New homes, clothes & cars: the hidden chemical load

People generally tend to picture pollution as something that occurs outdoors.  They think of pollution as traffic fumes, factory chimneys, and city smog.  However, after decades of treating patients with chemical sensitivities at Breakspear Medical, we have learned that some of the most significant toxic exposures happen in our personal space, such as in our homes, in our wardrobes, our cars, and the air fresheners we use to make our spaces smell “clean.”

None of these daily exposures are usually large enough on their own to cause obvious harm; the issue is cumulative. Every chemical we breathe in, absorb through the skin, or ingest adds to what we call the total body load.  This pollutant load is the combined effect of many small, everyday exposures, rather than any single dramatic one, which tends to tip susceptible people of all ages, into symptoms.

Fresh air matters more than we think

Indoor air is very often more polluted than the air outside. Modern homes, offices, cars and schools are built and furnished to be airtight and energy-efficient, which is good for reducing heating bills, however, bad for ventilation. New paint, new carpets, synthetic and treated natural furnishings, cleaning products and electrical equipment all continuously release low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air we breathe indoors, day after day.

Carpets and soft furnishings deserve particular attention. Many are treated with fire retardants, stain-proofing chemicals and, in some cases, pesticide or anti-moth treatments.  All these substances can off-gas gradually into the room. When choosing or replacing flooring and furnishings, it is worth finding out which treatments have been applied and airing new items thoroughly before being exposed day-to-day.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has linked millions of premature deaths worldwide each year to air pollution, and a substantial share of that burden comes from indoor air, from the products and materials that surround us daily, not just from outdoor traffic and industry. Regularly opening windows, airing out rooms, and simply spending time outdoors are some of the cheapest and most effective ways to reduce the chemical load your body must process.

As we often say to our patients, “The solution to pollution is dilution.”  The more fresh air you let in, the more the indoor chemical load gets diluted.

Wash new clothes before wearing them, particularly for children

New clothing, particularly items made from synthetic fibres or treated with wrinkle-resistant, stain-resistant or flame-retardant finishes, can carry residues from the manufacturing and dyeing processes. These processes may include formaldehyde-based resins, azo dyes and other finishing chemicals, along with residues left over from storage, packaging and transport. This is part of why new clothes often have that distinctive “new clothes smell.”

Washing new clothes matters particularly for school-age children, who tend to have thinner, more absorbent skin than adults, and are still developing the enzyme systems needed to break down and clear chemical exposures efficiently. A newly purchased school uniform worn for eight hours a day, five days a week, represents a sustained, close-contact exposure.

Simple practical steps for new clothes:

• Wash all new clothing, including uniforms, sportswear and pyjamas, before it’s worn for the first time.
• Use a full wash cycle, since many finishing chemicals are water-soluble and reduce significantly even after just one wash.
• Air new clothes on a line or airer rather than leaving them sealed in packaging until the day they’re needed.
• Apply the same routine to new bedding, particularly for children.

That “new car smell” is a chemical cocktail

Few smells feel more like a treat than the smell of a brand-new car. Unfortunately, that smell is largely the result of off-gassing from plastics, adhesives, foams, upholstery and dashboard materials, which are releasing compounds such as benzene, styrene, formaldehyde, xylene and phthalates into a small, enclosed space. Phthalates are worth a special mention, as they are often misunderstood. Phthalates are not a plastic in themselves; they are plasticisers, which are chemical additives blended into rigid plastics, such as PVC, to make them soft, flexible and durable. Phthalates give vinyl dashboards, seat coverings and interior trim their pliable feel. Because phthalates are not chemically bonded to the plastic, they are not locked in place and gradually leach out and evaporate over time, particularly under heat, and are a major contributor to that distinctive “new car smell.”

Off-gassing is typically at its highest in the first few months after manufacture and is accelerated by heat.

Because the interior of a car is such a small, enclosed volume of air, concentrations of these chemicals can build up quickly, particularly on longer journeys with the windows closed. The more air you circulate through the cabin, the faster those chemical concentrations are reduced.

Regular exposure has been associated with symptoms ranging from headaches, dizziness and fatigue to irritation of the eyes, nose and throat in more sensitive individuals.

Simple practical steps for new cars:

• Ventilate a new car regularly.  Drive with windows cracked open when practical, and air it out fully before setting off on a hot day.
• Avoid leaving a new car parked in direct sun for long periods.
• Let the car air out for a few moments with doors open before getting in, particularly in warm weather.
• Be cautious with add-on treatments such as fabric protectors or dashboard polishes, which can add to the chemical load rather than reduce it.

Air fresheners: masking odours, not improving air quality

A product marketed as an “air freshener” would be presumed to be improving the air in your home or car, however, the opposite is usually true. Plug-in air fresheners, aerosol sprays and scented car fresheners frequently rely on synthetic fragrance chemicals, and often phthalates too, to help carry and stabilise their scent. Rather than removing pollutants from the air, air fresheners simply add another layer of chemicals on top of whatever is already there, masking the unwanted smell.

For people with chemical sensitivities, and increasingly for otherwise healthy children and adults who are exposed to them daily, synthetic fragrances are a common trigger for headaches, respiratory irritation and fatigue.

A better approach:

• Open a window and/or use an extractor fan instead of reaching for a spray.
• Use a natural ventilation routine as part of your daily cleaning habits.

The bigger picture: total body load

It is unlikely that a single exposure to a new jumper, ride in a new car or whiff of an air freshener in a public loo is likely to cause serious harm in isolation. The concern is cumulative. Chemical exposures from clothing, furnishings, vehicles, food, cleaning products and personal care items all add to the total body load, which is the sum of everything the body is being asked to process and detoxify at any given time.

For most healthy adults, the body’s detoxification systems cope well with this background load. However, for children, for those with existing sensitivities, or for anyone under additional physical or emotional stress, that cumulative load can start to show up as symptoms.  Symptoms can include fatigue, headaches, poor concentration, skin reactions or digestive upset, which are often without an obvious single cause.

The good news is that many of the biggest contributors to that load are also some of the easiest to reduce. Washing new clothes, airing out a new car, opening a window instead of reaching for a spray, and simply spending more time in genuinely fresh air are small habits that can meaningfully lighten the chemical burden your body carries every day.

Remember: the solution to pollution is dilution.