Air Fresheners: Helpful or Hazardous?

by Becca Lauzon, University of Rochester

Is your home smelling not so fresh? The fix may not be what you think.

Think about your favorite smell. Mine is the smell of a cake baking—how you start to smell it a few minutes before the oven timer goes off, the scent in the air telling you it’s almost done. Smells are powerful. They can conjure memories or emotions, but they can also warn us of hazards like smoke or mold.

Over the past few years, I visited dozens of homes as part of “ROC HOME,” a research study done by the University of Rochester and Silent Spring Institute about home-based chemical exposures. (Learn more about the study and what we found on the study’s webpage.) In nearly every home, I saw some kind of air freshener—a scented candle on the dining room table, a plug-in behind the couch, a spray on the kitchen counter. On one memorable occasion, a previously unnoticed, unlabeled gadget on a dining table let out a puff of fragrance right in the face of a colleague, just as we were asking the homeowner a survey question about their air freshener use!

If you ask people why they use air fresheners, you’ll get many answers:

“I want my home to smell nice when people come over.”
“I have pets.”
“I have teenagers.”
“I just like the smell.”

We all want our homes to smell good, and countless products to help us get there are constantly promoted on TV, online, and in stores. In the ROC HOME study, almost all the people we surveyed regularly used some kind of air freshener.

But what many people don’t know is that the chemicals that create these scents can affect health. These chemicals are used in many products—air fresheners, beauty or personal care products, cleaning supplies, and more. While there are many great resources about the potential harms of chemicals in personal care products, we couldn’t find one about air fresheners—so we got to work!

The Hidden Hazards of Air Fresheners is an infographic and two-page fact sheet and FAQ created by the Community Engagement Core of the University of Rochester’s Environmental Health Sciences Center. Our goal was to help people understand the health impacts of air fresheners and what they can do to keep their homes smelling fresh—without harmful chemicals.

Air Fresheners Get into the Air—and into You

Most air fresheners use chemicals to create artificial scents. Even air fresheners with “natural” scents, like flowers or fruit, may be created with synthetic chemicals, and these ingredients are often not listed on the label. Many of these chemicals have not been thoroughly tested, and others are known to have harmful health effects. Using air fresheners releases these chemicals into the air you breathe. They also settle from the air into the dust in your home and can be absorbed through your skin.

Research has linked chemicals used in air fresheners to a range of health concerns, including:

• Respiratory issues like asthma attacks.
• Headaches and migraines.
• Skin irritation (dermatitis).
• Hormone disruption and impacts on fertility.
• Impaired development of children’s bodies.

Children and people with asthma or allergies may be particularly vulnerable, especially if they have regular or long-term exposure.

One type of harmful chemical that’s commonly used in air fresheners is called phthalates (pronounced “thal-ates”). Phthalates are used in products to hold fragrance and color and have been linked to many health concerns. Some phthalates can harm the development of the reproductive system, especially in boys, and may affect fertility in adults. Some are suspected of increasing the risk of cancer. Phthalates may also contribute to allergies and asthma.

Safer Ways to Keep Your Home Smelling Good

The other thing to know about air fresheners is that they don’t remove odors—they just cover them up while the underlying problem causing the odor remains. Take mold for example—using air fresheners for a musty smell may put it out of mind, but meanwhile the mold will continue to spread.

If you are using air fresheners to hide other smells, try preventing odors before they start:

• Take the trash out regularly.
• Clean problem areas like pet areas and bathrooms frequently with unscented products.
• Use fans and windows to circulate the air.
• Use dehumidifiers or exhaust fans to prevent mold and mildew.

Still looking for more? Try some of these nontoxic alternatives:

• If the air feels or smells stale, bring in fresh air by opening windows.
• Baking soda neutralizes odors in carpets, furniture, trash, and refrigerators.
• Fresh flowers add a floral scent without harmful chemicals.
• Dried flowers or spices last longer than fresh—try potpourri.
• Make a simmer pot: Simmer natural ingredients like cinnamon, vanilla, or cut fruit such as lemon and apple in a pot of simmering water. Watch carefully so the water doesn’t boil away, and don’t leave the pot unattended!

Check out the resources for answers to common questions about other products that scent the air, like candles and essential oils.

Rethinking how the air in your home smells isn’t easy. It may take time to build new habits. You may need to adjust your expectations of what a “clean” home smells like. It doesn’t need to be perfect. After a long day, I may still light that scented candle and put off the chore of scooping the cat litter box for an hour or two. But with small changes to reduce odors, cutting back on air fresheners, or trying some of the alternatives listed above, you can breathe easier knowing you are protecting your health.

Madeline Holodnik, University of Rochester, contributed to this report.

References

Steinemann, A. (2017, January). Ten questions concerning air fresheners and indoor built environments. Building and Environment, 111, 279-284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2016.11.009

Ibrahim, A. F., ALBaharna, D. F., Ahmed, H. O., Anas, M. G., & ALJassmi, J. M. (2019, November). Qualitative analysis of air freshener spray. Journal of Environmental Public Health, 1, 9316707. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/9316707

Steinemann, A. (2016, October). Fragranced consumer products: Exposures and effects from emissions. Air Quality, Atmospher & Health, 9(8), 861-866. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-016-0442-z

Wang, Y., & Qian, H. (2021). Phthalates and their impacts on human health. Healthcare, 9(5), 603. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9050603

 

Becca Lauzon, Ph.D, is Research Assistant Professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester and the program manager for the Community Engagement Core of the Environmental Health Sciences Center. She loves to bake and hang out with her two cats. Other favorite smells include ponderosa pine trees and salty ocean air.