CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY: AVOID CHEMICAL FUMES

Avoid doing DIY, car maintenance, using garden chemicals or other tasks yourself unless it is imperative. Avoid newly decorated or treated buildings if you can. Do not use newly dry-cleaned clothes or bedding – hang them up to air for a few days before use (or else avoid dry-cleaning totally). Buy washable clothes whenever possible. trouble). If you retain gas appliances, get them and inlet pipes serviced and checked to be sure that they are operating properly.

Take care with barbecues, bonfires and solid fuel appliances. Some people find these no problem, but others are badly upset by them. Do not burn food – charring and burning give off chemical fumes known to upset people. Watch the toast!

Avoid tobacco smoke as much as you can. If you or your housemates have been smokers, but have now stopped, or if you move into a house where smokers lived before, it helps to try and clear out the residues of tobacco fumes which impregnate carpets, furniture, curtains, even walls.

Most hard plastic – used for radios, audio equipment, televisions and computers – does not give problems with fumes, once aired off, unless it gets hot. Some audio equipment is made of a type of hard plastic that can give off persistent fumes, however. It is usually distinguished by a sweet, aromatic smell – stronger than other types of audio equipment – and often has a black/greyish, metallic finish. Sniff equipment carefully before buying to try and avoid this problem.

Avoid situations where any spraying is being done – spray polish, agricultural spraying, gardening, hairdressing. The location of your home may expose you to heavy levels of fumes from vehicles or industry. You are best to live away from heavy traffic if you can, and upwind of local industry. Upper storeys of buildings are usually affected less by vehicle pollution; living in upper storeys of a high rise building may help you cope in a city centre. The eastern side of the UK is generally less favourable for people sensitive to industrial fumes than the western side; the prevailing westerly winds carry pollution eastwards across the country.

Chemical pollution can be aggravated by low, damp, cloudy weather that holds down fumes and discharges. You may be better to restrict going outdoors on such days if you can manage it, or to take extra care if you cannot avoid going out.

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