The researchers, in a study published online by the journal Environmental Impact Assessment Review, found that air fresheners and laundry products could be toxic and harmful. Anne Steinemann civil and environmental engineering professor from the University of Washington analyzed six popular products which included a fabric softener, a laundry detergent, a liquid spray air freshener, a plug in air freshener and a solid disc deodorizer used in commercial-airplane toilet and dryer sheets.

Steinemann found a total of about 100 volatile organic compounds in these products, many of which could be hazardous to human health. As per law all ingredients in a fragrance have to be listed on the label of the products but these were not.

Researchers who analyzed the products said all six products that were tested gave off at least one chemical, and that was regulated as toxic or hazardous under federal laws. Among the substances found were acetone, a chemical that is found in nail-polish remover as well as paint thinner, as well as three chemicals acetaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane, and methyl chloride, which were considered hazardous by the “Environmental Protection Agency.

"I was surprised by both the number and the potential toxicity of the chemicals that were found," said Anne Steinemann, in a news release. “Chemicals included acetone, the active ingredient in paint thinner and nail-polish remover; limonene, a molecule with a citrus scent; and acetaldehyde, chloromethane and 1, 4-dioxane.”

Calling Steinemann’s account misleading, Chris Cathcart, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Consumer Specialty Products Association, said that as products like those tested by Steinemann “are regulated under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act and subsequently have strict labeling requirements.”

Steinemann’s reaction was to say, "Be careful if you buy products with fragrance, because you really don't know what's in them. I'd like to see better labeling. In the meantime, I'd recommend that instead of air fresheners people use ventilation, and with laundry products, choose fragrance-free versions."