In addition to its use in construction and industrial facilities, asbestos was also a common component of many consumer goods. These include products that produced or were exposed to high temperatures or fire. The material is also flexible and inexpensive, adding durability to products at a low cost. Some early advertisements even boasted of their product’s use of asbestos, claiming it helped produce items of superior quality.  In addition, some products, like talcum powder, inadvertently contained asbestos because natural deposits of the two mineral were often found together during mining. The following are some household products known to have contained asbestos in the past.

Hair Dryers

Originally the use of asbestos in hair dryers made perfect sense. The material protected against the heat these products generated and significantly cut down on the fire risk. However, the strain placed on the asbestos in these early hair dryers, combined with the forceful projection of air into the user’s face and surrounding environment, made it a serious asbestos exposure risk. Due to the inexpensive quality of asbestos, manufacturers were hesitant to curtail the use of this material, despite growing awareness of the risks. Medical professionals today recommend individuals dispose of any hair dryers manufactured before 1980, as there is a strong chance they contain asbestos.

Ironing Rests /Board Covers

Early iron rests and ironing board covers frequently contained a layer of asbestos as a protective outer coating. This was due to the extreme heat of the irons, especially early, non-electric models. To ensure these irons could be placed down without burning the surface under them, asbestos was chosen for its natural ability to resist heat and fire. However, the same fibers that gave asbestos its heat and fire resistance also posed a lethal health threat, as they were friable and could break off into small particles that became suspended in the air.

Mitts

Mitts and mittens were frequently made from asbestos and served a number of industries, in addition to home baking use. Those in the glass manufacturing and welding fields used these asbestos-lined mitts regularly to protect them from the heat of the products they worked with. Firefighters even occasionally used these products, which typically had asbestos woven into the fabric. Unfortunately, with the stress of heat and frequent physical manipulation, these asbestos fibers could easily loosen and enter the air where they were being used, presenting a significant respiratory and ingestion threat to all near.

Slow Cookers

These self-contained, electric cooking units were introduced in 1971 after The Rival Company’s 1970 purchase of The Naxon Utilities Corporation of Chicago and their Naxon Beanery All-Purpose Cooker. Modified and reintroduced under the Crock Pot brand name, it proved incredibly successful in its first years, ending up in millions of homes across the country. However, these early models from Rival were produced with the use of asbestos to protect against both heat and electricity. These units saw the inclusion of asbestos between the inner and outer layers of the cooker to prevent excessive heat loss and transfer. Asbestos was also found wrapping the electric wires of these units. Although Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) investigations later led to the discontinuation of using asbestos in home appliances, millions of these early units were produced, presenting a significant household threat which may remain today.  

Cigarettes

Aside from their obvious contribution to lung cancer and other illnesses, some cigarettes were actually manufactured with filters that contained asbestos. Kent cigarettes actually produced a cigarette which boasted a “Micronite Filter.” In actuality, this filter contained crocidolite asbestos. Between 1952 and 1956, an estimated 585 million packs of these asbestos-filtered cigarettes were sold. Ironically, this dangerous cigarette filter was touted as a health precaution.    

Clay

Due to the use of talc as an ingredient, some early brands of clay contained asbestos. Talc is a material which is frequently found contaminated with asbestos. In 1983, Milton Bradley Co. recalled a line of modeling clay manufactured from 1967 to 1975 known as Fibro-Clay. Although long since outlawed, asbestos-contaminated clay was found in some U.S. schools only a few years ago. Today, schools recommend the use of talc-free, pre-mixed wet varieties of clay. The wet varieties do not put users at risk for inhaling the dust of types that come dry and require mixing with water.

Talcum Powder

Talcum powder, an absorbent personal hygiene product used to keep skin dry and prevent rash, is made from the mineral known as talc. This mineral is mainly composed of the elements magnesium, silicon and oxygen. However, in its natural form, talc may contain asbestos. Today, all talcum powders are sold asbestos-free. However, this was not always the case and until the 1970s, this common cosmetic product often contained this carcinogenic material.

Household Asbestos Product Risks

The presence of dangerous chemicals in seemingly innocuous household products presents one of the greatest risks to families because such dangers are rarely expected or taken into account. Individuals may continue to use these products for years, unaware of the dangerous chemicals being released into their home. Although regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today, hundreds, or even thousands, of products containing asbestos remain on the market today, while new consumer goods contaminated with this material appear regularly. Contrary to popular belief, a full ban on asbestos products does not exist in the United States, though most other industrialized nations do outlaw the material.

These asbestos-containing materials present a danger to individuals due to their frequent use and presence in the most often occupied areas of the home. This means asbestos particles are often spread by this frequent usage in some of the busiest places in a home. The two greatest factors for developing an asbestos-related disease are intensity and duration of exposure, both of which frequently accompanies the use of these products.

When asbestos fibers break free and enter the air, the light particles can stay suspended for extended periods of time. When suspended, these particles can be inhaled or ingested, allowing them to settle in the body’s organs and cause several serious health conditions including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma, in particular, presents sufferers with a poor prognosis and life expectancy. Only one in 10 patients who develop this condition survive over five years, making awareness of asbestos risks extremely important.