed to a vapor stew of chemicals every day, least of all in the yoga space, where the whole point was to breathe deeply while near the floor.
"She offered her client some carefully sourced options such as an all-wool carpet with a natural #rubber pad, and advocated for solid, #sustainably sourced wood downstairs instead of a composite of plastics. 'I thought she’d be excited,' Thompson says. 'But because of her beliefs about animal rights, I learned that wool wasn’t acceptable to her…and there were price point issues too. I thought, ‘Wow, this is a whole new level I hadn’t encountered.’”
"Welcome to what materials experts call 'one of the most complicated issues in health and wellness,' the murky and unregulated (at least in the U.S.—Europe is much stricter) relationships humans have with thousands of airborne #toxins emanating from our building materials, #furnishings, #CleaningProducts, #CarInteriors, #iPads, and even #candles.
"'Nobody’s telling you what is coming from all those vapors mixing in the air,' says Jillian Pritchard Cooke, the founder of Wellness Within Your Walls, an education consultancy focused on dramatically reducing the dangers of off-gassing in the built environment. 'It’s up to us to understand the individual effects each chemical can have on your #NervousSystem, your #lungs, and your cellular makeup. We need to be doing right by our clients.'
"Designers have, of course, been aware of the dangers of volatile organic compounds (#VOCs) for a long time, and have helped influence some wins in the marketplace, like the rising popularity of low- or no-VOC paints and the 2015 ban Home Depot and Lowe’s instituted in 2015 on toxic #phthalates (a class of industrial chemicals that help make plastic bendy) in flooring.
"But the problem endures, and unfortunately, many of the worst effects of VOCs—showing up in health conditions—accumulate over long periods of time.
"One of the best arguments for incorporating #vintage pieces in design, apart from saving space in landfills and decreasing carbon emissions, is that they are far safer from an off-gassing perspective. #Recycling building materials (for instance, saving the doors during a retrofit) helps too."
#Recycle #Repair #Reuse
#ThrowawayCulture #Synthetics #Plastics #Pollution #Underconsumption