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Moved into a new home or bought a new dresser? And the “new item smell” leads you to ask yourself: Is the air I breathe in my home safe? Your concern is valid.
Renovated homes and new pieces of furniture are prone to off-gassing. It’s the process where toxic chemicals are released into the air you breathe. These chemicals are known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and they can come from everyday items in your home.
Fresh paint, new furniture, carpets, cleaning products, and even personal care items, these sources silently pollute the air you breathe. While that “new item smell” is often a warning sign, many VOCs are odorless, making them harder to detect.
The effects can range from immediate symptoms, like headaches, eye irritation, and nausea, to long-term health risks, such as respiratory issues and even cancer.
Keep on reading to learn how to identify and reduce off-gassing in your home.
Off-gassing is the process by which materials release gases into the air, often associated with that “new” smell from furniture, carpets, or freshly painted walls. At its core, it’s about volatile organic compounds (VOCs) - chemical particles that evaporate at room temperature and seep into the air we breathe.
Why does this happen?
Many household items are treated with adhesives, sealants, or protective coatings to make them more durable or visually appealing. These treatments, combined with synthetic components like vinyl or foam, can release harmful gases such as formaldehyde and benzene over time. This is especially problematic in spaces with limited ventilation, where these toxins accumulate and degrade indoor air quality.
One of the first steps toward maintaining cleaner air in your home is recognizing the most common sources of VOCs in your home.
Regardless of the reason, many times we can’t choose building materials. This is what makes them the number one off-gassing source.
Off-gassing building materials include:
These materials contain formaldehyde, lead, benzene, and many other highly toxic VOCs.
Building materials can be a significant source of off-gassing as they release chemicals into the air over time.
That new sofa you love might release formaldehyde into your home. Even a single piece of new furniture can become a source of increased VOC levels in your home due to the chemicals in it. Another big issue is household items containing plastics or coating. These components release VOCs in the air, especially during initial usage as the items heat up.
So, here’s what to look out for:
Chemicals that are found in scented laundry detergents, personal care products, and cleaning supplies can be extremely harmful. And overheating laundry detergents, either through the washing or drying cycle, accelerates VOC evaporation.
You should watch out for:
Many of these products contain parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde-releasing agents, and benzene. This consumer product information database can help you easily identify the substances in your products.
There are everyday activities we do in our homes that contribute to off-gassing.
These activities include:
Whether it’s a new installation or a touch-up, floorings can be a big source of VOC in your home.
These sources include:
For individuals with asthma or allergies, off-gassing can worsen the symptoms. The severity of health effects often depends on the toxicity of the gases and the duration of exposure.
Short-term effects include:
Long-term effects include:
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified formaldehyde, a common VOC found in furniture and building materials, as a probable human carcinogen when exposure is prolonged.
There is no sure way to tell how long a new house will off-gas. The duration varies widely depending on the materials used and environmental factors. For instance, freshly painted walls may off-gas for just a few hours or days, while furniture can continue to release VOCs for years.
Fortunately, off-gassing does diminish over time as the chemicals gradually evaporate into the air.
However, the rate of evaporation is influenced by several key factors:
Tactics to mitigate off-gassing in your home can vary depending on the item that is releasing VOCs. However, most of the tips are common for many situations.
Here’s what you can do to speed up off-gassing in your home.
Whenever you detect a VOC level increase in your home, open windows and doors on opposite sides to create a draft and improve ventilation. VOC levels usually increase when you bring a new piece of furniture, do renovation work, fry food, or use chemical products indoors.
To effectively reduce VOC levels in your home, use air purifiers with activated carbon filters. They can trap and neutralize harmful pollutants better than regular HEPA filters. Since these filters saturate quickly, replace them regularly and monitor VOC levels using a portable air quality monitor with a TVOC or VOC sensor to track trends.
While there are no official residential TVOC standards, the RESET standard recommends keeping levels below 0.22 ppm (500 µg/m3) in commercial spaces, offering a helpful benchmark for maintaining air quality at home.
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If you have any chemicals in your home, such as paint, cleaning products, or bleach, make sure to store them safely. Close the lids tightly, and keep them away from the common area. Garage space or shed are much safer options for storing these items.
New furniture comes with a price, and we’re not talking about the price you pay at the store. Unless you buy furniture made from low-VOC or VOC-free and natural materials (solid wood, wool, organic cotton), you’re at risk of off-gassing.
So, here’s what you can do to speed up off-gassing:
New carpets and rugs usually come with an unpleasant smell, which is a telltale sign of off-gassing. These smells usually come from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like formaldehyde and benzene. They are emitted by adhesives, dyes, and synthetic materials used in carpets and flooring.
Here’s how you can minimize off-gassing effectively:
The most precise way to tell if the air in your home is safe is by measuring the Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC).
But what is TVOC in air quality?
TVOC indicates the status of your indoor air quality. It measures the total amount of harmful gases in the air.
As we already know, many VOCs are odorless. So, relying on your sense of smell when determining the air quality in your home is unreliable. Many homeowners use Atmotube PRO which lets you measure TVOC in your home, along with other important metrics. The device is small and portable, and it can easily connect to your phone via Bluetooth. This option gives you access to the details of air quality in your home and lets you know when the air is polluted. It’s the safest way to know if TVOC levels are elevated.
Off-gassing is an issue that also appears in commercial spaces such as schools, business centers, malls, offices, etc. And it’s often harder to tackle than home off-gassing.
The reason is simple. Materials used in construction are mostly synthetic, as using natural and organic materials would cost much more for larger commercial buildings. Carpets, furniture, and paints - all release VOCs which can lead to sick building syndrome (SBS). The main symptoms of SBS are headaches, respiratory irritation, or fatigue.
The poor air quality in commercial buildings can affect both employees and employers. It indirectly leads to decreased productivity and more sick days. That’s why businesses should be proactive in handling off-gassing issues in their spaces.
Choosing low-VOC materials, proper ventilation, air purification, and air quality monitors are some of the best tactics to lower VOCs in commercial spaces. By adopting these practices, businesses can create safer and more comfortable spaces for everyone.
Indoor air quality is essential for health and well-being, particularly when dealing with VOCs (volatile organic compounds) released during off-gassing. Understanding these emissions and addressing them through proper ventilation, air purification, and material choices can significantly reduce their impact.
By combining advanced technology with proactive measures like opting for low-VOC products and maintaining good airflow, you can minimize risks associated with indoor toxins.
