Did you know that the air you're breathing in your home can be two to five times more polluted than the air outdoors? And that after remodeling, renovating, or using cleaning products in your home, the air indoors can be up to 1,000 times more polluted than the outdoor air?
It's mind-boggling but true. The reason is this: common products used to build, furnish, and maintain our homes--from flooring, furniture, and paint to drywall, cabinets, and cleaners--can release potentially hazardous chemicals, known as volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), into the air we breathe indoors. You know that "new product smell," or even that "new house smell?" Both are caused by VOCs. And while not all VOCs are toxic, many of them can have short- and long-term health consequences. These include: