Marie Claire Australia September 2017

PHOTOGRAPHED BY GETTY IMAGES. TEXT BY ANNA MCCOOE. *

A MECHANISTIC STUDY OF LIMONENE

OXIDATION PRODUCTS AND PATHWAYS FOLLOWING CLEANING ACTIVITIES

, UNIVERSITY OF YORK

DOMESTIC

DETOX

Live a healthier life by tweaking

your living environment

Y

ou know that moment after

a long day, when you shut

the door and home is your

long-awaited haven? Think

back to the last time you felt that way

• did you breathe a sigh of relief?
  Hold that breath and contemplate this:
  according to the Centre for Australian
  Weather and Climate Research, air
  pollution inside a home can be up
  to five times worse than outside.

Case in point – the sweet smell

inside fibreboard cabinets? It’s actually

formaldehyde, which the International

Agency for Research on Cancer

classifies as a human carcinogen.

Meanwhile, that “lemon-fresh” scent

in cleaning products is limonene,

a chemical that converts to

formaldehyde when it hits the ozone.*

Smoke, mould and the Volatile

Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted

from paints, varnishes and carpets

are all linked to asthma and allergies.

It’s no wonder the World Health

Organization found that globally

4.3 million people a year die from

exposure to household air pollution.

Pass the gas mask.

Of course, there are ways you

can combat these indoor chemical

nasties. Here’s your five-step plan

for a healthier home.

1 2 3 4 5

DECLUTTER

Ditch toxic clutter

such as old paint cans,

engine oil, pesticides

and batteries. Visit

recyclingnearyou.com.au

to find your local

drop-off points and

collection services.

PURIFY

Enter the Dyson Pure

Hot+Cool Link air

purifier and fan ($799,

at Harvey Norman)

which captures gases

and 99.95 per cent of

fine particles including

tobacco smoke and

pollen – even if they’re

only one-750th of the

width of a human hair.

PROPAGATE

The most visually

pleasing way to detox?

Indoor plants. Think

back to your high

school biology classes:

plants convert carbon

dioxide into oxygen

as part of the

photosynthetic process.

Plus, according to

research from NASA,

greenery can also

remove benzene,

trichloroethylene and

formaldehyde from

the air in your home.

VENTILATE

An airtight home

may cause toxic

gases from heating,

cooking, cleaning and

synthetic materials to

accumulate. Promote

cross-ventilation by

opening windows

and doors on opposite

sides of the room.

Bathrooms, laundries

and kitchens might

also require exhaust

fans flued direct

to the outdoors.

DETOX

Be mindful when

shopping for household

products. Swap out

paraffin candles for

beeswax, seek out

cleaning supplies

made from natural,

biodegradable

ingredients (bicarb

and vinegar fixes a

multitude of sins), and

use natural materials

in place of plastic.

WELLNESS