With St. Patrick's Day right around the corner we are reminded that green is important, certainly when it comes to the color of your beer and the color of your shamrock but it also gives us the opportunity to segue into a discussion on "green" design, in particular--off-gassing. We all need a reminder now and then that eco-friendly design is important as we discussed in this post from 2012.
I have noticed that there seems to be a lot of discussion lately on the topic of off-gassing, due in part to the attention it is garnering from celebrities. Have you ever noticed that once a celebrity jumps on a bandwagon a topic receives a lot of attention? But I also wondered if the general public is even aware of this issue and how it affects them. Here is our little tutorial on the subject of off-gassing:
Definition: Off-gassing is defined as "the emission of especially noxious gases.." (courtesy of merriam-webster.)
Sources: Off-gassing can be produced from pretty much any item in your home including carpeting, flooring, paints and varnishes, household cleaners, packing materials, even your dry cleaning.
Solutions: There are several ways you can reduce the amount of off-gassing produced in your home, hotel, retail store or place of business. And just a quick note, according to the EPA, indoor air quality is important and care should be given to keeping the air as healthy as possible to avoid health problems for some members of your family or for visitors to your place of business. For more detailed information, visit the EPA website. To help insure a clean interior follow these suggestions:
- Choose low VOC paints and cleaners
- Open windows and air out rooms with newly applied paint or floor coverings. This may be necessary even when new furniture is delivered to eliminate the varnish fumes.
- Properly dispose of any open containers of paints, varnishes, strippers, cleaners.
Maintaining a clean air work or home environment will offer both short term and long term benefits to all who enter.