Hanging Out the Wash in the Fresh, Clean Air
Q. When I hang my laundry outside to dry, what makes it smell so wonderfully of fresh air?
A. It may simply be the absence of bad smells that makes air-dried laundry smell good in comparison, air safety experts have suggested.
Indoor air, especially in a tightly enclosed environment, may have a buildup of scents both benign and dangerous, from cooking odors to mold and mildew to chemical pollutants like volatile cleaning products and heating fuel. Meanwhile, the occupants of the building are breathing the air and depleting it of oxygen, to some extent, and perhaps smoking tobacco.
All these problems are either absent or considerably diluted in the outside air.
Pleasant natural smells may be present, from sources like pine trees and other evergreens, if you are lucky. And the laundry has been cleansed of sweat, mold, bacteria and other potential odor-causing substances and dries quickly in a breeze, removing the moisture on which such smells feed. Ultraviolet rays from the sun also fight microbe growth.
A potential health problem exists when commercial products are used to try to duplicate the presumed smell of fresh air. Air fresheners and scented laundry products may contain high levels of essential oils that can be harmful when breathed excessively.
Questions of general interest will be answered, but requests for medical advice cannot be honored and unpublished letters cannot be answered individually.
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