Herbal Health

The main sources of formaldehyde in the home are cavity-wall insulation and chipboard. There is little one can do about the former. The latter can be replaced or ’sealed in’ with gloss paint – get someone else to do this for you if you can, and stay out of the way until the smell of paint has dispersed. If you have cavity wall insulation as well, the only way you can test for its effects is to go away for a while, to a house without sources of formaldehyde. Simple stone cottages with solid walls are a good bet. Plush modem hotels are likely to be oozing formaldehyde vapour.

Other sources of formaldehyde include foam rubber, new textiles, paper (including newsprint), photographs, leather luggage, antiperspirants, some cosmetics and shampoos, plywood and blockboard. It is only worth eliminating these if you have strong reasons to suspect formaldehyde.

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