6 Common Toxins Found At Home

Indoor Air Pollutants have been ranked among the top five environmental risks to public health. BoulderClean is proud to be plant-based and free from toxins that other household cleaners can bring into the home. However, cleaners aren’t the only way these toxins can build up in our homes. Every year, the air inside our houses (regardless of whether your home is old or new) becomes dirtier and holds onto more toxic chemicals that have come from paint, carpeting, plastics, cleaning solutions and other building materials. It’s an unavoidable truth, but fortunately there is a simple fix—plants!

Ventilation is key, so regularly changing your filters will help with dust, pet hair and other air particles. Letting in fresh air from open windows is extremely important to ensure your family breathes well. If you’re trying to scrub your air with the help of plants, it’s recommended you have one 6-8″ potted plant per 100 sq. ft. of space.

Is your home safe from the following pollutants?

1. Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is found in carpeting, upholstery, wax paper, fire retardants, cigarettes, glues, paint and a lot of other materials. It’s an unfortunate essential part of the manufacturing process of a large number of consumer products that we bring into our home every day. In short, it’s everywhere. Elevated exposure can cause respiratory problems, watering and burning eyes, headaches and nausea.

Best Plants to Help: Boston Fern, Snake Plant, Peace Lily, Gerbera Daisy, Dracaena, Chrysanthemums, Aloe Vera, Lady Palm, Golden Pothos and Philodendrons, Ficus or Weeping Fig, Bamboo Palm.

2. Benzene

Benzene is used in many types of chemical synthesis. Usually it’s used as a starting material in the manufacturing of products like plastics, dyes, detergents, drugs and pesticides. It evaporates very quickly once exposed to the air meaning it can linger in your home long after the initial use. There is a long list of health problems Benzene can stir up and it’s known to cause cancer.

Best Plants to Help: Snake Plant, Peace Lily, Gerbera Daisy, Dracaena, Chrysanthemums, Ficus or Weeping Fig, Bamboo Palm.

3. Trichloroethylene

Trichloroethylene is commonly used as an industrial solvent. It’s found in dry cleaning supplies, inks and paints, lacquers, and adhesives. Elevated exposure can cause fatigue, headaches, numbness, blurred vision, weakness and reproductive and developmental problems.

Best Plants to Help: Snake Plant, Peace Lily, Gerbera Daisy, Dracaena, Chrysanthemums, Golden Pothos and Philodendrons, Ficus or Weeping Fig, Bamboo Palm.

4. Toluene and Xylene

Toluene and xylene are powerful compounds that are found in many household and industrial substances. Toluene and xylene poisoning can occur when someone swallows these substances, breathes in their vapors, or when these substances touch the skin. They are found in fingernail polish, glues/adhesives, lacquers, octane booster in gasoline, paints, paint thinners, printing and leather tanning processes, rubber and plastic cements, wood stains. Elevated exposure can affect the nervous system, gastrointestinal system, kidneys and more.

Best Plants to Help: Boston Fern, Snake Plant, Peace Lily, Dracaena, Chrysanthemums, Lady Palm, Golden Pothos and Philodendrons, Orchids.

5. Ammonia

Although 80% of commercial produced ammonia is used in agriculture as fertilizer, it can still find it’s way into your home. Ammonia is used as refrigerant gas, for purification of water supplies, and in the manufacture of plastics, explosives, textiles, pesticides, dyes and other chemicals. It is also found in many household and industrial-strength cleaning solutions. Elevated exposure leads to nausea and headaches, and people with allergies and asthma are particularly sensitive to ammonia in the air.

Best Plants to Help: Peace Lily, Chrysanthemums, Lady Palm.

6. Carbon Monoxide

Carbon Monoxide is an odorless gas that forms after the incomplete burning of a natural gas. It displaces oxygen in our blood, so even though we breathe in the air, we still suffocate. It comes from gasoline, kerosene, oil, propane, wood and coal. Elevated exposure can cause fatigue, dizziness, headaches, and nausea.

Best Plants to Help: Peace Lily, Chrysanthemums, Golden Pothos, Bamboo Palm, Rubber Tree.