Your comfy couch
Contains: flame retardants
Replace with: a couch made after 2014
You might want to sit down for this one. But maybe not on your couch as it can represent a hazard to your health. Let me tell you a story. Back in 1975, the state of California adopted a law that required all furniture, including sofas, to be coated in flame retardants to prevent home fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials. It was understandable as, every year, almost 1,000 smokers and nonsmokers die in such fires.
In accordance with the law, furniture companies soaked all their furniture products in chemicals, regardless of their shipping destination. Several years later, it was discovered that those substances could lead to cancer. Since then, the use of fire retardants has been limited by if you have an old couch, no matter how comfortable it is, you’d better get rid of it pronto!
Granite countertops
Contains: radon
Replace with: quartz countertops
Granite countertops are one of the most sought-after features in a home, but are they worth it? I think not, because of the radon emitted by granite products. If you didn’t know it, radon is an inert, colorless and odorless gas that is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Do you still think granite countertops are fancy?
Although only a low percentage of tested granite countertops have reportedly been found with levels above safety standards, are you willing to take that risk?
