Doctors Jay Luthar and Daryl Eber have warned that several common household items could increase the risk of developing cancer, speaking in an interview with Health.
The medical specialists pointed to chemical cleaning products, plug-in air fresheners, unventilated cooking appliances, and furniture treated with synthetic glues as potential domestic hazards.
According to Luthar, harmful chemical substances are present in harsh household detergents, heavily fragranced cleaning sprays, and electric air fresheners.
He explained that these products remain safe for occasional domestic chores, such as lifting stubborn stains or clearing strong odours, but warned against using them on an everyday basis.
Scented cleaning supplies and plug-in fresheners frequently release volatile organic compounds into enclosed rooms. While individual exposures are typically small, poor ventilation can cause these chemical vapours to build up indoors over time, leading health researchers to study their cumulative effects on the human body.
Kitchen appliances and pressed wood furniture
Eber cautioned that kitchen stoves and ovens can also pose risks when run at high power without an extractor hood to remove airborne emissions.
Cooking at intense heat, especially on gas burners or under hot grills, generates combustion byproducts and microscopic grease particles. Without an active extractor fan or an open window, these airborne irritants linger in the air that residents breathe.
Turning to home furnishings, Eber advised shoppers buying particle board and plywood items to verify that the materials are manufactured without added formaldehyde.
He said that frequent contact with formaldehyde is linked to the development of several forms of cancer.
Formaldehyde is a pungent, colourless chemical gas used in the industrial resins and adhesives that hold engineered timber sheets together. Over time, newly made pressed wood products can release traces of the gas into indoor air, prompting environmental standards in many countries to limit its concentration in home building supplies.
Stain-resistant coatings and fabric choices
Luthar also identified perfluorooctanoic acid, a chemical compound used in stain-resistant treatments and protective fabric coatings, as a recognised carcinogen.
The physician stressed that having a sofa or carpet containing the substance does not mean the piece of furniture directly causes cancer. However, he recommended choosing natural fabrics for items intended for sleeping or for products that children will use.
Perfluorooctanoic acid, often abbreviated as PFOA, belongs to the family of synthetic substances known as PFAS. Manufacturers long favoured these compounds for their ability to repel oil, water, and dirt on upholstery, but health agencies have restricted their use because they persist indefinitely in the environment and accumulate in human tissue.
Safe storage for household batteries
The doctors' comments follow earlier warnings regarding domestic hazards from Andrei Bondarenko, the general director of battery manufacturing plant AB-Batteries.
Bondarenko warned that keeping batteries in children's bedrooms is unsafe, and advised families not to store them in kitchens or anywhere near sources of heat.
Standard household batteries rely on chemical reactions that can become unstable if exposed to excessive warmth or humidity. High temperatures increase the risk of internal corrosion and electrolyte leaks, which makes cool, dry cupboards away from living areas the safest place to store spares.
