Question from rebrue

Hello All!

Does anyone have a suggestion for how to truly add highlights (in my case, blonde) to one’s hair in a safe, non-toxic manner? I thought I had found the one, genuinely “organic” hair colorist in my area, but I could tell the other day that she had added some ammonia to the concoction. I am way too sensitive and compromised with my health to tolerate this. And yet I want and need to cover the little grays that are starting to sprout plus the blond highlights do seem to look good.

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Rebecca in sunny CA……

Debra’s Answer

I get my hair highlighted in a salon and there is no odor.

My hairdresser used All-Nutrient Organic Hair Color.

I’ve been very happy with the results.

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Question from RedondoSun

I bought a ‘natural’ crib sized futon and had it shipped for our baby daughter to sleep on. I wasn’t able to obtain a doctor’s note in order to purchase an all organic one, so I just went ahead and ordered the one with a layer of boric acid in it. Once we got it, I wasn’t so sure it was safe. I bought a mattress wrap for it, but it has been sitting in our closet. I opted to just use the spring mattress from our oldest daughter and kept the wrap on that. Sorry to draw this out, but my ultimate question is, Is there a way to ‘wear out’ the boric acid within the futon? Does it dissipate over time or would you recommend I just get rid of it? I have found so much great information on here and refer your site and newsletters to all my friends and family. Thank you for making this wonderful information available to us!

Debra’s Answer

I’m not aware that boric acid wears out over time. If you’re feeling uncertain about using it, just get rid of it.

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Question from ptomcik

Hello Debra,

Do you think that if I encased sofa cushions with the same material used to encase mattresses to make them dust mite proof it would prevent the flame retardants from escaping? One website has a cotton material with a pore size of 4.91 microns and a polyester covering with a pore size of 2.8 microns. I’m not sure I understand if it is the actual flame retardent chemical that is liberated from foam and then combines with dust or if it combines with dust in the foam and then is liberated.

Thank you,

PT, Pittsburgh

Debra’s Answer

This is a pretty technical question.

First, there are many different flame retardants used. You would need to find out which flame retardant is on your sofa.

And then you would need to know the particle size of that specific flame retardant (here’s a chart of particle/micron sizes of various common materials: Particle Sizing Chart.

Different flame retardants have different particle sizes. Two I was able to find quickly are Antimony Pentoxide (0.03 microns) and Antimony Trioxide (0.25-3.0 Micron). In searching for these, I found that flame retardants are formulated and sold in various particle sizes–the same flame retardant can be purchased in different particle sizes, so even if you knew the flame retardant, you probably couldn’t find out the particle size.

So let’s say that your sofa has Antimony Trioxide (0.25-3.0 Micron). Your cotton material with a pore size of 4.91 microns and a polyester covering with a pore size of 2.8 microns. That means that there is a “hole” that is 4.91 microns in size, or 2.8 microns. So anything smaller than that pore size would go through, like a 10-inch basketball could go through a 24-inch hoop.

A molecule of 0.25-3.0 Micron could go through the cotton pore of 4.91 no problem, so that wouldn’t be a barrier.

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Question from Susan NYC

Hello Debra, I’m trying to figure out the best possible hair coloring to use–actually I need to cover gray:) I’m very sensitive to chemicals and have other allergies, as well as sensitive skin. I’m wondering what would be the mildest option for me. I have reddish-brown hair naturally. Thank you for all you do! Susan

Debra’s Answer

Readers, your suggestions?

I haven’t used any of the natural hair dyes, so can’t vouch for their mildness.

I get my hair hightlighted at an organic salon with All-Nutrient Organic Hair Color and I am very happy with the results.

Here are some other posts from this blog about hair color:

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Question from AshleyB

I am needing to re-caulk my bathroom and was looking for a “safe” caulk and came across Eco-Bond Adhesives. Their Trim, Tub, Sinks, Tile Caulk claims to be VOC free, solvent free, non-petroleum-based, low odor, and non-toxic. I was wondering what you thought of the MSDS and if any of your readers had any experience with the product.

Debra’s Answer

The MSDS looks good to me. I have no personal experience with this product

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Question from Becca Bee

Hi Debra, I recently received my Hyperbaric Chamber and it has a very strong odor. When my husband was inside for 30 minutes I felt dizzy and sick just from the air blowing out. I purchased this for my son who is recovering from autism, and for my own health problems caused by 3 years of prednisone. The material is urethane and normally I would not bring that into my home but there is so much success reported from this treatment. The salesmen told my husband we were buying a unit that was used for 4 months, this was not true, it is brand new. My big question is any ideas to help eliminate any or all of the odor so my son and I can use it? Right now I have a big bowl of baking soda sitting in there. Thanks for any ideas you can give me!

Debra’s Answer

Usually what helps material to outgas is heat. If you could put a small heater inside it would speed the outgassing of the urethane. However, I have no experience doing this is a hyperberic chamber, so I would use caution so as to not damage the unit.

Purchasing a used chamber as you attempted to do is a good strategy. If it were me, I would return the new unit, since you purchased a used unit, and expected to receive a used unit.

Time does decrease outgassing of any material.

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Question from Donna L

I know I’m way over thinking this and even thought twice about sending this question, but I need help. My son had allergies, asthma and chemical sensitivities (I say had because after three years of detoxing our home, he hasn’t had any flare-ups in quite a while.)

I am trying to find a toxic-free solution for storing his socks, pajamas, underclothes, etc. I decided completely against a dresser, because even with solid wood ones, the drawers and backings are made of plywood, and I can’t afford the ones that aren’t. (For his bed and nightstand, we bought solid wood and had it painted with AFM Safecoat, but it was an ordeal finding someone in our area to do this.)

I thought about metal shelves in his closet, but am worried about epoxy and chrome coatings, as well as their being EMF conductors.

I ordered an organic cotton, three pocket wall organizer from 3Sprouts, but when it arrived it was very stiff like it had been treated with something. (Is anyone familiar with 3Sprouts?)

Right now, this clothing is in a wicker basket I have lined with a cotton towel, setting on his bathroom counter, but my husband is tired of looking at it. Any suggestions? And as always, thank you!

Debra’s Answer

Readers, what do you suggest?

I have my clothing in solid wood dressers.

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Question from heavensabvus1

I know that the search for non-toxic upholstered furniture has gone around several times. I’m one of the posters who bought a used couch with the intention of covering in in 6ml foodgrade polyethelene underneath a slipcover. After ordering my slipcover, I realized that the company I ordered from also made custom furniture, and the prices sounded reasonable, although I do not yet have a firm quote. The problem I saw with all of the companies making non-toxic couches was twofold: a) prices were very high and b) no one seemed to make traditional sleeper sofas (i.e., non-futon).

I had a good discussion with the company this morning and they are going to get back to me with regards to what materials they can and can’t provide. All their furniture meets the CA 117 standards, but it doesn’t have to as it is made to order. They don’t apply any chemicals at their factory, but of course, the chemicals would be in the materials they make.

For cushions: They use coil springed cushions wrapped in polyurethane. They feel they can get the polyurethane without fire retardants added. They may or may not be able to get natural latex. In any case, coils=less polyurethane. Polyurethane without flame retardants=fewer chemicals. So not perfect, but better. And if they can do latex, even better.

For padding on the frame: the standard is dacron. They feel they may be able to buy this without flame retardants added. Not perfect, but no flame retardants is a great step.

Slipcovers: they can offer organic fabric.

Muslin: One thought was instead of regular muslin, using a muslin with a polyurethane backing to keep in anything in the dacron. That may have it’s own issues, though, so probably not a good idea.

Debra’s Answer

Where you draw the line is where you feel comfortable, what you can afford, and what your physical needs are.

Personally, what you are suggesting wouldn’t be enough for me. My sofa has no foam (spring cushions covered with organic cotton batting, all the stuffing is organic cotton batting, and the cover is 100% linen. I bought an old sofa I liked for $50 at a storage auction and had it re-upholstered.

