Volatile Organic Compounds in Home Furnishings

Buying new furniture is exciting, whether you are decorating a new home, or finally investing in a high-quality, comfortable mattress.

Unfortunately, toxins will be arriving with your new couch or mattress. Most likely, toxins are in your existing furniture as well.

Furniture manufacturers use a wide array of glues, glosses, and fabrics, which can include flame retardants, polishes, laminates, and other seemingly “harmless” furniture features. When you buy furniture, you buy the potent chemicals used to make it.

While we may all like the smell of new furniture, those scents come from a class of chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds behave as toxic gases that pollute the air in your home and vehicle, causing all kinds of nasty side effects when inhaled.

These side effects can include eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, and nausea, along with liver, kidney, and central nervous system damage. Some are even known to cause cancer.