New Carpet Smell

The scent is actually chemical off-gassing from materials in the carpet’s backing, padding, and adhesives. They can irritate your airways, make you nauseous, and even lead to breathing problems in babies.1

New Paint Smell

What you’re sniffing is off-gassing benzene, a volatile organic compound (VOC) which has been linked to a number of health problems including headaches (short term) and cancer (long term) (2).

New Furniture Smell

The culprit here is formaldehyde, a gas used in furniture adhesives and coatings. It can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, and may even cause cancer (3).

Wood Floor Smell

New wood flooring (particularly engineered wood and laminate) can emit formaldehyde, a known irritant and carcinogen (4).

Construction Dust

Ripping up the old and installing the new can kick up a lot of dust and debris, irritating airways and worsening underlying health conditions (5).