Polyurethane foam outgasses toxic chemicals even without the fire retardants.

But you are correct that eliminating the fire retardants and scotchguard does eliminate the most toxic chemicals and is better than most standard sofas.

My rule of thumb is to eliminate all the toxic chemicals you can.

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Question from InessaM

I am in the process of buying a house. Current owner used linseed oil as a sealer on all the floors in the house (all brick) and I am having really hard time with the fumes.

Does anyone know if the I can either removed it or seal it with another product?

Debra’s Answer

Readers, any suggestions?

I did a little research on this and found that linseed oil is extremely difficult to remove, even with very toxic chemicals, and brick is very porous, so that makes it even more difficult.

It is also difficult to seal because many finishes will not stick to the oily surface.

If you must buy this house, my recommendation would be to cover the floors with a physical barrier, such as heavy duty foil-backed paper, and then lay a new floor of your choice on top of that. Cement would also block the fumes–put a skim coat of cement over the brick and then use the cement floor as your floor or lay flooring over that.

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Question from Miemiemuis

I am looking for safe pest control and am considering a product from EcoSMART. Would you be so kind as to look at the MSDS and let me know what you think of the safety of the ingredients in this product:

Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

This product is made with rosemary essential oil as the active ingredient, plus mineral oil and something called “inert essential oils blend”. I’m not exactly sure what “inert essential oils blend” is and couldn’t find a definition anywhere (you should ask them what it is), but it looks like some blend of oils as a carrier oil for essential oils, not a blend of essential oils, because both mineral oil and inert essential oils blend say they compose 10-70 percent of the product. Now the rosemary oil is 10 percent. They don’t say what the other 10 percent is. So I’m missing data. You need to ask them these questions.

Concentrated essential oils, though natural, can have their own health effects. The MSDS says this product can cause skin irritation, eye/nasal irritation, dizziness, headache, or nausea.

This is not an entirely safe product, but it may be a less-toxic solution depending on what you are using it for.

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Question from nontoxicmom

Hi Debra,

I’ve got hardwood floors throughout my house and wanted to know if using Bona hardwood floor cleaner is safe in your opinion?

I’ve had other hardwood floors in other houses where I used vinegar and water and it dries out the wood and causes it to split. Generally hardwood floor nanufacturers don’t recommend using water on wood floors regardless, but I really like clean floors.

How can I get my floors clean safely and effectively?

Thank you!!

Lisa’s Answer (updated September, 2020)

EWG gives it a C+.  I would not recommend it.

Question from thedavisfamily

Hi Debra, Thanks for creating this Q & A. It has been a lifesaver for YEARS!!

I have a question of my own this time. We recently bought a new home, tore out the carpet, and replaced it with engineered hardwoods (a week ago) that had to be glued down because part of our split-level is on a concrete slab.

This company has installed hardwoods for us on three other occasions without issue. But this time, the floors smell AWFUL. There is a very, very strong chemical odor (at first I thought it was the varnish they used on the steps to match the floors (I had NO idea they’d be doing that, as I just assumed they’d use the same wood as on the floors…came home to find otherwise), but the smell is in every room the floors were laid and glued (three bedrooms and a basement family room).

I have a 3-year-old son, so we stayed at my parents’ for a week to let the floors air out with fans and open windows. It is very humid here (Maryland) and in the 90s every day right now. But it just smells so terrible.

The floor people used DriTech adhesive (he told me it was water based and a greener choice than most.I am stupid for not insisting on something completely safe).

Would the glue still smell a week in, or do you think it is the finish on the floors?

Debra’s Answer

So this is a good lesson, once again, that you need to specify every material and watch what they are doing because most people don’t understand about toxics at all.

My best guess is what you are smelling is the adhesive used to glue the flooring to the floor. Engineered flooring is made up of layers of wood stacked and glued under heat and pressure. The heat helps the glue outgas. I’ve smelled samples of engineered flooring and they just smelled like wood. If the flooring is prefinished, the finish is baked on, so mostly outgassed.

The DriTech adhesive is solvent-free and VOC-free but still made of plastics. It’s “low-odor” so you may be smelling that.

I would suggest ventilating the house as much as possible and running fans in the area.  A good air purifier can also help.

Question from backermaga

Hi Debra – I am a nursing mom who was exposed to pvc vinyl and was wondering what the impacts are to my breast milk. My exposure was to a new vinyl product that I had unwrapped but placed in a storage container. When I opened up the container a few days later, I was overcome by the smell. I quickly removed the product outside and have aired out the room. However, I did have some respitory issues a few hours afterwards. I am wondering if the VOCs I inhaled will find their way to my breast milk, and if so, for how long.

Debra’s Answer

First, just in general, if you ever inhale something toxic, immediately exhale because much of it will come right back out in the exhale, before your body can absorb it.

I found a great reference for PVC called Polyvinyl Chloride “PVC” – The Hidden Home Hazard – A Guide for Health Care Professionals. On page 8 it says “distribution of inhaled Polyvinyl Chloride after inhalation exposure is rapid and widespread, but the storage in the body is limited by rapid metabolism and excretion.” So it is unlikely it stayed in your body for very long.

Wait a few days before breastfeeding to give your body a chance to metabolize and excrete the PVC. Drink lots of water, exercise, and sweat to help things along.

Also, the activated liquid zeolite detox drops I’ve been recommending will help situations like this.

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Question from HEG

I just learned that starting next week all of Miami will be sprayed during the night with Dibrom from aerial planes to control mosquitos. I understand that Dibrom is an organophosphate pesticide and listed as a carcinogen and potential neurotoxin. I have already called and begged them not to spray it in my neighborhood. Any advice about what to do?

Debra’s Answer

First of all, even if you could get them to not spray in your neighborhood, it wouldn’t do much good. Aerial spraying blows with the wind, and you would get it anyway.

Many years ago, we went through this in California with malathion spraying. We just left while they were spraying. Or you could stay indoors with an air filter.

Do what you can to support your detox system, like drinking lots of water, eat organic fruits and vegetables, and take detox drops.

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Question from KCrainK

Need help please!

Last night my 4 yr old son wet his bed without waking up, so I am just finding it this morning. We thought we were past that stage, so no puddle pad was on–of course. The mattress is organic cotton fill with a wool wrap layer and a cotton canvas cover. The cover isn’t even damp anymore, but you can tell there is wetness spread horzontally underneath. Since I cannot machine or hand “wash” an entire mattress in a tub, how do I take care of the urine that has soaked in? For now, I have the sun pouring in on it through the window, but am wondering if I need to cut a patch of the cover and maybe more layers out? What about a diluted spray of vinegar and water to soak? Please advise ASAP what to do!

Thanks so much for your time and help!

Debra’s Answer

I have no experience with this. Readers?

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“BPA-Free” is a popular buzzword these days, but a new study shows it’s more hype than help.

Scientists conducted lab tests on more than 20 top-brand baby bottles and more than 450 plastic food and beverage-packages and found virtually all leached chemicals that acted like the hormone estrogen, even though many were free of BPA. These chemicals—called endocrine disruptors—falsely tell the body’s cells that the hormone estrogen is around, potentially causing all sorts of troubling developmental and reproductive consequences.

Baby bottles, plastic bags, plastic wrap, clamshell food containers, stand-up pouches…just about all plastic food and beverage containers were found to contain chemicals that have estrogenic effects.

Researchers bought hundreds of plastic food and beverage containers at Target, Wal-Mart, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and other major retailers. More than 90 percent of the products leached estrogenic chemicals before they were even put through stresses

The paper noted that some of the chemicals that are used to replace BPA have been shown to have even more estrogenic activity than BPA does.

