Question from Tanya
Last year I wrote in for information on my printer. There was a smell in my house and I couldn’t get rid of it, I thought it was coming from my printer. I finally had the air tested in my house and it showed relatively high levels of formaldehyde.
After much investigation it was determined that a piece of furniture in my home had been emitting formaldehyde fumes for about 7 months. It was a 3 piece desk / wall unit. I had owned it for more than 6 years and never had a problem. I thought it was all wood. While rearranging furniture in my home a piece of the top of the desk was ripped off. It was discovered that there was pressboard that had been exposed when the desk was damaged and it was emitting formaldehyde (the furniture was manufactured in China so I don’t know what kind of regulations there are).
The fumes basically permeated almost everything in the house. I have MCS and it was effecting me more than other family members. We aired out the house, ran our Austin Air Cleaner on high 24/7, set out more charcoal fitlers, etc. We live in Florida and when the A/C is running continuously the odor is almost gone, but if we open the windows the odor returns shortly afterwards. I think it is because the humidity rises in the house and starts the outgassing process. I have washed every piece of fabric in house – clothes, linens, rugs, towels, etc. That did seem to help. Any other ideas how to completely remove the formaldehyde from my house?
Thanks for any help you can offer. I have been battling this for over a year now. We slept outside in a tent for several months when the problem was at its worse.
Debra’s Answer
Formaldehyde is volatile and so it will dissipate.
I had experience with formaldehyde when I was in grade school that made a big impression on me. Someone had left a full bottle of formaldehyde open sitting on a counter. When I returned later it had completely evaporated. So free formaldehyde will evaporated from anything. When it is combined in a resin, as in particleboard or permanent-press finish, then it becomes “time-release” and therein lies the problem. That’s why it continues to outgas and outgas and outgas.
You don’t say that you removed the desk from your house. I’m assuming you did, but I’m just bringing up the obvious in case you didn’t. You also say humidity speeds up the outgassing process. Well, that is good. If opening the windows speeds up outgassing, do more of that. Maybe use fans to help remove the indoor air.
Heat speeds outgassing, so you could close up the house and turn up the heat to release the formaldehyde from anything that has absorbed it, then open the windows and ventilate it out.
Hi,
What about AFM Safecoat Safe Seal to seal it up? I have terrible MCS too, but have heard good things about this. My building actually uses the AFM carpet cleaner on the hall carpets because of my issues and it’s totally fine.
But if that doesn’t work, if it were me, I would get rid of it and get a metal and glass desk. All of my furniture is now metal and glass, no outgassing and it can be cleaned with just water. I got mine on sale from Pottery Barn.
Best of luck to you.
Susan
Totally fine to use AFM Safecoat Safe Seal.
Small items such as stuffed toys can be inserted into black plastic garbage bags and put outside in full summer sun to “bake” them, and speed up the outgassing process.
For larger items, cut open the garbage bags to make black plastic sheets, attach them to the item, and again allow the item to “bake” in full summer sun.
Black will absorb more radiant energy, making the contents super hot. Not for use with electronics, obviously.