Are ingeo fiber pillows safe?
Question from L.A. I just bought but haven’t yet used a pillow from Bed Bath and Beyond that is made from ingeo fiber, which apparently is synthesized from corn. It is supposed to be 100% natural and industrially compostable. I find cotton bedding gets hard as...Cork Flooring vs. Carpet vs. Area Rugs
Question from RDC I have two questions, please. I know carpeting should be avoided because–in addition to the fact it offgasses–it harbors all sorts of mites, danders, dust, and other allergens. Given its surface texture, won’t cork flooring cause...Mold cleanup?
Question from Pamela I removed wallpaper in a home we just purchased. Underneath the paper is black mold. How do I treat this safely? Debra’s Answer Mold is not an easy problem to solve, since there are different types of mold which are more or less toxic. I...Aerosols?
Question from R.M. Something I’ve wondered about and which I’m hoping you can shed some light on: It’s my understanding that aerosol spray cans were targetted several years ago as a key culprit in the ozone layer depletion. And yet, they are still...Need Cake And Punch For Baby Shower
Question from Natalie Hi Debra. I was just introduced to your site and it seems wonderful! I hope you can help me with something. I am giving a baby shower to my sil who has been eating only turbinado or demerera. I have found a couple of cake recipes which look...Cutting Board Care
Question from Joanne I have been to several places that sell cutting boards and they are suggesting and selling a mineral oil product for the care of the boards. I have used this product (on new boards) for about three months and the smell of mineral oil is always...Swiffer Solution alternatives
Question from Susan Well, I’ve decided to go ahead and purchase the Swiffer wetjet…for reasons that are too long to list, but they include 2 teens and one elem, 2 dogs, 1 cat, cabinetmaker husband and wife with fulltime job outside house and PT inside...Cement
Question from Denise Debra, We put some cement on the bricks in the basement, to keep mold from coming in. Was cement the wrong thing to use around my daughter who is cemically sensitive, and will eventually out gas? Denise Debra’s Answer Cement is an inert...How Long Does MDF Offgas?
Question from Ken Boettcher Can anyone tell me how long formaldehye offgasses from medium density fiberboard once the board is cut and assembled into, for example, an audio booth. I have a constantly running — and extremely quiet fan in the booth that brings in...
