Well, it’s been a long journey, but we think we found a house that could be modified to make it safe enough for me to live in. And when I say “live in,” that only encompasses cooking and showering. I’m not sure I will ever be able to sleep inside the house. Although small, there is a screened porch I hope to sleep on for a couple of months. After that, I will be acquiring an Airstream trailer that has been outfitted for someone with MCS. It will be good to have a safe indoor bedroom.
The adventure of finding a house has been tedious and, to say the least, uncomfortable. Many people with MCS have tried unsuccessfully to find an existing house that they could remodel or modify. There is a basic list of criteria for MCS house hunting that is lengthy and overwhelming (and incomprehensible to the typical realtor). It starts something like this, “I need a house that isn’t too new (so that most of the building materials have outgassed), isn’t too old (so that it has no sign of mold or mildew), has great ventilation, has all-metal ductwork, is all tile (some wood is okay), and has no neighbors that use fabric softeners, detergents with a fragrance, fertilizer or pesticides on their lawns, have fires (even in their fireplaces)”... and the list goes on. If these basic needs for the MCS weren’t already impossible, there’s still something else that needs to be added to the list; “a house that has never had air fresheners in it.” Lately, I have read the same complaint made by MCS sufferers searching for a place to buy or rent; “I couldn’t even get in the door of the house to check it out, before I got sick from the air fresheners.”
For those who haven’t shopped for a house lately, you might not be aware that there is a mandate for air fresheners to be placed throughout a home when it first goes on the market. Okay, so I’m exaggerating… it “appears” that there is a mandate. I have looked at hundreds of homes online and seen the air fresheners in the pictures. I have actually gone to 80-90 houses. There were less than five that did not have air fresheners. The house that we hope to close on within the month did have air fresheners. I was probably the first person to see this house when it hit the market. I removed the chemical bombs and placed them outside. Throughout the next week, as the house got more and more traffic, some of the chemicals were passed to the outside. I was able to stay in the house for 20 minutes or so to discuss the home’s potential for us. I mentioned to our realtor that the listing agent needed to be informed of the air fresheners and that they should not go back inside. Several days after we signed the contract, I visited the house to find the air fresheners were returned to the inside of the house. They must have been there for at least 3-4 days. I was unable to stay one minute without a reaction. The chemicals were already stuck to the walls, flooring, vents, etc. Although we have since thrown away the air fresheners, I know the house will only air out to a degree. And even though we plan to seal all ceilings and walls and tile the whole house, I am anxious and dread going to my new house. It is very depressing to know that I could have been spared this additional health risk, if the realtors would have listened to my simple request. It will just make it more difficult to work with subcontractors until the house is sealed.
What’s the real problem here? Is it that people who are chemically sensitive will suffer whenever they go house hunting or is it that air fresheners should not be used to show homes? Please pay attention: NO ONE should EVER use an air freshener!!! Not even the ones in cars that look like cute Christmas trees. Not even those heated oils that make you feel romantic because they look seductive in a commercial. This is another example of a product that people in this country have been sold a “pile of nonsense” by the marketing machines.
Not only are air fresheners toxic, companies are getting rich by convincing people that these things work. Covering up a smell with chemicals does nothing but harm us and waste money. Some actually interfere with the ability to smell, which can cause people to believe the air is fresher, when actually their nasal passages have been coated with an oil film. Many air fresheners include highly toxic formaldehyde (a known carcinogen), phenol (an irritant that can lead to death), and/or nerve deadening chemical agents. Is Oust included in this toxic list? Absolutely! It contains very harmful chemicals, including a solvent, liquefied petroleum gases, and ingredients found in insect repellents, adhesives, caulks, and more. The product even warns that you test it in a small room first to see if anyone in the house has a reaction. What about Febreze and Renuzit? Don’t even think about it? They are all harmful.
I suspect many of you wonder how all of these air fresheners are toxic if they are everyday products sold in the USA. It is important that consumers know any product with a fragrance does not have to disclose its ingredients. It is protected by trade secret rights in this country.
For further information on air fresheners and the harm they are doing to our family and pets, please check out these links.
http://www.drbenkim.com/dangers-air-fresheners.html
http://www.thegoodhuman.com/2008/11/19/greenwash-of-the-week-febreze-its-a-breath-of-fresh-air/
CONCLUSION: Air fresheners are anything but fresheners of the air and they are highly toxic.
Suggestion: Put a bowl of lemons on a table… or anything natural that smells fresh to you. Get rid of anything moldy or musty and air out the house on days when there is clean, dry air outside. Use exhaust fans to get rid of unwanted odors as soon as they arrive.
UPDATE: On the day of the house closing we discovered we did not qualify for the tax credit that would enable us to start the remodeling on this home. This disappointment with the added knowledge that there is frequent mosquito spraying in the area made the purchase of the house an unwise choice. I am again without a home.
No comments:
Post a Comment