Sometimes the most harmful things are those that we can’t even perceive. This is certainly the case with the surprising number of dangerous chemicals that pervade items found in every American home. Who would have thought that a lazy afternoon on the couch meant not only cuddling with the family dog, but also known carcinogens? Everything from your king size bed to your Lazy Boy chair contain hard to pronounce, but known-to-be toxic—chemicals! Unfortunately, while most of these chemicals enter our homes mostly undetected, the residue they leave behind is anything but. There is growing worry about the potential long-term of chemical effects on people’s’ health.
Here is a list of common sources for these chemicals in the average home…
1. The Couch
The couch is often the central furniture piece in peoples’ homes. It’s where we watch our favorite sporting events with our families and snooze by ourselves on a Sunday afternoon. In other words, couches seem to hold a special place in our hearts because of the things that we do with them. An impenetrable psychological moat surrounds your couch; when you are laying on it, you cannot be bothered.
Turns out, this domestic fort is anything but impenetrable. In fact, almost all couches are infested with a surprising amount of risky chemicals. In 2014, Mother Jones published an article that says it all: “Your Couch May be Killing You.” The article explains that over 85-percent of couches tested contained flame retardant chemicals that are known carcinogens, like chlorinated Tris, which was banned from children’s sleepwear in 1977. There has been an avalanche of studies documenting the toxicity of our couches in the last few years. Fortunately, this has led to some manufacturers phasing out of these harmful chemicals. Chances are though; the couch you have is still emitting harmful chemicals into your home.
