Common Volatile Organic Compounds in Homes

VOC in homes

You probably won't think twice when you want to light some candles in your home to enjoy a warmer or more comfortable environment or maybe when you want to polish the living room floor to make it look much more elegant. However, there are common household products that seem innocent but are full of chemicals that can be very harmful for your health. Do you know volatile organic compounds?

I do not intend to alarm you or to throw away everything you have in your home to avoid gases that may be toxic, but I do intend to create a little awareness so that from now on you can be alert to volatile organic compounds that can be harmful for your health and that of your family. The most common products are plastics, cleaning products and even mothballs ... and it is that chemical products emit harmful gases, especially for children or the elderly.

VOCs in homes

But you should not worry more than necessary because if you become aware of everything that I am going to explain to you below, you will be able to eliminate or at least reduce volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in your home. The first step would be to remove all VOC products outside the home and store them in a garage or some kind of shed you have. And if you have no choice but to use these types of products in your day to day, then it is best to reduce their consumption to a minimum and keep them well stored in your home.

VOC in homes

Although if you think you can live without using these types of products, you should know that today there are many organic over-the-counter products as alternatives to any chemical and harmful product. Then I want to talk to you about some of the VOCs that are most common in homes, so you can find the most appropriate solutions to get rid of those gases in your life.

Benzene

Benzene can be found in paint, glue, carpets or in any emission inside the house that is caused by the combustion of gasoline. If you want to avoid this VOC in your home, it is best to use free benzene paint and that the glue or carpet you use daily is ecological or made of sustainable materials.

Acetone

Acetone is very common in homes and we think it is not harmful, but it is more so than you can imagine. You can find acetone in nail polish removers, furniture polish and wallpaper. But there are alternatives that you can consider for your home:

  • Buying acetone-free nail polish remover is much healthier for your nails and for the air you breathe.
  • You can forget about furniture polish or wallpaper as there are water-based substitutes that will give you good results anyway.

VOC in homes

butanal

The butanal is found in the emissions of barbecues, in candles, in stoves or in cigarettes. The best alternative is to stop smoking right now, because in addition to doing your health a favor, you will be doing it to the people around you.

As for stoves that contain butanal, it is better to have the smoke extractor facing the outside and that it is well protected, in this way you will avoid having to breathe any gas that could be harmful to your health.

Beeswax candles or cotton candles are safer to provide a pleasant atmosphere without having to prohibit the warmth of candlelight in your home.

VOC in homes

Ethanol

Ethanol can be found in window cleaners, in dishwasher detergents and also in laundry detergents ... and they are products that we all use daily. When a cleaning product is used inside the home and it contains ethanol, you should make sure that you open the windows or that you have created a suitable air filtration system so that the gases from the chemicals are not too harmful for you or your family members.

Terpenes

Terpenes are found in aromatic products such as soap or laundry detergents. It is not necessary that you have to expose yourself to this type of gases since there are many natural products based on citrus fruits that can replace scented soap or any detergent that emits terpenes.

Carbon Disulfide

Carbon disulfide can be found in tap water that has been treated with chlorine. Many families normally drink water from tap water but the best way to avoid this type of VOC is to have a water filtration system so that the water you drink is totally clean and free of compounds that can damage your health or that of your family in the long term.

VOC in homes

Dichlorobenzene

You will find dichlorobenzene in mothballs and deodorants. One idea is to forget about mothballs when storing your clothes out of season and use airtight containers or sealed bags so that the clothes do not deteriorate. The lavender scent can also help keep moths at bay.

As for deodorants, you can start using ecological or alternative deodorants such as alum stone that are effective and do not have any compound that can harm your health.

These are some examples of VOCs that you can find in your home right now so now that you know, you have enough strategies to find healthier alternatives both for you, for your family and for our nature. In this way, you will be able to live in a much cleaner environment without compounds that harm the environment of your home ... and they are compounds that often go unnoticed because we are too used to dealing with them every day in our cleaning routines. , decoration or storage.


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