http://www.care2.com/greenliving/green-girl-whacks-air-freshener.html
Splat! Green Girl whacks air fresheners
By Lily Berthold-Bond
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So I’m not the cleanest person in the world. OK, understatement, I am so far from the cleanest person in the world that I may, in fact, be the messiest. I thought my high school bedroom was bad, but it is no match for my dorm room. |
With laundry so expensive and the workload so high, things get out of hand. There are books strewn everywhere. There are so many old papers on my desk that there’s not even room for my laptop. My chair is used more for jacket storage than sitting. There are so many clothes piled on the floor that you can literally see the point where my side ends and my roommate’s begins.
Now, I am certainly not the only messy college student. Most of my friends (except for the abnormally neat ones) face the same issues. Of course, between the dirty clothes, snack food remnants and body heat, a minuscule dorm room can start to get a not-so-lovely odor.
I walked into my friends’ room a few weeks ago only to be bombarded by the scent of “sweet apples and roses,” their attempt to mask the odor of their 18-year-old male selves. Oh, the wonder of plug-in air fresheners. Only, not so much.
First of all, the unforeseen power of a tiny air freshener in their minuscule dorm room was nearly suffocating. That was clear. What was not so clear to them, however, was the danger of these sweet apples and roses.
Personally, when I smell an air freshener my head immediately begins to ache and rightfully so. These synthetically perfumed air “fresheners” actually do exactly the opposite. They emit chemicals that, when mixed with ozone, create a toxic living environment. In turn, this toxic environment has been shown to cause headaches, depression, hormonal imbalance and reproductive problems.
In other words, this is clearly not the best way to hide that odor that becomes so prevalent in the college dorm room. Instead, try opening the windows or using a non-toxic freshener from the health food store. I have one that is scented with real lavender oil (not that fake stuff in commercial air fresheners), which is great for relaxation.
Note to self: say no to Glade.
Lily Berthold-Bond grew up in a chemical-free zone and has struggled her whole life to understand and accept this non-commercial lifestyle. Now a freshman at Tufts University, she has embraced her green life and hopes to share its possibilities with the rest of her generation.
MORE ADVENTURES OF GREEN GIRL
The Adventures of Green Girl
Splat! Green Girl whacks air fresheners
Green Girl zaps flying fridges
Green Girl’s secret power? Tea
Green Girl: Neti pot conquers congestion
Green Girl waxes the tea kettle electric
Green Girl Quashes Laptop Radiation
Green Girl Creams Facial Cleansers
Green Girl Looks Behind The Masc(ara)
Green Girl Fights Food Coloring
Green Girl Turns Her Nose to Perfume
Green Girl Pans Plastic water Bottles
More on Green Girl Adventures (37 articles available)More from Lily Berthold-Bond (37 articles available)
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61 comments
add your comment »Same here: air fresheners gives me headaches. I never use them anymore.
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Aura Cacia makes these cool air fresheners that use essential oils. They plug in the wall and then you can pick what EO you want to use. Couple drops on the cotton pad they provide and then you slip that into the diffuser and plug it in. Smells great and no worries about unnatural chemicals! Also it's fun to play aromatherapist as you can create different blends of EO's you want to use in the diffuser.
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I thoroughly agree! I HATE air fresheners, scented oil air fresheners, etc. I see people buying 3 or 4 different scents and wonder how they can live in their house. If I want a fresh smell, a little essential oil like citrus or a little natural vanilla does the trick.
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Air fresheners are TOXIC! They carry a chemical called phenols (that wrap the synapses in our brain and keep them from talking to each other. Phenols aggravate conditions like ADD, ADHD, Alsheimers, Memory and others) Many are also known for causing headaches. I have done a lot of research on toxins and have converted to toxin free products. Essential oils are the way to go as a replacement!
Cindy Norris RN nursenorris@comcast.net
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using essential oil in a atomiser is great for providing a scented room and cleaning the air of germs. You have to be cautious with essential oils if you are pregnant and people have allergic reactions to some of them. I recommend air purifers, they are cheap and swirl the water inside to ionise the air and don't use lots of energy, and you can add essential oils to them. Also using flowers to scent the air. I can't stand artifical air freshners even when I didn't know how bad they were I found them difficult to live with, the air felt stuffy, over pungent and not fresh as you feel when burning essential oils or using a purifier.
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I love that you've seen the light Green Girl! I'm a fan of using fresh Orange peels in the wastebasket if it's not quite ready to be taken out and also in the garbage disposal when they're smelly.
As a child, I never knew air "fresheners" could come from other than an opern window or a yummy cooking smell. Won't it be a nice, less polluted world when everyone figures out what my grandparents have always known?
You go Green Girl! You're a college Heroine!
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Thank you Green Girl! Wow - this column is a great idea! Seeing how you are reconciling your upbringing with this totally different way of life is fascinating to me. I am anxious for the next installment. I am a Girl Scout leader and am constantly trying to help the girls find ways to make small differences in their lives for the good of the environment. I am forwarding your blog to them. Good Luck and Thanks again!!!!
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i agree, i think all those chemical air freshners are headache infusers.. i use incense, and vanilla oil drops on woodchips.. it smells nice. thanks green girl for your tips! -alicia
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You are so right! I like to use incense,and vanilla oil i put on dried woodchips.. its natural and smells nice..thanks for the advice,green girl! -alicia
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Hi Laurie R: I too have MCS and am able to use Heritage House olive oil shampoo, unscented,,,,and even when my hair is longer I don't need a conditioner to remove tangles as I do with any other shampoo,,,,if you decide to try it you might want to start with a small bottle to see if you can tolerate it,,,,you can then buy it by the gal., saving money,,,,it is so concentrated that I am able to dilute it 1 part shampoo to 4 parts water,,,,my hair isn't oily thus the reason I can dilute so much,,,if you try it work with it to see if you can dilute therefore making it more economical. Phone # 1-800-862-2923, web site www.caycecures.com
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