In Car with Air Freshener; My Health Now Going to Hell

I was in a car last night, stuck in traffic for several hours. That was the easy part.

The owner, much to my chagrin, was using a hanging car air freshener. Twelve hours later, as I write this, I still have a headache and feel off. (My irritated throat cleared earlier this morning.)

So overpowering were the odors released by the gadget's chemicals that I opted for an open window (and fumes from the stalled traffic) whenever possible. Yet, there was no escaping the smells.

We have been led to believe that the "clean" scents of laundry detergents, surface cleaners and soaps are the natural by-products of cleaning. This, however, couldn't be further from the truth; what we are smelling are powerful chemicals that can harm us and our children.

I'll discuss this further next week; I now need to spend 24 hours in a cleansing chamber.