How harmful are air fresheners?
Always happy when the room smells good. Delicate floral aromas, bold citrus notes and the smell of freshness after rain are much preferable to stagnant indoor air. The arsenal of aromas of air fresheners is impressive. Such products are especially popular. They are used at home, in stores, offices, gyms, car dealerships and even in coffee houses, creating a special alluring aroma of pastries and freshly brewed coffee. But are all kinds of flavors so good? After reading this article, you will learn how harmful air fresheners are, how to achieve a pleasant aroma in a room without harming your health.
to contents ↑Varieties of Air Fresheners
Modern industry produces a huge variety of options for air fresheners:
- They come in the form of sprays, gels, flavored liquids, sachets and flavored sticks. You can also fill the room with aroma using candles, oils, special wax, flavored granules and salt, a special impregnated cardboard base.
- There are fragrances that exude aroma when heated, with automatic feeding or spraying, working with mechanical pressure and just smelling until the smell disappears.
- What can we say about the number of flavors available. In this case, the chemical industry does not stand still. You can find a freshener with a smell for every taste, and this list is regularly updated and growing.
However, are modern air fresheners so good? We will pay special attention to aerosol flavorings. Such air fresheners are dangerous to human health, because during inhalation the sprayed chemicals penetrate the body. Small particles can even penetrate the body through the skin.
to contents ↑The composition of air fresheners
What does a modern freshener consist of, which so affects the human body? Paying attention to the composition, you will see a lot of names of chemical elements that are not at all familiar to you. Each manufacturer creates a product according to its own special recipe, using unique components. Despite this, all air fresheners have common basic chemical elements.
The main components of most air fresheners are:
- Formaldehyde. It is a colorless gas that has a pungent odor. It is added to fresheners as an effective deodorizing substance, it is able to absorb unpleasant odors. It is toxic.
- Sodium nitrite. It is a reducing agent. Also used as a preservative. It is fire hazardous and toxic. One of the most dangerous components of aerosols.
- Ethanol It is a monohydric alcohol, serves as a solvent for many chemicals. Extremely flammable.
- Phthalates. These are esters and salts of phthalic acid. They are used as odor fixers as well as solvents. They cause enormous harm to human health, are able to accumulate in the kidneys and liver, have an effect on the human hormonal system.
- Benzene. Colorless, odorless liquid. It is a carcinogen, plus everything is quite toxic. Serves as a solvent and synthesizes other substances.
And you can also meet oil distillates. pinene, limonene, which is used as a perfume.
This is just a small fraction of the components of an air freshener. It’s hard to even imagine how harmful air fresheners are on the human body. Even from the main list you can see how much carcinogenic and toxic substances are present in the composition.
Important! If you want to give up the abundance of chemistry in your life, as an alternative, try using our light ideas to make a freshener with your own hands:
Effects on the human body
The most dangerous freshener is an aerosol flavor. When sprayed, finely dispersed particles fall into the air, which are able to penetrate the respiratory system during inspiration and into the blood through the skin:
- Regular inhalation of such a quantity of harmful and toxic substances can cause various allergic reactions, irritation of the skin, mucous membranes and respiratory organs.
Important! There are studies that prove the link between the regular use of air fresheners and the development of asthma.
- The systematic inhalation of formaldehydes can adversely affect the central nervous system, causing nausea and nervous disorders.
- Some chemicals in the aerosol can affect the reproductive system, cause DNA mutations.
- Phthalates in the composition can accumulate in the liver and kidneys, adversely affect the work of these organs, their intoxication occurs.
- When inhaling harmful vapors, an effect on the composition of the blood occurs, a decrease in hemoglobin and the development of anemia are observed.
Important! It is worthwhile to use aerosol air fresheners with extreme caution, and it is best to completely abandon them, especially if there are children in the house.
What is dangerous air fresheners? Doctors recommend that you familiarize yourself with the symptoms of intoxication with chemicals in order to seek medical help on time. The harm of air fresheners in the form of intoxication is manifested as follows:
- Disorders of the nervous system. These include lethargy, drowsiness, apathy, weakness and fatigue. With severe intoxication, there is a headache, hand tremor, visual impairment and irritability.