Discovery: Even BPA-Free Plastic Not Always Safe

Environmental Health Perspectives: Most Plastic Products Release Estrogenic Chemicals: A Potential Health Problem That Can Be Solved

A reader sent me a link to a very interesting website about reducing cellulite deposits on your body. Among other causes of cellulite, the author of the site mentioned fluoride.

Apparently she made this connection after she learned she had a condition known as fluoroderma, which is acne caused by fluoride exposure.

Read more about this at Cellulite and the Fluoride Connection (there’s also a link to another page about how to do a fluoride detox to remove fluoride from your body).

Here’s an interesting article about the health and environmental effects of nanoparticles, particularly why you shouldn’t use titanium dioxide…

Tiny nanoparticles could be a big problem

Question from Sarjan Banks

Hi, I have fairly severe MCS and am looking for a drywall alternative (given all the recent problems I have heard about drywall). Does anyone know about dragonboard? I can’t quite figure out what it is made of? Has anyone used it?

Debra’s Answer

Interesting material. It has a lot of benefits without toxic ingredients. I haven’t used it, but it looks good on paper: www.dragonboard.com/aboutus.php

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Question from sedgesprite13

Yesterday, the man came to put new soffets and gutters on our garage. After he left, we discovered he had cut the soffets next to our organic veggie garden. There were tiny, like confetti, bits all over the carrot patch. We bagged up the carrots and the top inches of the soil but may have missed a few metal bits. Did we do the right thing? Is any area the bits fell poisoned? There are lots of them in the lawn but that is too big an area to dig up! Help!!!

Debra’s Answer

I’m not really concerned about this. Over time, the metal may leach into the soil, but it would be very slow.

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Question from lindaann36

I was wondering what your thoughts were on Chemtrails. I know what the contrails are that trail behind the jets and then quickly dissappear. I have been noticing lately a lot of planes spraying the white long chemtrails in the sky. They seem to linger for hours and spread out as time goes by. Should we be worried about these or is it nothing. Thanks, Linda

Debra’s Answer

I can’t give you a definitive answer on this one, as it is a controversial subject, and I haven’t done enough research to make a decision about what to believe.

But I’m sure some of my readers will comment with opinions!

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Question from Lorre

Does anyone have experience with heat that comes from hot water running through coils to heat their house? The system is fueled by natural gas but I don’t know if the gas will actually be distributed through the house where I’ll breath it. I know I can’t tolerate gas heat, but I’m not sure about this “Hydro-Heat” that is in a house we are considering.It is water running through the coils heating the house. That sounds pretty safe to me….BUT just the mention of Gas makes me shiver! Any info would be greatly appreciated!

Debra’s Answer

I think it depends on where the gas is located that is heating the water. A solar heater would be great for this.

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Question from cymering

Hi Debra!

First, I wanted to thank you for you hard work. Your website has been invaluable for me since I started making changes.

Now, to my question: My daughter (11 years old) loves LOVES tuna salad. It’s been really hard trying to avoid the can. Would the tuna that comes in the pouch be safer? And I found today a new brand, Wild Planet food, the can says that it is certified BPA-free, but… maybe I am having trust issues, but what are they using instead? I could not find that information in thier website. I will write to find out, but maybe you have some information on this.

Thanks!

Cecilia.

Debra’s Answer

I understand your trust issues. All I can say is that there are truth-in-advertising laws so if a can says “certified BPA-free” it’s a lot more likely to be BPA-free than one that does not say that on the label.

But you’re right. What are they using instead?

Wild Planet looks like they are doing a great job sourcing sustainable seafood, but I couldn’t find a certification organization that certifies anything to be BPA-free. Warrents more research.

Here’s my suggestion. You don’t have to buy tuna in a can, you can buy fresh tuna, cook it simply, and flake it to make tuna salad. No can at all.

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Question from ep

I am a mother of a toddler and an infant. I buy mostly organic produce but am having a harder time affording to do this lately. I have noticed that instead of buying produce that is not organic, I’m just buying less. I feel torn because I know the importance of feeding fresh fruits and vegetables to my family but I can’t bring myself to feed them food with pesticides. I am familiar with the “dirty dozen” but even those are expensive to buy organic. Can you comment on this dilema? Do I reduce the amount of produce we eat or start serving some fruits and veggies that are not organic?

Debra’s Answer

That is a dilemma I think a lot of people are facing today.

The way I look at it is, produce has benefits from the nutrients and fiber, and hazards from the pesticides. Organic is obviously best because you get the benefits without the hazards.

The question is this: is the benefit of the nutrients greater than the harm from the pesticides? That might be difficult to asses because we don’t know the nutrient value of any given sample of produce, nor the pesticides used.

If you buy the freshest, locally grown produce, it will have more nutrients, even if it is not organic.

You can reduce the cost of organic produce by purchasing fruits and vegetables in season, shopping at farmer’s markets, or joining a Community Supported Agriculture program.

And growing your own, if you can is most nutritious and affordable of all.

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Question from ep

Someone cleaned my microwave with an all purpose cleaner by 7th Generation. I cannot get the smell of the cleaner out and I’m afraid the scent and/or chemicals left behind are leaching into our food when we use the microwave. It has been a couple of months, and I’m still smelling it. I’ve tried to clean it with soap and hot water and have tried boiling lemon water in the microwave but nothing has helped. Is this odor harmful for our food and can you suggest what I can do to get rid of the odor?

Debra’s Answer

This doesn’t sound right to me. The odor shouldn’t linger that long.

I would contact Seventh Generation and ask them how to solve the problem.

Better yet, stop using your microwave.

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Question from gipper

Hello Debra,

I just bought a new mattress a week ago. It’s a foam one made by Sherwood. It says “organic cotton” on it, but the smell is still quite strong and I bought it a week ago. I don’t mind getting used to the smell, which has dissipated somewhat already, but want to make sure that there’s no issue of toxicity. Can you ease my fears about this? Also, any suggestions for helping with the smell? Thanks in advance for any help you may offer.

JG in CA

Debra’s Answer

I’m a little confused by your question.

I’m not familiar with a mattress made by Sherwood.

You say it’s foam and then you say the label says “organic cotton,” Foam and organic are not the same thing. I can’t comment on the toxicity because I don’t know what it’s actually made of.

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Question from Jenna

Do you know of a powerful food blender that actually has a glass container as opposed to plastic?

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know of one. Readers, do you?

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Question from jiwaskow

Does anyone know if Green Board carried by Home Depot is typically tolerated or not by people with chemical sensitivities? We built with block construction to avoid using drywall or insulation on our exterior walls, but the original builder didn’t line up the windows and blocks properly and they need to be trimmed with something. The new builder is suggested Green Board. I don’t know enough about it though.

Opinions and even other material ideas welcome. He said cement board, which we’re using in the bathrooms, would be too heavy and expensive.

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

I don’t recommend greenboard. I haven’t researched what it in it, but it has an odor and tends to disintegrate.

Is this a big space that needs to be filled in? Can you fill the space with mortar?

P.S. I just noticed in another post there is a product called Green e-Board. Are you talking about this or standard greenboard that is used instead of cement backerboard?

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We all know to avoid clear plastic water bottles because they leach endocrine-disruptor BPA into the water, but what about the alternatives?

A new study by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine was done to find out whether or not water bottles claiming to be “BPA-free” really are. The researchers used old (but unused) polycarbonate and resin-lined aluminum bottles that they had put in storage several years earlier, along with new BPA-free “Tritan” plastic bottles (by Nalgene), stainless steel bottles (by Sigg) and new “EcoCare” resin-lined aluminum bottles (by Sigg). They also purchased some new aluminum water bottles.

Room-temperature water was storied in three bottles of each type for five days and another set of bottles was filled with boiling water (and then let the water cool to room temperature over the next day).

Levels of BPA were below the limit of detection for the new Sigg and Nalgene bottles.

The old polycarbonate bottles leached 0.17 to 0.3 nanograms of BPA per milliliter of water during the room temperature tests. The old aluminum bottles with an epoxy-resin liner leached 0.59 to 0.14 nanograms per milliliter.

