The Health Hazards of Air Fresheners
This post may contain affiliate links. To read full disclosures, click here!
I'm sure we've all experienced that feeling of walking into a room in our home and thinking "something stinks in here." It's pretty common to grab the air freshener and start spraying like your nose depends on it. While it might make your room smell like Ocean Breeze, air fresheners are filled with TONS of unregulated chemicals that are getting absorbed into your body every time you come in contact with it and these chemicals can disrupt your health in more ways than you might think.
What's the deal with air fresheners?
We've all seen the commercials where Febreze claims to "trap and lock odor" to eliminate bad smells. However, this is a very misleading marketing tactic because the molecules being sprayed in the air don't have the capacity to eliminate odor, they just mask it with perfumes and fragrances. Once the Febreze wears off, your stinky clothes are still going to stink.
What is actually in Febreze Air Fresheners?
Fragrance
When you see the word "fragrance" on an ingredient label, just know that this ingredient is not regulated. "Fragrance" can essentially mean anything. Most of the time it means a toxic cocktail of chemicals that the company would rather not put on the label. According to the EWG, "fragrance" can cause skin irritation, allergies, and dangerous respiratory effects.
Propellant
Propellant is the chemical ingredient added to aerosol containers (like air fresheners) to allow for that nice misty spray. What's not so nice about propellant is the effects it has on our health. Propellant is proven to disrupt our endocrine, reproductive, and nervous systems. It poses risks of fertility issues, cancer, genetic defects, and eye damage.
Sodium Borate
Sodium Borate is a common ingredient in air fresheners that poses a high concern for fertility. It is dangerous in both those who are pregnant or would like to be pregnant in the future. Sodium Borate also disrupts the functioning of our hormones.
Trideceth-4
This substance contains something called ethylene oxide which may cause genetic defects and reproductive toxicity. Not to mention the handful of studies that show it is a known cause of cancer. I can only imagine this contributes to lung cancer being one of the most common forms of cancer in our country.
Benzisothiazolinone
That's a mouthful, but basically this substance is an antimicrobial agent used in many cleaning and cosmetic products. It is a known skin, eye, and lung irritant and it's also toxic to aquatic life. When we do get around to washing our stinky clothes, the Febreze is now getting into the water system and posing health risks to aquatic life.
Emulsifiers
This one is also toxic to aquatic life and a known skin and eye irritant. Emulsifiers also contain ethylene dioxide, the aforementioned carcinogen.
Good, Better, Best
So then what do we do instead? Bad smells are inevitable. If you want to opt for a cleaner air freshener, there is always a good, better, and best.
A good solution would be to find a commercial air freshener with clean ingredients. The EWG reports brands such as Aura Cacia and Aussan Natural as the best options for commercial air fresheners. However, these products still contain ingredients that raise some concern for allergies and respiratory issues.
A better option would be to make your own air freshener at home using common household products and essential oils. I make my own fabric refresher so that I can trust that I'm not inhaling harmful chemicals. You can also use baking soda to actually absorb bad odors in the fridge, closet, or wherever you store your stank.
My fabric refresher contains 1.5 cups plain vodka, 1.5 cups water, 5 drops of lavender essential oil, and 5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil. Shake it up and spray it on carpets, pet beds, bedding, throw pillows, etc. for a nice refresh.
The best option to rid yourself of household smells is almost too obvious to share. Find the source of the smell and get rid of it. Throw out rotten food and take the garbage out right away. Throw your clothes in the laundry if your closet stinks. Vacuum and clean regularly. If your house simply needs a refresh, open the windows or get a house plant. House plants clean the air without you having to do anything other than water it once in a while.
The Takeaway
Throw out your air fresheners. This includes room sprays, fabric sprays, car air fresheners, plug in air fresheners, and even candles. The worst brand offenders are Febreze, Air Wick, Glade, Lysol, and generic brands that mimic the brand names like Up & Up and Great Value. It doesn't make sense to subject yourself to all of those toxins when there are easy ways to replace them with cleaner alternatives.
One might say "these risks are just for idiots who don't use the products correctly." That is not the case. The very idea of using Febreze is to breathe it in or spray it on something that comes in contact with our skin. These chemicals seep directly into our bodies and can build up in our system and cause distress without you even knowing it. I, for one, don't think breathing in chemicals is worth even the potential health risks associated with common air fresheners.