- Manifestations of the respiratory system. They can be expressed in a feeling of lack of air, burning in the nasopharynx. With severe intoxication, spasm of the bronchi can occur, even pulmonary edema. All this is often accompanied by irritation of the mucous membrane of the eyes.
Important! These symptoms are present at the initial stage of intoxication, immediately after inhalation of harmful fumes.
- Allergic reactions to the skin. With frequent use of air fresheners, small particles after spraying can settle on the skin and cause itching, irritation. Dry skin may be present. In rare cases, eczema develops.
- On the part of the digestive system, symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, a burning sensation in the stomach may be present.
- Once inside the body, toxins accumulate in the liver and kidneys, intoxication of the body occurs. At this point, problems with urination may occur.
- An increase in body temperature for no apparent reason and increased sweating.
Important! In addition to fresheners, you can replace with safe, but effective means and other means to maintain order in the house. If you are interested in this offer, read our other publications:
Using an aerosol air freshener for a long time, you can provoke a strong intoxication of the body. Often, a person does not even suspect the causes of these symptoms. Intoxication can produce a cumulative effect.In the presence of the listed symptoms, it is necessary to completely exclude the effect of these substances, to ensure the flow of fresh air and urgently seek medical help.
You have familiarized yourself with the damage that air fresheners cause to the human body, and after reading it, the most correct decision will be to completely abandon the chemical aromatization of air. Is there an alternative? - Sure!
DIY do-it-yourself air fresheners
In order to enjoy the pleasant aromas in the room, while not harming the health, doctors advise using natural fragrances. If desired, they can be made independently.
Important! Do not forget about the individual intolerance of the components used, because natural essential oils are allergens. Use only those components for which you do not have an allergic reaction.
Knowing the damage caused by air fresheners purchased in the store, you can begin to independently produce air fragrance. Among the hostesses, the following methods for making safe air fresheners are popular:
- The easiest way to aromatize indoor air can be considered the use of essential oil. A few drops of it can be applied to cotton wool and placed in a suitable place.
- A few drops of natural essential oil can be added to a humidifier. Some housewives put oil-soaked cotton wool in a vacuum cleaner.
- The aroma of oil spreads well when exposed to heat. Vata soaked in essential oil can be put on the heating battery. There are special stone aroma lamps, on the bottom of which a candle is placed, and a couple drops of your favorite oil are dripped into the upper bowl. When burning, the candle heats the bowl, the scent spreads throughout the room.
- If you want to make the flavor in the form of a spray, then just take a suitable container with a spray bottle, pour water into it and add a few drops of essential oil.
- To make a gel flavor, you need to take a glass of water and dissolve the required amount of gelatin in it, following the manufacturer's recommendations on the package. After the gelatin is completely dissolved, a tablespoon of glycerin is added to the water so that the gel flavor does not dry out as long as possible. The last step is to add a few drops of aromatic essential oil to this mixture. The liquid is poured into small glasses or molds and placed in the desired places. Some add food coloring to the mixture before it hardens.
Important! Such a flavor is very similar to a store counterpart, but not comparable in its benefits. Natural essential oil can have a beneficial effect on a person, starting from improving the emotional state, ending with good physical health and vitality, improving immunity.
- Various coniferous branches are an excellent flavoring - they can be put in a vase and enjoy the aroma.
- A simple and original way to fill the room with pleasant aromas is to lay out a few oranges in the room, into which you must first stick 15-20 pieces of cloves on the entire surface. Such a flavor will exude an incredible flavor for up to several weeks.
- If you want to make a freshener for the toilet, then in the container with a spray you need to add one tablespoon of soda and vinegar. Such a solution perfectly neutralizes odors and is an excellent disinfectant. If you want to use a fragrant freshener, just add a few drops of essential oil to the water and spray this solution.
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Currently, humanity is excessively exposed to various harmful effects on the body. Therefore, doctors advise to abandon purchased air fresheners and opt for safe natural fragrances.The ideas in this article are just the basic options for making a safe DIY air freshener. The fantasy and ingenuity of the hostesses is unlimited. Having studied this topic, you will definitely find a suitable recipe for making a safe flavoring.
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