Sometimes you just know that a product is not good for our health. I have just chosen not to use or have it in my world. I am glad someone else took the time to do the research. Thank You to http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com for this excellent article.
The Dangers of Febreze – A real eye opener
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Febreze is classified as an air freshner, created by Proctor & Gamble. It reports to work by “trapping” odor molecules in a donut-shaped chemical.
The first thing that is really important to understand: the product does not remove odor molecules and it doesn’t clean the item it comes into contact with.
The odor molecules are still there. Your nose just can’t perceive them because you smell the chemical product instead.
That alone should be your first warning. We know inhalation of any chemicals is dangerous, and several of its ingredients listed below are known to irritate the lungs…but this is a chemical whose entire purpose is to be inhaled!
Unfortunately there is not much data being shared on Febreze and their many products, but the Environmental Working Group (EWG) did conduct a test for the ingredients of one of their products, Febreze Air Effects.
Shockingly, P&G only disclosed THREE ingredients in this product, but the EWG…they found 87 chemicals in total!
Now this is just one Febreze product, but the fact that only 3 ingredients were disclosed and that so many undisclosed ingredients are dangerous, it’s safe to assume that their other air freshners are just as dangerous.
Febreze Ingredients
Below you’ll find a list of just some of the 87 chemicals found by the EWG in Febreze Air Effects, listed in order of their toxicity to humans:
- BHT – Known as a neurotoxin, endocrine disruptor, immunotoxicity, non-reproductive organ system toxicity, skin eye and lung irritator
- Acetaldehyde – Known to cause cancer, toxic to reproduction and development, immunotoxin, non-reproductive organ system toxin, skin, eye and lung irritator
- “Fragrance” – One of the three ingredients actually disclosed, it’s a neurotoxin, immunotoxin and allergen
- Propylene Glycol – Causes cancer, allergies, toxic to immune system, accumulates in the system, non-reproductive organ system toxin, is classified with “enhanced skin absorption” and irritates the skin, eye and lung
- 1,3-Dichloro-2-propanol – Carcinogenic (causes cancer)
- Limonene – Allergen, immunotoxin and skin, eyes and lung irritator
- Methyl pyrrolidone – Toxin to reproduction and development, allergen and immunotoxin, non-reproductive organ system toxin and skin, eyes and lung irritator
- Alcohol denatured – Also disclosed in the ingredients of Febreze, it’s linked to cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, organ system toxicity and skin, eyes and lung irritator
- Butylphenyl methylpropion al – allergen, immunotoxin and and skin, eyes and lung irritator
- Ethyl acetate – linked to developmental/reproductive toxicity, neurotoxicity, organic system toxicity and and skin, eyes and lung irritator
- Geraniol – Linked to allergies, immunotoxicity, organi system toxicity and and skin, eyes and lung irritation
- Linalool – allergen, immunotoxin, and and skin, eyes and lung irritator
- Benzaldehyde – neurotoxin, and skin, eyes and lung irritator
- Diethylene glycol monoethyl ether – non-reproductive organ system toxicity
- Ethylhezanol – developmental and reproductive toxin and skin, eyes and lung irritator
- Hexyl cinnamal – allergen, immunotoxin and skin, eyes and lung irritator
- And way too many more….
You can find the EWG’s full report on Febreze and other common cleaners here.
Removing Odors Naturally
Again, it’s important to understand that these types of products are not only dangerous to our health, but they aren’t actually cleaning the air or eliminating odor. They are just masking it…the bacteria and molecules are still hanging around, maybe even making you sick themselves.
If you really want to remove odors naturally there are two recommendations I have:
- Types of Houseplants That Clean the Air – In this article I’ll point out the best houseplants to use to freshen indoor air, as well as just how effective they really are.
- Removing Odor Naturally – Here I’ll show you how you can actually remove odors for all kinds of surfaces…safely, easily and naturally.
- ACTUALLY Purify the Air: Febreze doesn’t purify, but only masks odors. But this essential oil actually purifies the air and eliminates odors.
No need for chemicals, side effects or pricey products. Just a few simple tips to keep your home healthy and smelling fresh.
Great article! That stuff (and others) is so toxic! I’m glad I haven’t been using any for many, many years.
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But what to do if hubby has a ferocious chronic gas problem (due to past surgery)? I always keep Febreze by me, not because I didn’t already know it was nasty and harmful, but because I am DESPERATE for immediate relief of noxious odour. HELP !! Is there a better solution someone can tell me about?
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Contact a Naturopath or a reputable Health Food Store about re-establishing the correct flora balance in the bowels. Correcting the bowel flora balance will eliminate the bacteria causing the gas problems.
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Clean up his gut repopulate with probiotics. …….. Strangely enough,,,,,,,,that noxious odor is probably sulfur and is actually beneficial…….who knew.
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That is one crazy article… you mean to tell me that i can die from an air freshener and im the toughest kid in the world.
