Dangers of VOCs

Recently I purchased a really cool piece of furniture from a second hand and unfinished furniture store in the Santa Cruz area called Sweet's in the Nude. The piece I bought is an old amoire-ish thing with an old window pain as the amoire door. I bought it black but wanted to paint it a light sea-foam so I went into the paint store down the road to pick out some paint. A should be simple trip to the paint store turned into a much bigger process when I was given the option of picking my paint based on VOC levels.

Most people probably have no idea what a VOC is... and are probably pronouncing it "vock" like I embarrassingly did to the really cute worker that was helping me in the paint store. VOC (pronounced "V.O.C." just in case you run into your own cute worker at the paint store someday) stands for "Volatile Organic Compound". Technically, they are gases that certain solids or liquids emit. For example, VOCs are the chemicals that you smell when you paint a room or strip furniture. Although this term may not yet be in your vocabulary, VOCs are definitely already in your home. VOCs are found in common household cleaning products, most aerosol products, non-natural air fresheners, adhesives, dry-cleaned clothes, fabric softners, and moth balls just to name a few. VOC exposure can be very dangerous to our health and the health of our environment. Exposure to VOCs have been know cause immune system damage, brain damage, loss of coordination, liver, kidneys and central nervous system damage, asthma, and even cancer. The list goes on and on. As far as the environment goes, VOC are largely responsible for increasing ground level ozone pollution (aka smog). Really scary stuff for something that many of us were not even aware of!

Though VOCs are fairly impossible to avoid, there are things you can do to limit your exposure to VOCS. Going back to my paint store anecdote, paints are now offered in "low VOC" or no VOC" options. They make it so easy for you. I just selected the sea foam color I was looking for off of a regular Benjamin Moore color swatch and the paint store matched the exact color in a "no VOC" Benjamin Moore paint called "Natura". The paint was great...no smell, went on smoothly, easy to wash off my hands and clothes, and my amoire looked great in the end. It was a little more expensive, but an easy choice when compared to the option of breathing in dangerous chemicals for months, maybe years.

We are so lucky to have all of the options of green products available to us. I urge you to make the little switches that will really lower your exposure to VOCs. Using "No VOC" or "Low VOC" paint when painting the interior of your house or furniture is a big one. Your house is where you spend the majority of your time and where you are exposed to the majority of VOCs. Also, use green cleaning products. My favorite store bought cleaners include Mrs. Meyers and seventh generation. These are available at most natural grocers and are making the move to many conventional grocery stores, especially Mrs. Meyers. Not only are they safe for you and your family but they smell great and are much safer for the environment. If you are hesitant to spend the extra money (though it really isn't that much more of an expense- I promise!) make your own natural cleaner. People have been using lemon, vinegar, and baking soda for centuries! It's stuff you already have lying around the house, it works great, is cost effective, and 100% safe.

The ways are limitless in which you can lessen your VOC exposure such as finding a "green" dry cleaner in your area, buying organic bedding/clothing, and using natural air fresheners. The most important thing is to be proactive and educated. There are countless websites and resources dedicated to this topic. When it comes to your health, it is always worth the little extra effort.