A Breath of Fresher Air

You may have remembered my post a few weeks ago about toxins in household cleaning products and the harmful effects they have on our health. Well, I never had the chance to get into one of the most toxic, yet commonly used products out there. I'm talking about air fresheners. The reason people keep on using these toxic-bad for the environment "air fresheners" is because people associate smelling good with being clean. I gotta say, toxic or non-toxic, masking odors with a fresh scent is like never brushing your teeth and just chewing minty gum instead (nasty!) Aside from masking smells, air fresheners are full of harmful substances that are so bad for our health. What's worse, these air fresheners won't kill any mold, germs, or bacteria, which is probably why your home has a bad odor in the first place. Not only are you harming your health by using toxic air fresheners, but the mold, germs, and bacteria are still there.

Reasons to Avoid Air Fresheners

1. Many brands contain phthalates which cause developmental and reproductive problems. Most companies won't list this in their ingredient list!!
2. Many brands contain formaldehyde which can increase your risk of developing asthma by 30-50%!
3. When a UW engineering professor analyzed of some of these popular items, she found 100 different volatile organic compounds measuring 300 parts per billion or more -- some of which can be cancerous or cause harm to respiratory, reproductive, neurological and other organ systems.
4. I read an article before (can't find it now, so don't quote me on this one) some air fresheners which claim to be "odor neutralizing" contain a chemical that temporarily numbs your sense of smell so you can't smell anything (that's scary).
5. Other chemicals in air fresheners can cause headaches, nausea, skin problems, and neurological problems.

What's the Solution?

1. Open your windows and allow nature to freshen the air.
2. Have you home or car treated with ozone. When oxygen is charged with electricity it becomes O₃. This elemental form of oxygen is called ozone. In nature, ozone is created by either the sun's ultra-violet rays or by the electrical charge resulting from lightning. The fresh clean smell in the air after a thunder storm is the effect of ozone cleaning the surrounding atmosphere. The advanced Ozone generating equipment mimics this natural process, converting ordinary air into Ozone (O₃). The electrified oxygen treatment will eradicate smoke, pet, strong cooking and other unwanted odours. In addition, the treatment will kill mold, mildew, and the bacteria that make your family sick. Best thing is that ozone won't harm you, or the environment! Trust me, this works 100%! We had our car treated after our daughter threw up and the smell was gone after just 25 minutes. For more information click here!
3. Sprinkle baking soda on your carpets before vacuuming. The baking soda will absorb most odors.
4. Clean your house. A clean house will smell a million times better! Try scrubbing you sink with half a lemon and salt. It will leave your sink smelling so fresh.
5. Use a beeswax candle (beeswax will burn clean) add a couple drops of pure essential oil to the melted wax and you'll have a pleasant scent to in home.

Do yourself, and the environment a favor, and STOP using conventional air fresheners. They're all harmful, the sprays, the solids, the plug-ins, the scented candles, ALL of them are full of chemicals. Look to nature to freshen the air you breath.

Me Ka Aloha
- Elisabeth