They may be smaller than other rooms, but closets are congruous to the rest of your home. In addition, there is always a closet in the bedroom, where you can potentially breathe in unhealthy fumes throughout the night.
Unhealthy fumes can off gas from carpeted floors, wood floors, or paint. If you plan to use wood or carpet in the closet, make sure that the bindings and adhesives have low- or no-VOCs. The same can be said of paint. Try purchasing a formaldehyde-free alternative, or use natural paint, such as milk paint, a green, biodegradable product, or Green Seal-certified YOLO Colorhouse paint.
Cleaning products, often stored in closets, can also emit toxic fumes. These include shoe polish and other chemical products. Allow polished shoes to dry outdoors before storing them, and make sure that your cleaning products are sealed tightly or thrown out upon expiration. Clothes should be dry cleaned with liquid carbon dioxide or with the use of wet cleaning techniques. Otherwise, they can release unhealthy fumes that get trapped in plastic bags. Another potential source of airborne carcinogens is naphthalene mothballs, known for being highly neurotoxic. Try using natural mothballs made of repellent sachets to protect your expensive woolens.
Then there are those little ditties, crucial to most every closet: hangars. Think of all the fossil fuels required to fulfill the need for millions of plastic hangars, which wind up filling landfills at the end of their lifespan. Because of this, manufacturers such as Ditto Hangars are beginning to supply a more sustainable alternative: hangars made from 100 percent recycled material.
When it comes to the building blocks of your closet, shelving can be made from certified wood, salvaged wood, or a renewable resource such as bamboo or wood composites. Select a certified remodeling contractor who is open to using these alternatives, and at the end of your closet fix, you will be sure to breathe easy.
