Q: How can we get people to stop using scented laundry products that vent into neighbourhood air space?
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A: Ever stood next to a perfume-marinated passenger on a crowded bus/elevator/checkout line and had to count down the gulps of air you need before you part ways?
Anyone whose nostrils have been violated by a scent fiend knows how fragrances can seriously monopolize public space, but we don’t necessarily carry that lesson over to laundry day.
While there’s a growing cultural awareness that perfumes can make people sick, scented cleaning products don’t necessarily have the same profile.
Allergy specialists will tell you around 20 per cent of the population is scent-sensitive in some way, getting anything from headaches and dizziness to watery eyes and nausea from heavily scented products.
Fragrances are especially problematic if you already have asthma or allergies. Then you’re even more likely to wheeze or experience shortness of breath when you’re surrounded by Downy-fresh smells.
A small percentage of Canadians have full-on scent disabilities that force them to work from home and avoid public spaces. No wonder more and more offices have scent-free policies in effect. In fact, they’re par for the course in some jurisdictions, like Halifax.
It’s not that the sensitive are bothered by the smell of lemony freshness itself. It’s the chemicals used to fake that freshness that can make an unsuspecting person ill. In a study at the University of Washington, six popular laundry products (from dryer sheets to detergents) and air fresheners were found to give off 98 kinds of volatile organic compounds.
Wouldn’t you know it, VOCs are a class of chemicals that often trigger the same health problems associated with scents, not to mention their contribution to ground-level ozone, aka smog.
In fact, five of the six mainstream laundry and air freshening products tested emitted at least one VOC classified as a hazardous air pollutant (i.e., acetaldehyde, chloromethane and carcinogenic 1-4 dioxane). All that, of course, wafts out of dryer vents into streets, laneways, balconies and through open windows in tightly packed urban centres, causing headaches and worse for anyone living nearby.
If a gentle, friendly chat about your wheezing or watery eyes doesn’t convince your neighbours to try a scent-free option, some facts about the long-term health risks affecting all our families might shift their mindset.
For instance, a single scent typically contains hundreds, sometimes thousands of ingredients, and while none are listed on the label, most contain several types of chemicals that interfere with sex hormones and/or thyroid function. That includes but isn’t limited to scent-boosting phthalates (six of which are being banned from kids’ toys).
Environmental Defence released the results of testing on fragrances this past spring and found a dirty dozen such hormone disruptors.
Animal lovers may be swayed by the sheer creepy factor that both liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain dihydrogenated tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride and other unpronounceable ingredients derived from sheep, cattle or horse fat.
Smokers would be alarmed to learn that conventional liquid fabric softeners cause fleece, terry cloth and velour to be seven times more flammable, according to Consumer Reports. Not good for lighting up in freshly washed housecoats, pullovers or tracksuits.
For those ready to make the switch, going scent-free is the first step. Just keep in mind that even laundry products marketed as “natural” often have synthetic scents in ’em. (Scented Method products give me a whopping headache every time.)
Luckily, most brands have “free and clear” options that shouldn’t be scented. You could even give your neighbours a gift bottle to get them started. (FYI, Eco-Max is offering $1 off it’s $4.99 fabric softener to NOW readers. Eco-Max.ca/consumer/ecoholic, coupon code “Ecoholic.”) They’ll soon realize natural liquid softeners bust static as well as conventional softeners (just as Consumer Reports says).
But don’t give them a plastic dryer ball. Those totally tanked in CR’s testing, especially on tackling static.
Actually, drying clothes on a rack instead of in a dryer will eliminate fumes drifting outdoors to begin with, and racks cost only $15 at Canadian Tire. Using it only half the time still saves nearly $50 a year in energy costs, according to Toronto Hydro.
By the way, if your neighbours are a small apartment building, you could always try sticking friendly info-filled flyers in their mailboxes. You should be able to win over a few hearts, especially if you have a small budget to give out a handful of alternatives to get the whole neighbourhood going scent-free naturally.
Got a question?
Send your green queries to ecoholic@nowtoronto.com