Brand-new epoxy-resin-lined aluminum water bottles leached up to six times more BPA than the worst-leaching polycarbonate bottle and more than 10 times as much BPA as the polycarbonate-plastic bottle that had leached the least.

Hot water quadrupled BPA leaching over what occurred when water had been kept at or below room temperature.

The bottles that had been sold as BPA-free in fact did not leach the steroid-hormone-mimicking pollutant.

Source: Science News: Metal Water Bottles May Leach BPA

Question from arobin

Hi Debra. I wanted to know what stuffing materials you used when you reupholstered your furniture. I’m very chemically sensitive and am going to use organic cotton, considering the Ultracel Foam from Green Lotus (supposed to have less offgassing), and considering natural latex. My reupholsterer wants to use dacron and foam without fire retardent along with cotton, and I’m afraid. Did you just use cotton? I want the furniture to last and be comfortable once I’m spending all of this money. I also want to tolerate it! Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

Please no dacron and foam.

I reupholstered a sofa and a wing chair. Both were old and had spring cushions instead of foam cushions. I had the upholsterer take all the old padding off the spring cushions and repad them with organic cotton batting.

For the covers, I used 100% cotton fabric and 100% linen fabric, both without finishes. I prewashed the fabric before giving it to the upholsterer.

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Question from lss

Hello. We will be moving to another state within the next year and will be selling the home we live in. At this time, we will not be able to afford to purchase another home. I am very worried about finding a new place to live in, because of the toxic pesticides that could have been sprayed, fertilizers used, bug bombs, plug-ins, fresh paint, fresh carpeting (even getting the old carpeting cleaned). This will be a 1,500 mile move, and I don’t know how I am going to find a safe place to live! I have so many chemical sensitivities and am very sick right now because of some exposures to toxic chemicals in the last 9 months. I need help on how I can find a non-toxic place to move into. We hope we can move into a home, not an apartment. Thank you so much everyone for any help you can give me. We hope to be moving to the Boise, Idaho, area, or somewhere else in the Pacific Northwest.

Debra’s Answer

Perhaps some of you reading this could write about the process you used to find safe housing, and your success in doing so.

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Question from Vicki in Oregon

Has anyone ever tried Odoreze™ Laundry Deodorizing Additive…if so, does it really work?

http://noodor.com/p/laundry-odor-smell-deodorizer-sweat-odors-washer.html

Someone gave my expectant daughter some beautiful hand me downs and they smell of laundry products so bad that she had to remove them from her house.

Debra’s Answer

Looks like an interesting product. They don’t have an ingredient list on their site that I could find. But they will refund your money if you don’t like it. If you try it, let us know.

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Question from econchic

Hi,

I’ve found an organic wool, cotton, latex, and spring mattress in Austin for a great price from a local manufacturer. I am worried about getting a mattress with natural latex because of allergies. My husband and I do not have an allergy, but we understand they can develop over time. More importantly, we are having baby and certainly don’t want to promote allergies in our children.

My issues is that, while the local manufacturer can make a custom mattress for us without latex, we can’t try it ahead of time and we know it will be firmer. We can’t be there while it’s being made because we don’t live close enough. However, for a price it can be changed down the road if we need it to be. Another option would be to add a wool topper if it’s too firm.

Anyone have any comments about the latex allergy issue and/or firmness issue?

Debra’s Answer

Exposure to latex over time can result in allergies to latex in people who didn’t previously have allergies. That is a known fact. So my best precautionary recommendation is to not use latex.

If this mattress is otherwise a good choice for you, a wool topper could handle any problem with firmness. If one isn’t enough, two will probably do it.

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Question from HEG

Have you ever heard of Kangan water (http://www.fohcwater.com/), and any thoughts on it?

Debra’s Answer

Yes, I’ve heard of Kangan Water. I’ve been drinking alkaline water myself for about five years and I LOVE it. It’s not made by a Kangan machine, I have a medical-grade alkalizer and all of the water I drink at home is alkaline.

Some years ago, I read a book called Reverse Aging by Sang Whang that convinced me that alkaline water was better for my health. Most people’s bodies today are very acid, due to the foods we eat and our exposure to toxic chemicals. Many people eat alkaline foods and minimize acid foods to try to correct this balance. Whang shows how drinking alkaline is much more effective at adjusting body pH. Illness is more prevalent in acidic bodies.

Alkaline water also detoxes your body, so you have to start drinking it in small amounts to not have symptoms at first. But I will tell you that in my body it didn’t work very well as a detox method for chemicals. I’ve been drinking 3-4 quarts a day for about five years, and I am still doing other detox methods.

But I can tell a difference. Alkaline water is “alive,” it is electrically charged, more like water in nature. When I am away from home and don’t have my alkaline water, I can feel the difference in my body. It is worth it to me to manually pour the water through the alkalizer and store it in my refrigerator (the alkaline state diminishes quickly without refrigeration).

What I don’t know is if there is any reason to use a Kangan machine or not. It’s probably not as strong as my medical grade alkalizer. I can’t really recommend Kangan because I haven’t researched various alkaline water machines. But I do recommend alkaline water.

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Question from Debra Lynn Dadd

A reader sent me this question this week:

We are looking at buying a new home and one we are interested in has Poly B pipes. Anything I read online is concerns of the pipes not lasting. However, my concern is more with the fact that my water is flowing through unsafe plastic. Do you know anything about it? Thanks so much, Jennifer

Debra’s Answer

Polu B is polybutylene plastic.

Here is the MSDS: www.plasticsmadesimple.com/DataSheets/PBT_MSDS.pdf

I don’t see any health effects mentioned here, however, 25% of it is polycarbonate which contains BPA (endocrine distruptor).

BUT water is rushing through these pipes, so there is no time for leaching.

An extra precaution would be to not drink the water that has been sitting in the pipes overnight.

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Question from Sandy Moskovitz

Hi, Debra–we have a 10-year old front loading Asko washing machine. I’ve recently been reading about the importance of cleaning front-loaders, and from the article, I realize that our towels have mildew (I had no idea why they were starting to smell kind of weird). I’ve read about a product called Smelly Washer and also Smelly Towels which are supposed to help get rid of the mildew in the machine, but other than saying that the products are made from citrus, they don’t disclose their ingredients. Any other ways to clean a front loader and especially to get rid of the mildew in the towels? I use Maggie’s Soap Nut liquid, and sometimes include Borax, Hydrogen Peroxide bleach, or Baking Soda if our clothes are extra dirty.

Thanks for the help!

Best,
Sandy Moskovitz

Princeton, NJ

Debra’s Answer

Anyone have any experience with these products or with removing mildew from towels? I personally have never needed to remove mildew from towels and couldn’t find a MSDS for the products.

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Question from SDAnna

What non-bleach, non-toxic cleaner is recommended for concrete and masonry walls? I am chemically sensitive.

Debra’s Answer

Readers, what have you used?

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Question from petercsantoro@yahoo.com

I have a terrible mice problem. We live behind a golf course, and seem to always have mice. I find their droppings throughout our first floor (mainly the kitchen). I have a toddler and infant who is crawling so I am desperate to find a solution. I have read the section on mice here, but still am not sure if there is a solution. Of course I don’t want to use anything toxic, but my husband states an exterminator who will use poison is the best solution. We have discussed even getting a pet, a small dog to keep the mice from coming out. Of course we aren’t sure if this will work and neither of us really wants the extra work or expense of a pet. What would you recommend? Is the bait an exterminator uses still harmful if it is hidden away in walls/crevices? This I am not sure of… My husband argues that the kids cannot reach the bait/poison so it’s not harmful. If a pet is the best answer, I will get one. I can’t keep cleaning every morning and night after mice! Thanks so much!