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Isn’t it amazing what it is legal to sell us. It is astonishing what is in the products we use in and around the home. But strangely enough even things we think are safe can kill us if used improperly. You can die from drinking too much water.
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Pingback: HELP - do I need to do a 100% water change??? - Page 4
I would not stress the fish further with a 100% water change. I would phone the fish store and find out what would be the most they would suggest changing at any one time.
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this has been copy and pasted from this website: http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/febreze.html
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Yes it was, you guys did such a great job on the article and I feel this is the type of information we need to spread so I reblogged it so it can reach even more people. Thank You Again – your work on this article is going to help a lot of people protect themselves and their family from the dangers this product presents. Now they are even promoting one for better sleep and I just cringe – breathing all those chemicals all night long while your body or your child’s body is working hard to heal itself as you sleep. Too me, that is criminal. Tells one that Proctor and Gamble do not care who their products hurt or where. I won’t buy anything P&G make or market as profit means more than ethics and common human decency. Check out http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com as the website is a treasure trove of great useful information. The Febreze article is just a teaser to the excellent content they have compiled.
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A NIGHTMARE FOR ME ,I CANNOT STAY IN HOTELS,RESTAURANT,PUBLIC BATHROOMS,CLOTHING STORES,,OR ANYWHERE THAT SMELLS OF FEBREZE,ALSO THE HORRIBLE SMELL IS ALSO VERY BAD FOR ANY ANIMAL,,PLEASE ANIMAL OWNERS KEEP THIS AWAY FROM YOUR ANIMALS AREA AS THEY CANNOT TELL YOU,IT HURTS THEIR HEALTH,,LET US BREATH REAL AIR. NOT FEBREZE PLEASE,,,,,RENE
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Yes. I have the same problem. Too many people and establishments are usint it now. It burns my nose and throat and makes me cough. I can tell when someone has used it in a room. And to think they even advertised spraying it in babies rooms!!!!! Criminal!!!!
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I have a chemical free house, and I have one of those tiny crock pots that I fill with mulling spices and orange slices, or sometimes organic herbal tea and water, it really gives the house a nice smell if it needs it (multiple pet household) …
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Nice info, Thanks
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There is a natural citrus air freshner which uses citrus oils. It is awesome. All we use.
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Great solution, thank you for sharing. If you would like to share the name feel free.
My husband and I are spoiled, we have an oxygen spa that one if not both of us use every day for 15 – 20 minutes.
It pumps 46 litres(12 Gallons) of oxygenated/ozonated air every second through our bath water,
giving us the most amazing massage ever. That air smells fresh and clean just like after a
spring rain and permeates the house. Have had it since 2008 and it is the best health and wellness product we have ever used. Wish every family had and used one. Has saved us a fortune on massages and keeps us really healthy. The air freshening is just an added bonus. Love it so much, I became a distributor so I can help others get it too. http://www.homespaedmonton.com/
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Excellent article. Thank you for making more people aware of the issues and often devastating affects from many of the chemicals routinely used in our lives. I am disabled with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities), I know this first hand. From multiple sources, I have read “fragrances” are often not just one ingredient. It is often multiple synthetic chemicals. Companies by law do not need to disclose what is in a “fragrance”. http://mcs-america.org/index_files/fragrance.htm this site has some interesting stats/facts on “fragrances”. I can’t even go outside to get my mail if my neighbors are doing laundry with scented products. I hope many people take your article seriously. Have a great night. 😀
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How abut a petition to the CDC who has already banned the use of toxic fragrances in it’s offices, see http://www.perfumerflavorist.com/fragrance/regulatory/94246849.html and http://www.notperfume.com/ to prohibit the use of Febcrap products in any health establishment in the U.S. especially with children!
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Great idea!
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Glad you like it, we were thinking about an email campaign to open minded health practitioners to alert them and ask them to refrain from using it if they are not already, and ask them to support such a petition, what do you think?
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Please do NOT recommend incense as a “natural” method of freshening the air. I agree with you 100 percent about the Febreeze and have contacted and change.orged Proctor and Gamble, who don’t give a damn but since you give a damn, please read about incense and how harmful it is from NIH and I know this firsthand, my former neighbor used it daily and it came through the vents, through the windows, I had to wear a 3m respirator with carbon VOC filters until he was done and put fans all over the place to disburse it afterwards it was EVERY BIT AS BAD as horrible laundry products that Proctor and Gamble makes. plese read this article and take the incense recommendation out of your article…http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2377255/
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It is such a nasty bunch of chemicals.
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Is it bad if I sprayed this in the seats I accidentally open the In spiel a little bit is it bad if I sprayed it in my sink
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WOW!!!! Fantasticccc way to PUSH those essential oils instead!! Bravo to you!!!
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DeeDee, Thanks……all natural is what our bodies know how to handle …… it is all about wellness. LOL
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