PFAS in Consumer Products

The best way to reduce PFAS exposure in your home is by cleaning regularly (one time at least per week). This can lower the amount of house dust you are breathing or swallowing.   

The best cleaning practices are:  

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water. 
• Damp-dust surfaces in your house by wiping surfaces down with a damp microfiber cloth. Avoid dusting with a feather duster, as this can sweep the dust into the air.  
• Vacuum weekly. Vacuums with HEPA filters are the best to use. If you don’t have a HEPA vacuum, make sure to damp-dust after you vacuum. Vacuums without HEPA filters can blow dust up from carpets.  
• Put an air filter or air purifier in your home, especially for carpeted areas. Make sure to follow manufacturer instructions on how often to replace the filter cartridge.  
• Open windows for air flow while cleaning unless it is smokey outside, or the air quality is bad. To see if there are air quality warnings in effect in your area, search “air quality warning” and your city name on the internet.

The sale of new carpets and rugs containing PFAS was banned starting January 1, 2025. However, older carpets and rugs likely still contain PFAS chemicals.  

If you have a rug or carpet that contains PFAS in your home:  

• Follow the cleaning recommendations above.  
• Consider putting a PFAS-free blanket or rug over your carpet. This will help keep PFAS dust from getting into the air. Washable rugs are easier to clean, but make sure you use PFAS-free detergents when washing.  
• Ask carpet cleaning services not to use stain treatments when they clean your rugs.  
• Limit your use of stain-proofing treatments, like sprays, on rugs to no more than the manufacturer

The sale of new PFAS-containing after-market sprays and treatments are banned in Washington state starting January 1, 2025. However, stores can sell existing stock through December 2025. Look for sprays that are GreenScreen, EPA Safer Choice, or Cradle to Cradle certified. These products are recommended by independent third-party organizations that review the ingredients for health impacts. 

After-market sprays and treatments are sprays you can put on consumer products that make a product stain- or water- resistant. These products are often used on furniture, clothing, or outdoor gear. They are often not necessary to improve or extend the life of a product. When using a spray, the sprayed mist also floats into the air in your home, increasing your risk of breathing in PFAS chemicals.  

Additional steps you can take to protect your health include:  

• Limit how often you use the sprays to no more than the manufacturer recommends, or as little as possible.  
• Put a PFAS-free slipcover on furniture to protect it. This can reduce how often you have to use after-market sprays.  
• If you can replace your after-market sprays, choose products that specifically say “PFAS-free.”. Other labeling, like “PFOA- or PFOS-” may still contain other types of PFAS chemicals. 
• Open windows when spraying these products indoors unless the air quality outside is smokey or poor.  
• Go outside when applying waterproofing spray on shoes, clothing, and outdoor gear. Do not touch the waterproofed areas until the spray has completely dried.  

Non-stick cookware, like pots and frying pans, can contain PFAS chemicals. You can be exposed to PFAS in cookware when:  

• Pans get very hot. PFAS can escape from pans that are too hot and get into the air in your home. 
• Pans get chipped or scratched. The non-stick coating, which contains PFAS, can flake off into your food while you’re cooking.  

 To reduce your exposure to PFAS when cooking with non-stick cookware:  

• Cook on low to medium heat.  
• Consider replacing non-stick pots and pans with stainless steel or cast-iron cookware. 
• Wash your pots and pans with normal or silicone sponges only or bristle brushes. Avoid using metal cleaning tools that can scratch or chip the pan.   
• Use wooden or silicone cooking utensils that do not scrape the non-stick coating. 

Wearing clothing that might contain PFAS chemicals is not a major exposure concern because PFAS don’t easily get into our bodies through our skin. Using PFAS-free detergents to wash your clothing can help lower the amount of PFAS that get into our environment, including our water sources.  

If you want to replace clothing to reduce your PFAS exposure further:  

• Avoid buying products advertised as stain-resistant or water-resistant unless you need those features, like for rain gear.  
• Search for PFAS-free clothing brands, including rain gear, online at the PFAS Central PFAS-Free Product List.  
• Make sure the clothing is advertised as PFAS free, not just “PFOA,” “PFOS,” or “PFC-free.”  
• Use PFAS-free waterproofing sprays if you are re-waterproofing clothing. PFAS-free waterproofing sprays using the PFAS Central PFAS-Free Product List.
• Only use PFAS-containing waterproofing sprays in a well-ventilated space. 

PFAS chemicals in personal care products and cosmetics you put on your face or body can get into your eyes, nose, and mouth. When PFAS get inside our body, they can start building up. As of January 1, 2025, the sale of personal care products and cosmetics with intentionally added PFAS is banned in our state. Existing stock of personal care products and cosmetics containing PFAS in Washington stores can be sold through January 1, 2026.

Personal care and cosmetic products include:  

• Foundation.
• Blush.
• Deodorant. 
• Shaving cream.  
• Shampoo.
• Waterproof mascara.

Ways to reduce your exposure to PFAS in personal care products and cosmetics include:  

• Using these products less frequently. 
• Wearing makeup fewer days a week.  
• Using fewer cosmetics at a time, such as skipping foundation or blush on the days you wear mascara.  
• Swap out personal care products and cosmetics as you can for a PFAS-free product. Even if you can only change out one product, that will still help lower your exposure. Look for PFAS-free personal care products using the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database, or the PFAS Central PFAS-Free Products list.

Food contact paper and packaging containing PFAS was banned from being used or sold in Washington state in 2018. The ban initially covered specific types of paper packaging, but since then manufacturers have moved away from using PFAS in food contact paper. We don’t expect PFAS to be used in any of these products now. 

For more information on this ban, visit Food packaging - Washington State Department of Ecology.

PFAS chemicals were historically used in firefighting foams used to put out large fuel fires, such as with plane crashes, train derailments, or fires at gasoline refineries. One of these types of foams is Aqueous Film Forming Foam, or “AFFF.” While not common, PFAS chemicals were also used in some home fire extinguishers such as older extinguishers labeled for Class B fires (fires with flammable liquids and gasses), that used foam instead of dry spray may contain PFAS. Those that contain “dry chemical” or “carbon dioxide” are unlikely to contain PFAS.  

Washington State legislature restricted the use of PFAS in firefighting foam, like AFFF, and banned fire training with PFAS-containing firefighting foams in 2018. The law also requires reporting of PFAS in firefighter’s personal protective equipment. (RCW 70A.400). Firefighting foam is a suspected source of some drinking water contamination found near airports, military bases, and fire training areas.  

Washington state is helping fire departments and other businesses safely dispose of existing stockpiles of PFAS foams. Visit the Department of Ecology's website to learn more about this work.