Nothing (much) To Report

On the ghost hunting nonsense t’other day, (of which I will tell all, soon-ish) several times various peeps were convinced they could periodically smell a floral scent in a few rooms, nothing specific apart from one person who smelt lily of the valley. I may have been quiet throughout the night, but I was busy keeping my eyes open and having a good look around me, even in the dark. I noticed many of these plug air fresheners, I’m guessing no one else did, and that perhaps the owner, who nodding and agreed with every “paranormal” sensation experience, had also forgotten what was in her own house.

What is with these horrible things? Why does everyone have to make their homes smell like something else? Ok, so wet dog or eau du fag end aren’t appalling aromas to hit you as you walk into your own or someone else’s home, but is pumping nasty chemicals of artificial scent really the best way of dealing with the situation? What about throwing away one’s hard earned, or not so hard earned, cash on fresh flowers? They look really nice and smell wonderful too, if you pick the right sort*. Far more cheering and environmentally friendly than electricity-sapping plug-ins, whether they puff or not, or sprays.

Air fresheners work in one of, or in a combination of, the following four ways:
1) by killing your ability to smell by way of a nerve-deadening chemical
2) by coating your nasal passages with an undetectable oily film
3) by covering up one smell with another
4) (rarely) by breaking down the offensive odor.

Ewww, this is just nasty:

Benzyl Alcohol — “…upper respiratory tract irritation, headaches, nausea and vomiting, a depressed central nervous system and a drop in blood pressure.”
Camphor— “On EPA’s Hazardous Waste List… readily absorbed through the body tissues…irritation of eyes, skin, nose, and throat…dizziness, confusion, nausea, twitching muscles and convulsions…avoid inhalation of vapors.”
Dichlorobenzene– “extremely toxic, a central nervous system depressant, kidney and liver poison. One of the chlorinated hydrocarbons that is long-lasting in the environment and is stored in body fat. Vapor irritating to skin, eyes and throat. Banned in California.”
Ethanol– “… derived from petroleum and is carcinogenic… toxic to the skin, respiratory, cardiovascular, developmental, endocrine, neurological, and gastrointestinal systems.”
Formaldehyde– “…toxic if inhaled, poisonous if swallowed, skin and eye irritant, carcinogenic…”
Limonene—“ …Carcinogenic, prevent its’ contact with skin or eyes because it is an irritant and sensitizer …always wash thoroughly after using this material and before eating or drinking…do not inhale limonene vapor”.
Naphthalene– “… a carcinogen that accumulates in our waters and marine life. It can be irritating to the skin, alter kidney function, cause cataracts, and is toxic (cardiovascular and developmental), especially to children. It can be poisonous if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin.
Phenol– “…can cause skin to swell, burn, peel, and break out in hives … cold sweats, convulsions, circulatory collapse, coma and even death.
Pinene– “…Flammable. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents. Eye, skin, & respiratory irritant. May be absorbed through skin…very destructive of mucous membranes.

both extracts from: http://www.mcs-global.org/Documents/PDFs/AirFreshenersAndPlug-Ins.pdf

*Course they’re not so great if they’ve travelled many, many miles to get to you, nor so if they’ve been produced in a way that is detrimental to the local environment, workers, etc, as is the case with the vast majority of cut flowers in this country.

“…shocking conditions in the cut flower industry in Africa and Latin America - workers’ health ruined by pesticides on intensive farms, women forced to stand in cold packing sheds snipping blooms for up to 18 hours at a time to meet western demand in peak periods, when everyone must have the exactly the same floral tribute on exactly the same day. It made brandishing a bouquet a worry.”

But then there are problems with the “better” alternative, as the above linked article goes on to explain. Clearly the best way is to grow your own flowers for cutting and enjoying inside your own home. Right, that’s just another ideal I’ve set for myself, another that will be procrastinated about. And now I’ve got another excuse to add to my list as to why I won’t buy flowers for those “special occasions” that are merely a marketing scam, i.e. Valentine’s/Mothers/Fathers/Grandparents/My Best Friend Day.