#17: The Plastic-Covered Couch
Plastic-covered couches are good at preventing staining, a quality that might not be worth all the drawbacks they present. Full of flame retardants that cause everything from hormone disruptions to air pollution, volatile compounds linked to disease, and “forever chemicals” that linger in the environment, these couches don’t leave you sitting in good health. Fortunately, off-gassing removes many chemicals over time (weeks to months); since most plastic couches come from the ‘70s or ‘80s, there’s a good chance they’re much less harmful than they once were.