Debra’s Answer

Here is a good summary of controlling house mice: House Mouse Prevention and Control. It lists all the standard control methods and says to use poison bait only as a last resort.

To answer your question about the safety of mouse bait, you need to find out what the exterminators are planning to use and then we can look that up.

In the MSDS for D-Con, it says to “move to fresh air” if fumes from the pellets are inhaled. I don’t feel comfortable having this poison in my house, even if it is in the walls.

But find out what they want to use, and then you will have the real data.

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Question from Kimberly78

My mom and I where wondering if cotton Stuffing is toxic like the batting? She (mom) wants the stuffing to make children toys. Or do we need to find organic stuffing as well? Thank-you

Debra’s Answer

Cotton stuffing and cotton batting are the same thing. If you don’t want pesticides in your cotton stuffing, you need to get organic.

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Last Friday Congressional leaders introduced the federal Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011.

This bill will give the FDA the authority it needs to ensure that personal care products are free of harmful substances and chemicals linked to cancer,infertility, birth defects, and other serious health problems.

Fran Drescher explains why this is important: US Needs Safer Cosmetics by Fran Drescher.

Please urge your House members to co-sponsor the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2011.

The Campaign for Safe Costmetics has made it easy for you:

1. Email your House members using their easy form.


2. Call your House members with their Legislator Lookup.


3. Visit your House members in person.

Question from heavensabvus1

I have 100% cotton rag area rugs in my home. I love that they are cotton and love that they are completely washable. My 8′ x 10′ rug fits in the industrial washer at the laundromat and I air dry it.

Washable area rugs are exceedingly hard to find in these large sizes. I’ve ordered from a couple of places, only to return them because they reek of whatever they were sprayed with when they entered the country.

It’s time to replace a rug and I’ve found someone who makes beautiful rugs and they’re reasonably priced. They are made out of recycled clothing and are completely washable, which is great, but that also means that that clothing is not just 100% cotton, but also blends of other fibers.

Since the clothing is old to the point of now being sliced up for weaving fiber, can I hope that any finishes that might have been on a polyester blouse would have been washed away long ago?

I plan to wash them as soon as I receive them, of course, but am hoping that since the materials are so well used, they are non-toxic by now. Is it possible?

Debra’s Answer

Fabric finishes become less toxic as time goes by. These are probably fine.

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Tomorrow is Summer Solstice. It’s the longest day of the year, though it may not be the hottest.

In celebration, here’s a good summary of things you can do to keep cool while saving energy. Most types of energy production put toxic chemicals into the air (which we then breathe), so whenever we can save energy, that helps the world be more toxic-free. And you’ll save money on energy bills.

Mother Nature Network: Tips for Cooling Off this Summer

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Question from Susan-az

My brother has a log home in AZ in an area surrounded by the massive Wallow wildfire, which is still burning. The area is still under evacuation orders. Do you have any helpful information as far as cleaning his home after the smoke damage? Also, are there dangerous chemicals to be concerned about with regard to the products which the firefighters have to use? My brother and his wife both have health issues. Thanks so much, Debra, for all your helpful advice over the years!

Debra’s Answer

There are basically four types of chemicals used in fighting wildland fires: fire retardants, foams, elastomers, and fire suppressant gels. None of them are particularly toxic to humans or the environment. The MSDS sheets for these chemicals can be found at USDA Forest Service: Wildland Fire Chemical Systems.

As for cleaning the house of smoke, with a wildfire such as this, you will probably need to hire a professional smoke remediation service.

Here are some links to websites with tips about removing smoke:

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Question from patspincushion

I purchased a fake Ficus tree at a garage sale that is saturated with cigarette smoke smell. I sprayed it with Shaklee’s Basic H and water, then hozed it off well. It sat outdoors 2 days, but still smells like smoke. I can’t tolerate smoke smell. Anyone know of a home made solution (or otherwise) that would be safe on the leaves and actually works ?

Pat

Debra’s Answer

I don’t have any experience with this. Readers?

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Question from newhome

We just bought a home from a women who owned it for 40 years.We are pulling up the wall to wall carpet which is 18-20 years old. Under the carpet is hardwood with a beautiful polyurethane finish.I have chemical sensitivities and would never choose a floor with a polyurethane finish and am wondering if it will be ok since it is so old.

Debra’s Answer

Polyurethane itself is not particularly toxic, it’s the solvents that are used to make it liquid so it can be applied that are the problem. Water-based polyurethane wood finish, for example, is much less toxic than solvent-based. Once the solvents are evaporated the polyurethane coating that remains is not toxic.

I would say that a finish that is more than twenty years old would be fine.

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Question from onlythegreen2

Hi, Debra, we are looking to purchase a used vehicle and wondered if 10-year-old leatherette (vinyl) seats would still be offgassing or a health hazard of any kind? Thank you…

Debra’s Answer

After ten years, I think they would have offgassed.

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Question from Tammy Garren

My mother-in-laws maid uses pinesol full strength on cabinets, floors, etc. The other day I caught her cleaning out coffee pots and washing dishes with the same dish rag she was wiping countertops. This rag had full strength pinesol on it. She did rinse them but I was wondering especially since she used it to clean out coffee pot, is this safe? I told my motherinlaw about it and she said it shouldn’t hurt anything since it is a disinfectant but I read on label that it could be toxic to humans, pets etc. Now I am not drinking coffee made in the coffee pot anymore. Am I just being paronoid?

Debra’s Answer

First of all, the only hazardous ingredient listed on the Pine Sol MSDS is alkyl alcohol ethoxylates. These belong to a group of chemicals called “aromatic hydrocarbons” which are petrochemicals with strong, pungent, odors. The only health hazard listed on the MSDS is that it is an irritant. Pine Sol also contains strong scents that are not listed as hazardous ingredients, but artificial fragrances in and of themselves can contain many hazardous substances.

As to whether or not there is a danger drinking coffee from a pot wiped with Pine Sol, it is extremely unlikely that after rinsing the pot and allowing it to dry that there would be any residue of Pine Sol left. Pine Sol is extremely volatile and does not take very long to evaporate.

However, out of caution, I wouldn’t recommend it for this use.

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Question from sunshine

I wondered if anyone else purchased this washer only to discover it makes your clothing smelly? This machine has cost us lots in replacement clothing, & re-washing at the laundromat. We can’t be the only ones that have discovered how bad it smells.

The rubber parts stink just as bad as they did a year ago when we bought it. How do you offgas internal rubber parts in a washing machine? We purchased the machine because we wanted to hang dry and this machine apparently was the best at taking the water out during the spin.

I could initially smell the rubber seal in the store, but since the washing machines I’ve used at the laundromat have rubber seals too I just thought the smell would offgas.

In the case of this machine it’s not the plastic that is the problem, but smelly rubber internal parts aside from the seal around the door that smell as bad as they did a year ago when the machine was purchased – mostly because you are washing hot water through them, onto your clothing.

In this machine, unlike in other front loaders, apparently the hot water is forced through the rubber when washing in order that the water does not sit in the seal and mold. Well, if you have smelled your hot tires in the sun, you will have an idea of what this washing machine smells like when you use hot water in it. It is a searing rubber smell that makes your eyes water, and hurts the throat, not just when you open the front door, but also the soap compartment.

This washing machine within a few weeks already had that “mildew smell”, even after leaving the door open (which was difficult since the rubber smelled so bad during every wash).

Debra’s Answer

Readers? Has anyone else had this experience?

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Question from petercsantoro@yahoo.com

I am wondering what you use/recommend for lawn care. I have two small children who like to play in the yard, and I don’t want to use pesticides/chemicals if possible. My husband states that some chemicals are necessary and that the lawn will be destroyed if not used.

(currently we use TrueGreen to care for our lawn and we are under their “Natural” program. However, their treatment for grubs is a pesticide which when applied, humans and pets must stay off the lawn for a couple hours. I do not want this grub treatment but my husband says we need it since we had a terrible problem with grubs tearing up the lawn previously.)

