Part II: What are VOCs & How Can I Protect Myself?
How to Protect Yourself from VOCs
This all might sound daunting as it’s hard to imagine giving up on all household items that contain VOCs. But there are easy ways you can take to effectively protect your homes against them.
Other common household sources of VOCs
- Paints & paint remover
- Wood stains
- Canned aerosol sprays
- Household cleansers & disinfectants
- Air fresheners & bug repellent
- Dry-cleaned clothing
The first step is to store products with harmful VOCs away from your living areas and preferably in an outside shed or garage. Products containing any of the following should be stored away.
Common household VOCs
- Acetone
- Benzene
- Butanal
- Carbon disulfide
- Dichlorobenzene
- Ethanol
- Formaldehyde
- Methylene Chloride
- Terpenes
- Toluene
- Xylene
For rooms that need products in the living area, like your gas stove, keep the surrounding air in circulation. Open the windows while you cook. Even when temperatures drop, cracking open a window for short periods of time can help bring in fresh air.
One of the most efficient ways to protect your family against VOCs is by actively removing them from the air. Air purifiers made with high efficiency small particulate air or HEPA technology can effectively reduce and prevent the spread of VOCs in your home such as the Sensibo Pure smart air purifier.
