Question from Kristen
We have lived in our home for 10 years. My daughter is now 18 and her health has steadily and drastically gone downhill over the same time period. She has been seen by every specialist you can think of but they’ve all been stumped. It recently occurred to me that maybe our house was the problem so I bought an air quality test on Amazon. The report came back that we have very elevated levels of VOCs, particularly those from flooring, coating and cabinets. We never open windows due to allergies, which now seems like a bad idea. I’m overwhelmed and don’t know where to start to eliminate these VOCs as quickly as possible. I did buy a couple Vornado air purifiers to get started. Specific advice or steps to take would be most welcome. My poor daughter has missed all of high school (had to actually drop out) and most of the past 10 years. I’m pretty desperate to help her. Thank you.
Lisa’s Answer
Austinair carbon air filters work very well for me. I have 5 in various rooms in my home. I’ve had chemical sensitivity (putting in mildly) for decades. If you lacquered the floors, that will be a tough one for your daughter. Rugs can help contain it…. Moving to a safer home is honestly sometimes the best option
The only thing you can really do is avoid contact with VOC’s You might also look at “Denny Foil” (google it) I’ve used it to block outgassing from walls, floors and even cabinets. I wish you all the best of luck…