Whatever Wednesday: The Indoor Air Polution edition

I have blogged before about my asthma and VOCs and how I couldn't believe that these chemicals were in so many of the so-called "Green" cleaners. Remember this chart...

and all of the "Green" cleaners listed? So, if all of these "Green" cleaners still contain VOCs, can they really be that bad?

Well, the state of California thinks so. They have just passed a law banning the use of VOCs in household cleaners.  "The new standards will reduce emissions by nearly 7 tons per day, which is the equivalent of removing half a million cars from California’s roads." Amazing.

So, as the temperatures drop, and all those energy efficient windows close up, and the ventilation inside our homes becomes almost non-existent, (And by "our homes" I mean "your homes", because the idiot rehabbers who put our windows in screwed it up) it's especially important to use VOC free products to keep your indoor air clean. The EPA has found the indoor air quality to be 2 to 5 times WORSE than outdoor air quality, whether you live in the city or the country or somewhere in between.

Here are the health effects of VOCs the EPA lists: "Eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans.  Key signs or symptoms associated with exposure to VOCs include conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction, dyspnea, declines in serum cholinesterase levels, nausea, emesis, epistaxis, fatigue, dizziness."

hmmmm...not quite what I'm looking for when it comes to my family's health. Luckily, we don't have to wait years until the new California regulations come into effect and then spread throughout the rest of the U.S.  All Better Life products are VOC free. Even our favorite What-EVER.