Flame retardants are inevitable in a modern home. Flame retardants are unavoidable in appliances and electronic items. They also inevitably come into the house on our clothing from cars.
There are also insulation types that always contain flame retardants like rigid foam board and polyurethane spray foam.
Another item where you will almost always find flame retardants is in synthetic carpet.
Luckily we have made a lot of progress with removing flame retardants from polyurethane furniture foam. You rarely find it in furniture foam these days. But if you have older furniture, especially from before 2015 you likely have toxic flame retardants leaching out.
You might also find flame retardants in rugs, rug backings, curtains, and more.
Flame retardants leach out of these materials and can be found in household dust.
Action Items to Reduce Flame Retardant Exposure in the Home
Get rid of furniture foam items made before 2015, and replace them with FR-free versions. I have posts on choosing FR-free, non-toxic mattresses and sofas. Get rid of electronics made before 2008, replace with brands that have eliminated the most toxic FRs.
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How to Clean Up Flame Retardants in a Home
1. Get a HEPA Vacuum
Flame retardants become mobile in dust as opposed to in gas form. So keeping a dust-free home is of utmost importance. David Suzuki says household dust is one of the most significant sources of childhood exposure to toxic substances.
On top of flame retardants, dust contains phthalates, metals, like lead, mercury, and arsenic, and pesticides.
A HEPA vacuum is necessary to clean up these toxins and is one of the biggest improvements to air quality in the home that you can make right now.
The Nilfisk brand is recommended by the experts and is affordable. This is my first choice for most situations.
A more DIY option where you can get a lot of bang for your buck is to add a HEPA filter to a Shop-Vac. (HEPA filter bags are also needed to catch all the fine dust). Shop vacs are louder than the other options here but more affordable.
Another great high-quality brand is Miele HEPA.
If you have a more serious contaminant like lead, go for a certified HEPA model like Festool which is more foolproof in its filtration system.
2. Wet Wipe, Don’t Sweep!
Vacuuming is more effective than other forms of cleaning. You should use an attachment to vacuum upholstered furniture and mattresses as well. Don’t forget about your car seats!
Sweeping is not a good idea to clean up contaminants found in household dust. But wet wiping with wet clothes (that don’t contain FRs or harmful plastics like these) is the next best method.
Wet wipe the dashboard of your vehicle as well.
If you need to dry wipe something sensitive that can’t get wet, use materials that capture dust like microfiber cloths and dry Swiffers.
3. Use An Air Filter
After cleaning, the best way to remove particulates from the air, including dust and flame retardants, is with a HEPA air filter.
If you don’t need to filter for VOCs, you only need a simple HEPA filter with a high enough CFM (fan size) to move enough air in a room to make a dent in the dust.
I use the Vornado, which has true HEPA, a good CFM, and is very well priced. The version I use has some carbon and a PCO element. It is the best value I have seen for an air purifier with these three technologies.
I have a post with more details about the Vornado. If you have high offgassing, I would avoid the PCO element and either just get a HEPA filter, or get a high-carbon brand to help adsorb VOCs.
Corinne Segura holds certificates in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes.
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