So what's the deal with Febreze? Risky or safe? [View all]

[truedelphi]

Just from poking around on "google," I found more than 2 dozen sites where asthmatics complain about Febreze. I know I can't tolerate it. I know my mom's neighbor used towels heavily dosed with Febreze to wash off the drool of her beautiful Newfoundland dogs, and the dogs always ended up dying in ways that vets couldn't explain: entire body systems would suddenly shut down, including the desire to eat and the ability to pee and poop. (Which is how poisons work, folks!)

But here is a site that has information from the Environmental Working Group about Febreze. Apparently there are eighty seven separate noxious chemicals and none of them sound too helathy.

Also note that at one point, Time Magazine managed to overlook these chemicals and instead mention to its large audience of readers that the National Defense Council had found less pthalates in Febreze than in many other household products. Talk about a nice spin on a dangerous product.

As a society, we will probably not have much TRUTH about these types of products, as our news media is controlled by its station and corporate chain owners, all of whom salivate over the earning they receive from the advertising monies that Proctor and Gamble and other companies shower on them. Like our previous fight with Big Tobacco, I don't think the public will become aware of the dangers of these products until the ad money is cut off.

Her eis the article I am referencing"
http://www.chemicalsensitization.com/2011/07/80-chemical-ingredients-in-febreze.html

1] Denatured Alcohol, aka methylated spirits. This is ethanol mixed
with a poisonous additive that makes the alcohol unable to be con-
consumed without very ill effects. Originally, it was 10% methanol
(CH3OH.) Today, denatured alcohol might contain methyl ethyl
ketone, acetone, methyl isobutyl ketone, or denatonium benzoate.
Protector and Gamble's people think nothing of you spraying this
in a home of pets, children, and asthmatics.

2] Acetaldehyde. Refer to: Airway obstruction induced by in-
haled acetaldehyde in asthma.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12371536

3] Alpha-pinene. It's a confirmed allergen. See: Gas chromatogra-
phy: an investigative tool in multiple allergies to essential
oils.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12534533

4] Benzaldehyde.

<snip>

8] Benzyl Acetate. Produces respiratory tract irritation. Continued.
exposure to ambient levels of this compound at 50 parts per million
will cause kidney damage. Cats have died from this, at 180 parts
per million.

####

In terms of number eight - the article mentions a Univ of Calif. study that finds evidence linking Benzyl Acetate to pancreatic cancer. The article lists another 79 various chems we don't need in our body. Remember, often, whoever in the home does the housecleaning is not simply using Febreze on house cleaning day. but also furniture polishes, oven cleaners and bug sprays. And then people wonder why our cancer rates are sky high!

The World Health Organization mentioned over a decade ago that most air fresheners and air "sanitizers" contain either ethers, benzene or formaldehyde. And since companies use products they sell us as a way to "dump' chemicals they should sending off to a Super Fund site, essentially getting us to pay to consume their trash products, I didn't find that surprising in the least.