Can you please recommend another alternative for lawn care, and particularly, grub treatment?

I can’t let my children play in a yard sprayed with chemicals and pesticides, and my husband and i disagree about the dangers of the chemicals/pesticides… Can you have a nice lawn without the danger? Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

Yes, you can have a nice lawn without the danger.

Safelawns.org is dedicated to promoting safe lawn care. Their site has lots of how-to videos and will answer you lawn care questions free.

Try them with your question.

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Question from nontoxicmom

Hi Debra,

We are in the market for an outdoor play-set for our kids. I know there were issues in the past regarding CCA in the pressure treated wood. It was supposed to be phased out in 2003. www.safe2play.org

We are willing to purchase a new set, but was wondering if there are any other hidden toxic chemicals we should be aware of. Can you recommend any particluar play-set as the safest on the market?

Thanks so much. Your site has been so helpful!

Debra’s Answer

I haven’t researched play sets myself. Readers?

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Question from -E-

I’ve started a garden in pots. Although I know plastic (Labeled #5) is not the best of options it was all I could afford at the time and for the space I had .

I need to purchase more pots, but its getting rather pricey and was wondering if all plastic labeled #5 are all of the same food grade quality (Polypropylene)?

EX: Sterlite/Rubbermaid storage boxes or food storage containers compared to the plastic pots for planting? Is the material the same?

Thanks for your help on this matter.. As always its greatly appreciated!

Debra’s Answer

#5 plastic, polypropylene, is one of the safest plastics. All polypropylenes have the same degree of safety.

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Question from heavensabvus1

My current (conventional) pillowtop mattress is still going strong at 14 years old. I love it and it’s as pristine as the day I got it. I have it sealed in a cotton allergen encasing that keeps out dander and dust mites. On top of that cover is an organic cotton barrier cloth cover that also completely encloses the mattress, although I expect neither of these encloses gases. And then on top of that are two 3″ organic wool mattress toppers and then organic cotton sheets, wool comforter and wool pillows. There is no boxspring. Is it still outgassing or is it safe at this point?

Debra’s Answer

At fourteen years, it’s probably fine.

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Question from heavensabvus1

Many, many internet searches have not turned any up. I see plenty of 6ml polyethelene, but it is not food grade. The only food grade I’ve been able to find are pre-made mattress wraps, and since this is not for a mattress, it doesn’t seem right to have to pay more only to cut something up. Does anyone know where I can get this in large sheets (i.e. a drop cloth) or on a roll? Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

Obviously it exists as a wholesale item.

If you are finding products made from this, ask the businesses that are selling those items if you can buy some of their sheet polyethylene before it’s made into a product.

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Question from KCribley

In an effort to prevent my little ones from sticking their fingers in our box fans, I thought it would be a great idea to unscrew the plastic panels on each side of the fan, wrap them in window screening–which according to the package is fiberglass mesh–and then put the plastic panels back on.

After doing this, I realized that there might be some danger in blowing air through a fiberglass mesh screen especially since we regularly use a fan to blow directly on us at night while sleeping.

Obviously it’s similar to having open windows and the wind blowing through the same type of screen, but should we be concerned about using this screen with our fans?

Thanks for your help!

Debra’s Answer

I’m not concerned. 🙂

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Question from ellietn

Hi Debra and readers,

I just moved to a new state into a new apartment and found out it had a musty moldy smell from the carpets. Supposedly they were cleaned but I had them cleaned again after moving in to no avail. I finally was told I could transfer to a better apartment (with new carpets) and moved everything.

After just moving in the last box, 20 seconds afterward, the managers came to the door to announce that ‘the guys were here to spray the countertops’. They had told me about these guys spraying over existing formica, that that was the preferred ‘new’ method by corporate to cover the damaged counters instead of replacing them.

They said at first the fumes would be gone in 2 hours, then they said 7, then 24, well…we have basically been homeless (although we paid rent) for 6 days (going to be at least 2 more I think) now.

The fumes were SO BAD we could not stay there and all of our things smell like noxious paint fumes (and some have small droplets of paint overspray you can feel). We finally requested our old apartment back provided they replace the carpet (which they are saying they don’t need to do).

I am almost in tears because I don’t know if this otherwise great apartment has been ruined forever by these people poisoning us with this epoxy-like spray paint over the countertops. Granted, they *look* nice, but was it really worth putting their tenants in danger?

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know what brand was used, but the MSDS for one brand of countertop paint says, ” Avoid breathing vapors or mists. Harmful if inhaled.” It contains some pretty heavy-duty toxic solvents.

Personally, I wouldn’t use this product at all and wouldn’t stay in an apartment where it had been applied until it has been completely cured. I don’t know how long that would take.

I can tell you these are very toxic solvents that can affect your nervous system, especially.

A great new report from the Cornecopia Institute tells everything you would ever want to know about how organic eggs are produced, and which are the best. I wish I had a report like this on every product.

Scrambled Eggs: Separating Factory Farm Egg Production from Authentic Organic Agriculture

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The World Health Organization/ International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has now classified non-ionizing readiogrequency radiation as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B click here to see the list – click on “list of classifications sorted by group and scroll down to “2B”). This is the same classification for lead, DDT, and EMF’s from power lines.

This applies to cell phones, smart meters, cell towers, cordless phones, baby monitors, and all other wireless devices.

Read more from CNN on cell phones…

Read more from the EMF Safety Network…

See Stop Smart Meters for how to prevent a smart meter from being installed in your home and about other wireless exposures…

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A new University of Missouri study shows that the exposure to the controversial chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) through diet has been underestimated by previous lab tests. In the study, researchers compared BPA concentrations in mice that were given a steady diet supplemented with BPA throughout the day, compared to the more common lab method of single exposure, and found an increased absorption and accumulation of BPA in the blood of mice.

Published in Environmental Health Perspectives, this is the first study to examine concentrations of BPA in any animal models after exposure through a regular, daily diet, which is a better method to mirror the chronic and continuous exposure to BPA that occurs in animals and humans.

Following the exposure through the diet, a significantly greater increase in the active form of BPA, which is the greatest threat as it is the form that can bind to sex steroid receptors and exert adverse effects, was absorbed and accumulated in the animals.

“People are primarily and unknowingly exposed to BPA through the diet because of the various plastic and paper containers used to store our food are formulated with BPA,” said Cheryl Rosenfeld, lead author of the study. “We know that the active form of BPA binds to our steroid receptors, meaning it can affect estrogen, thyroid and testosterone function. It might also cause genetic mutations. Thus, this chemical can hinder our ability to reproduce and possibly cause behavioral abnormalities that we are just beginning to understand.”

The study notes that more than 8 billion pounds of BPA are produced every year, and more than 90 percent of people in the United States have measurable amounts of BPA in their bodies.

“We believe that these mouse model studies where the BPA exposure is through the diet is a more accurate representation of what happens to BPA as the human body attempts to processes this toxic substance,” said Rosenfeld. “When BPA is taken through the food, the active form may remain in the body for a longer period of time than when it is provided through a single treatment, which does not reflect the continuous exposure that occurs in animal and human populations. We need to study this further to determine where the ingested BPA becomes concentrated and subsequently released back into the bloodstream to be distributed throughout the body.”

Comparison of Serum Bisphenol A Concentrations in Mice Exposed to Bisphenol A through the Diet versus Oral Bolus Exposure

Even low level exposure to BPA can disrupt genetic signaling and hormone activity that can lead to diabetes, obesity, cancer, and impaired reproductive, developmental, neurological, immune, and cardiovascular function.

What about plastics labeled “BPA-free”? Read this article:

Beyond BPA: Could ‘BPA-Free’ Products Be Just as Unsafe?

Question from Shelly Pollard

Hello Debra.

