NATURALLY we all want our homes to smell fresh.

One way to accomplish this is to use aerosol air fresheners, but these fill the air with chemicals that areharmful to the environment as well as your health.

Due to loopholes and favoritism towards the chemical perfume industry, companies pushing these products aren't even required to list the ingredients of anything labeled as a fragrance.

Chemical deodorisers only mask other odours. These products do not improve the quality of indoor air.

By using air freshener in your home you might be causing long-term damage to your and your family's health.

Chemicals such as xylene, ketones and aldehydes, which carry good smells into your home, might give you lung problems and even cancer.

Cat lovers must be especially cautious because cats can be fatally poisoned by airborne substances absorbed through the skin.

A study done by Bristol University in the UK found evidence linking the chemicals found in air fresheners to headaches and depression in mothers, and to ear infections and diarrhoea in babies.

In a survey of 14000 pregnant women those who used aerosols most days suffered a quarter more headaches than those who used them less than once a week.

There was an increase of 19percent in postnatal depression associated with women who frequently used them. The study also found that babies under six months, exposed on most days to air fresheners, had 30percent more ear infections than those exposed less than once a week.

Healthier alternatives are scented candles, potpourri, cloth sachets filled with dry herbs, pomanders and fresh flowers.

Sourced from hints-n-tips.com and silentmenace.com - Keitumetse Segoai