It all started when I found a large dent in my old mattress, probably from years of use on my side, I then bought a luxurious, double-spring mattress. Since I was tossing and turning a lot on my old mattress, I couldn’t wait to put the new one on and get a good night’s sleep. However, after just a few days, I started to feel groggy, nauseous, and had a cough. My kind neighbor heard about my situation and told me that my new mattress might be off gassing. That’s when I started to learn more about these harmful chemicals - volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - in new furniture. This experience has certainly taught me some lessons and also led me to find some methods to speed up off-gassing furniture. I’m happy to share them with you here to help protect our health and that of our families.
What Is Off Gassing? Is It Dangerous?
Off-gassing refers to the release of VOCs, which is often associated with the "new" smell of new furniture, new carpets, or freshly painted walls. To make everyday items more durable and visually appealing, many of them use adhesives, sealants, or protective coatings that contain harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, benzene, and toluene.
These substances can evaporate at room temperature, and high temperatures accelerate the release, which can potentially cause various health issues such as headaches, dizziness, and nausea, which I have experienced, and even more serious symptoms like eye, nose and throat irritation, respiratory problems, and skin allergies. For people with asthma, allergies, or chemical sensitivities, the effects may be more serious. The good news is that the amount of gas released will decrease over time.
Where Does Off-Gassing Come From?
Basically, most common household items, especially new products, release off-gassing into your home, just in different concentrations. This includes not just furniture like mattresses, carpets, and sofas, but also building materials such as plywood, paints, adhesives, and flame retardants, which can release harmful substances like formaldehyde, lead, benzene, and many other VOCs. Even everyday products such as laundry detergents, perfumes, scented candles, sprays, cleaners, and nail polishes that you may not notice contain toxins such as parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde releases, and benzene.
What Does Off-Gassing Smell Like?
VOC is an umbrella term for volatile organic compounds, which encompasses a wide range of chemicals, each with a different smell, and some with no smell at all, just like my new mattress. However, some people describe off-gassing as having a pungent smell similar to plastic or solvents. Regardless, you shouldn't rely solely on smell to determine if a place contains VOCs.
How to Monitor VOCs During Off-Gassing?
Since you can’t detect off-gassing by smell, how can you tell if the air in your home is safe? The answer is to use a home air quality monitor. I found out from my neighbors about the INKBIRD IAQM-129-W, so I decided to get one for myself. This device easily connects to my phone via WiFi, so I can track the progress of off-gassing and determine when levels have reached a safer range anytime, anywhere. In addition to TVOC, it can also monitor many other air quality metrics, including carbon dioxide, temperature, humidity, PM2.5, PM10, AQI, etc.
How Long Does Off-Gassing Last?
The duration of off-gassing from furniture depends largely on the type of furniture, the materials used, and the environmental conditions. For example, freshly painted walls might only off-gas for a few days, but furniture made from particleboard can release VOCs for several years. Fortunately, the intensity of this emission will decrease over time, with the most significant release happening in the first few weeks. However, you still need to use an air quality monitor to check for any off-gassing remain.
How to Speed Up Off-Gassing Furniture?
Now that you have a grasp on the basics of off-gassing, it’s time to know some practical ways to accelerate its release and finally breathe fresh air. Let’s take a look.
1. Control Source
As more people, like me, become more aware of off-gassing and its negative health effects, many furniture manufacturers are now providing options with low or zero VOCs. If you're in the process of remodeling, building a new home, or purchasing new furniture, look for furniture made from solid wood, natural fabrics, and low-VOC finishes. They’ll often be labeled GREENGUARD, Scientific Certification Systems, or SGS Group certified. If you’re on a budget, consider buying vintage furniture. Basically, this furniture has already had time to off-gas, which is safer for your indoor air quality.
2. Air Out
When you get new products, unpack them outside before bringing them indoors, and place them in a well-ventilated area like a garage or patio. If possible, let them sit in the sun to help speed up off-gassing, but keep in mind that direct sunlight can fade the furniture. After a week, the concentration of off-gassing should significantly decrease.
3. Ventilate Your Home
If your furniture is already set up or have your floors and walls that cannot be moved, then the best approach is to open as many windows and doors as possible and use fans to promote air circulation and ventilation. Poor ventilation helps off-gassing accumulate in your home.
4. Use Air Purifiers
If your home cannot be well ventilated or you want to speed up the off-gassing process, using an air purifier with an activated carbon filter can also effectively reduce VOC levels in your home. These filters are more effective at capturing and neutralizing harmful pollutants compared to regular HEPA filters, but they do need to be replaced regularly as they can become saturated quickly.
Additionally, you might want to incorporate natural air purifiers - indoor plants. NASA has found that many plants, such as the Peace Lily, Chinese Evergreen, and Monstera Deliciosa, can help purify the air. But be aware that these plants can be toxic to pets, so try to keep them out of reach of your pets.
Another suggestion is to sprinkle baking soda, a natural deodorizer, on the surface of the fabric, let it sit for a few hours, and then vacuum it up.
5. Increase Temperature
If possible, in a slightly warmer room with open windows and good air circulation, the off-gassing process can be sped up by 20% to 30%. This means that furniture that originally required ventilation for a week can now be ready in just 5 days. However, for safety, you still need to use an air quality detector to check the concentration around or inside the furniture for at least 3 hours before introducing it into your home.
Conclusion
Off-gassing can be easily overlooked, especially in new or renovated spaces. The primary culprit behind this phenomenon is VOCs, which can be found in any products in our lives and cause symptoms from dizziness and nausea, to more serious issues such as allergic reactions. Thankfully, you can speed up the off-gassing process and help you breathe easier through the methods above. However, no matter which method you choose to implement, or use them all, make sure to use an air quality monitor afterward to confirm that the indoor air remains within a safe range.