I’m wondering if you or your readers have had any experience with Daniadown Natural Latex pillows with a bamboo cover. Does it have an odor? Is the latex likely to be pure or mixed with chemical compounds? Is there anything toxic in this pillow?

The description for this product does not state whether or not the bamboo is organic or not. Is there such a thing as organic bamboo?

I couldn’t find Daniadown on Debra’s List. Are they known to be a responsible company?

I did a muscle reaction test with a regular pillow I was going to use and reacted quite badly to the pillow. I’m hoping to find a pillow that I don’t react to.

Any insights will be appreciated.

Debra’s Answer

Today there are many companies that are selling natural products, such as natural latex pillows, who have no knowledge of these products. They are only interested in making money, and since consumers want natural products, they sell them. And so, you can’t get much information from them because they don’t understand the product themselves.

I suggest you look for a pillow on the Beds and Bedding page of Debra’s List. These companies are dedicated to pure materials as their number one priority and can tell you more about their products.

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Question from lulas.mommy

We have leased a house with vinyl flooring that is at least three years old. How long do vinyl floors outgas? It was the only house we could find without new flooring, carpet and paint. I am now sensitive to the smells of chemicals but was not bothered when inside the home for 15-20 mins. on two occasions. Do they give off significant amounts of lead?

Debra’s Answer

Well, there is actually a study about this: Emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from PVC Floor Coverings, which found that vinyl chloride was not emitting from any of the floorings tested, but various VOCs were released in various different concentrations. After 9 days total VOCs showed a rapid decrease and after that stayed at a very low level for a few months. The study concluded, “PVC floorings after 10 days of installation in the room should not be source of indoor air contamination.”

Now I think that some readers here would say they can still smell vinyl flooring beyond 10 days after installation, but to answer your question, given these test results and the fact that the floor has no odor, and it’s been three years, I would say it’s probably fine, and better than your other alternatives.

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Question from Jeff Keller

I love milk chocolate chips. That is all I ever eat when I crave something sweet. My favorite chocolate is made by Guittard. The biggest problem is the sugar. Chocolate is my only vice otherwise I eat very healthy. I really don’t want it, but I don’t have a choice (I know, I know, but I love chocolate!). Anyway, do you know of anyone making milk chocolate with stevia or xylitol? I’m sure I’d love it!

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know of any chocolates sweetened with xylitol or stevia, but I do have an answer for you: “diabetic” or “sugar-free” chocolate. These are typically sweetened with maltitol (I’ve also seen it spelled malitol), which is a close cousin to xylitol. Both are “sugar alcohols,” which come from natural sources. All sugar alcohols absorb more slowly than refined white sugar, so they supposedly do not spike blood sugar. But they do contain carbohydrates.

[I just want to tell diabetics who are reading this that my experience with xylitol was that it DID raise my blood sugar noticably.]

For some reason that I don’t remember offhand, malitol is used more often commercially, but xylitol is sold more widely for home use. So I think your solution is “diabetic” or “sugar-free” milk chocolate (be sure to check the label to make sure it’s sweetened with malitol or something that ends with -ol). You can find this very easily. Godiva Chocolate, though not organic, is all-natural and they have a sugar-free line sweetened with malitol (it tastes good–I’ve tried it). But there are also many other brands and more and more available all the time.

But don’t eat too much! All sugar alcohols can cause diarrhea when eaten in excess of what your body can tolerate.

I tried sweetening unsweetened chocolate with all the sweeteners I recommend on this site (including xylitol and stevia) and I ran into some problems.

I’ve had good success melting grain-sweetened chocolate chips for dipping fruit as long as I do it over a double boiler. It just melts.

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Question from Sam

Hi Debra and GL Members,

We’ve been having some problems with our car since suffering a leak which has contaminated the carpet. We are looking to have the car remediated and the carpet removed.

Once the car is cleaned we’d like to try and use non-toxic carpeting instead of the awful car carpeting. Has anyone done this before, heard of it or have any advice? We’re thinking if we can find the right NT carpet with the correct amount, it would be a matter of finding an installer to do the work.

The car is in good mechanical shape although an older Volvo, and we are not in a position to purchase even a used car. The mold smell has gotten to be too much so a real good wipe down and removal is in order. Any feedback on all of the above is most appreciated.

Thanks! Sam

Debra’s Answer

I haven’t ever replaced a carpet in a car, but thinking about it, here is what I would probably do.

All you need is some kind of covering for the floor. I would get some area rugs you like, cut them in pieces to fit and attach them with velcro strips. This way you could remove them and clean them if you wanted to.

I just hung a decorative platter on the tile over my stove with velcro strips. Though they have adhesive backing, there was no offensive odor. The velcro strips are holding the platter very securely and I can remove it for washing whenever I want to. I was very happy to discover that I could hang things on tile with velcro.

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Question from wfan66

I have read that using boric acid is toxic and it should not be used, is this true or not?

What other things should i use and how should i apply each one of the things that are recommended? I need it because i have a servere roach and bug problem in my home.

thanks alot

Debra’s Answer

In my book Home Safe Home I give some general recommendations for controlling pests without pesticides:

* don’t give them food
* don’t give them water
* don’t give them shelter

More details are on pages 136-137.

Here are some links to online resources that give detailed descriptions of how to control cockroaches without chemicals:

* Sierra Club: Hey Mr. Green: Nontoxic Roach Control

* Steve Tvedten’s “The Bug Stops Here”: Intelligent Controls for Cockroaches

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Question from petercsantoro@yahoo.com

I am currently trying to find less toxic furniture, particularly a dining table and chairs. I did find a teak table which was natural, untreated wood; however, the chairs were a beechwood with a water-based white paint and polyurethane finish. I cannot seem to find chairs without a polyurethane finish unless I spend more and purchase teak chairs as well. Do you recommend avoiding the polyurethane finished wood as much as possible? Is it possible to coat the chairs with a Safecoat sealer or something? Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

It’s not necessary to avoid polyurethane finish. It’s the solvents in the polyurethane finish that are toxic, not the polyurethane itself. Right at the moment, I am sitting at a desk with a polyurethane finish. As long as the finish is cured enough that it is no longer outgassing VOCs, a polyurethane finish is fine.

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Question from petercsantoro@yahoo.com

What cooking tools are best to use? Do you prefer wood, silicone, or nylon? I’ve never used nylon, only wood (bamboo) and silicone. What do you think of silicone cookware, such as a silicone steamer? Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

Personally, most of my cooking tools are wood. I like to buy handcrafted wooden cooking tools when I find them, and have quite a collection. Don’t use nylon tools. Still use a few stainless steel tools, but mostly wood.

I use a bamboo steamer, don’t like the silicone ones. I stay away from the brightly colored silicone, but do use plain silicone baking mats (silpats).

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Question from lulas.mommy

Our landlord used a polyurethane cement caulking in our bedroom without telling us the product she used until 3 days after. We stayed downstairs but hhad central air on at night. The room had the window open the first day and a fan venting the smell ot afterwards. We just assumed she was using a silicone caulk but when we realized it was pretty bad, we were told it was in fact cement caulking (polyurethane based). We were in the house with our 10 week old baby. I am utterly devastated that my baby was probably affected. Any recomendations on what to do?

Debra’s Answer

If you can get the exact brand name, you can look up the MSDS online by typing “[brand name] MSDS” into your favorite search engine.

I looked up one brand and found the following:

Breathe as much fresh air as you can, drink lots of water, and take measures to support your kidneys and liver. In your case, I would suggest that you talk to a professional who knows about body detox to help you. You want to get these chemicals out of your body as quickly as possible,

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Question from cjjtmecanz

I have to new wooden spoon that I need to know how to keep clean. One is Bambo and the other Birch wood. Can you tell me how to keep the spoons clean? Food grade mineral oil is what the shop offered as a option. Is mineral oil in any form safe? What else can I use?

Debra’s Answer

I just wash my wooden spoons with soap and water with the rest of the dishes and do nothing else to them.

