Question from AC
Hi Debra! Thanks so much for your site and all the great info you provide. I have a question about vinyl shelving. We currently have shelving in our rental home that is vinyl. Unfortunately removing it is not an option as we are renting. The shelving is in our pantry, every closet, and our laundry room so going without using it would drastically cut down on our storage space. Is there anyway to protect ourselves from the shelves out-gassing? This is our second year living here, and I don’t think the shelves were put in right before we came so I am guessing they have been here at least two to three years. Is it safe to store things in the closets but not actually on the shelves? Thank you so much—this site is such a valuable source of information!
Debra’s Answer
Very simple. Cover them with heavy duty aluminum foil. The foil will block any fumes. Tape around the edges. Best would be to use foil tape, but you want to have something removable, so you may need to use blue painter’s tape that can be removed without leaving a mark.
Not the most attractive, but will block the fumes.
If you think heavy duty aluminum foil is not heavy duty enough for the wear-and-tear, go to a building supply store and get foil-backed building paper and lay it on the shelf with the foil side up. It’s a lot more durable and gives the same foil protection. Nothing I know of gets through a layer of metal, even a thin layer like foil.
What about lining the shelves with carbon blanket material and then cover that with the foil? For best results I believe you would need to remove the carbon blanket periodically and let it sit out in the sun to reactivate it. The carbon would absorb some of the toxic gases.