However, if you do want to protect your spoons or any other woodenware, here’s a past post where we discussed this thoroughly: Q&A: Wood Conditioner for Cutting Boards and Bowls.

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Question from guspvt

Hi Debra!

I’m intending to purchase a shower filter and I came accross one brand, called Sprite ( http://www.spritewater.com/showerx.htm ). It utilizes KDF & Chlorgon as the filtering media. I did a little researching and learned that Chlorgon is a manufactured ceramic bead that has been impregnated with calcium sulfite. Would this calcium sulfite be a concern when having a shower with this filter installed?

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

I’m not concerned about this. At most, calcium sulfite is an irritant. IF any is released into the shower water it would be so diluted the exposure would be insignificant.

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Question from HEG

During a recent home inspection I asked the termite inspector if tenting without the use of chloropicrin was possible. I was under the impression that it had to be added as a warning agent at the beginning of the tenting process, mandated by law. But the pest control representative informed me that if you hire a 24-hour guard for your home you can get the tenting done without chloropicrin. This was encouraging to me as it is my understanding that the long-term health effects of termite tenting are more due to the warning agent chloropicrin than the actual pesticide used. This is due to the fact that chloropicrin is persistent and can remain for months while the pesticide used disappears more quickly and its presence is tested for before you can return to your home. Are any of your readers familiar with this and have you had any experiences with tenting companies allowing you to forego the chloropicrin/warning agent?

Debra’s Answer

Readers, any experience with this?

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Question from KS936899

Dear Green Living Q & A blog: Does anyone know of a 100% non-toxic glazing compound or similar type of product used specifically to install a new double paned window pane in a window frame that is truly reliable?

Debra’s Answer

First let me explain, for those who don’t know, what a window glazing product is.

When you install window glass in a wood frame, the glass is held in place on the interior side and then on the exterior side, putty is applied to hold the glass in place. This putty is called “glazing” and it has a pretty strong odor. One product I looked up contained phthalates and ethylene glycol, both pretty toxic.

So the process of finding the least toxic window glazing would be to look at the MSDS for different brands and choose the one that is least toxic. I don’t know of one that is nontoxic offhand, so reader, if you have experience with this, please write in.

Years ago, I needed a small window pane in my front door replaced, and the man who installed it did so by nailing in strips of wood instead of using glazing. This was how the pane was installed originally. I don’t know of any reason why you couldn’t use strips of molding or quarter-round in place of the glazing. That would be totally nontoxic. Of course, you would want to paint it to protect the wood from the elements, with a no-VOC paint.

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Yes, you can do something to protect your local community from toxics.

“Since 1998, more than 125 municipalities have passed ordinances that explicitly put their citizens’ rights ahead of corporate interests, despite the existence of state and federal laws to the contrary. These communities have banned corporations from dumping toxic sludge, building factory farms, mining, and extracting water for bottling. Many have explicitly refused to recognize corporate personhood. Over a dozen townships in Pennsylvania, Maine, and New Hampshire have recognized the right of nature to exist and flourish (as Ecuador just did in its new national constitution). Four municipalities, including Halifax in Virginia, and Mahoney, Shrewsbury, and Packer in Pennsylvania, have passed laws imposing penalties on corporations for chemical trespass, the involuntary introduction of toxic chemicals into the human body.”

I am inspired! Read more at Yes: Corporate Control? Not in These Communities

Question from Violet56

My elderly Whirlpool top loading washing machine was recently checked, as I have noticed some H2O on the floor. The repairman says it is the drain which is blocked, and I need to call a plumber. There is a hose that connects from the washing machine to the metal drain pipe (which has an elbow), where the water from the machine is backing up. I am hoping that before I call a plumber there might be a way for me to try and unclog the drain pipe myself.

I was thinking of a strong and hopefully “green” product to cut through the lint, fabric threads, soap scum and assorted “gunk” that may be collected in the drain pipe over the many years. Can anyone recommend a very strong product that might do the job…?…to replace the “drano” type of products which have been suggested to try – I would be very grateful to hear any experiences and advice, thank you! 🙂

Debra’s Answer

Ah, Home Safe Home to the rescue!

Page 98 recommends a long, flexible metal snake that will push the clog away (that’s what a plumber will use but you can buy them at hardware stores), or a device that creates water pressure with water from your garden hose that will also push the clog away, even if it is far down the pipe.

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Question from wfan66

I dont want to make my own wood furniture cleaner instead I would like to know which products are the best I can buy from any stores like whole foods, amazon,etc CAN IT BE USED ON ANY WOOD SURFACE? thanks alot df

Debra’s Answer

Readers, what products do you recommend?

I personally do have wood furniture, but I don’t ever clean it with anything, I just dust it.

One of the issues about cleaning wood furniture is that wood has many different finishes. The finish on my desk, for example, is Flecto Diamond Finish, a water-based polyurethane finish that dries nontoxic. I can just wipe it with a damp sponge if I need to, but mostly just dust.

Another table has a plant-based finish by Auro, which gets sticky if you put water on it.

So your first question needs to be: what kind of finish does your wood furniture have?

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Question from HEG

Has anyone had any experience using “Elastilon” as a wood flooring underlay and adhesive? It appears to be a padding that you can put under new wood flooring that also has an adhesive layer for the wood to stick to, thus eliminating the need for glue or a plywood subfloor. The MSDS did not seem to indicate any toxicity but I was wondering what you and your readers thought.

Debra’s Answer

I have no experience with this, but plastic foam with an adhesive?

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Question from HEG

Do you or any of your readers have a rough estimate for how long laminate floors will off-gas and negatively impact indoor air quality? Weeks, months, a year, many years? We have 6-year-old laminate that we only want to replace if it is still negatively affecting our health.

Debra’s Answer

Readers?

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Question from karl

Debra,

Do you or any of your readers know about a Reverse Osmosis Filter with a glass tank? I’d like to buy a RO filter but I don’t feel OK with the water that was filtered to be stored in a plastic or stainless steel tank, as I know leaching could (and probably would) occur as the water would be there for a considerable amount of time.

Debra’s Answer

I agree with you, which is one of the reasons why I don’t recommend RO. But don’t know of one with a glass tank.

We all have such good ideas, maybe WE need to design a water filter!

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Question from Annette Tweedel

Hi Debra, Are there any non-toxic typewriter ribbons out there? Because my husband has an old UnderWood typewriter and the ribbon needs replacing. Thank you very much for the help.

Debra’s Answer

It’s been so long since I used a typewriter I don’t know about the current availability of typewriter ribbons. As for toxicity, a ribbon for an old typewriter for an Underwood (I wrote my first book in 1982 on an old Underwood) would be among the most toxic because the ribbon is exposed to air so it needs solvents to keep the ink wet.

Readers, any typewriter ribbon experience?

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Question from Hate the HE washers and detergents-have ruined clothes

The first HE machine I bought had black mold after 6 months and l/3 of my clothes are ruined with that. The company took it back (only because a class-action suit may be in the works). The second one has a rubber-gasket which off-gasses aome kind of chemicals into the water and after two months of trying to get rid of the problem (its antimicrobial), the big box store said they’d take it back. Problem: after a lot of online research over several weeks all teh top loaders seem to be of poor quality. Of course, the HE washers mold, the detergent has oil in it which builds up and meets with the lint=mildew and mold. What I did not expect was an attack from the gasket and I’m worried about any plastic parts at all doing the same thing because companies are using such cheap plastic these days (haven’t you notice the smell?) So, help asap, what machine should I buy?

Debra’s Answer

Readers, what is your experience?

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Question from sueRD

Any source for plain wood toothpicks (unflavored no additives) made in USA?

Debra’s Answer

Penley Wood Toothpicks are made in Maine USA.

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Question from Cheryl3

I love certain muffins and just realized they are sold in plastic #7 containers. Would the muffins absorb the toxins at a harmful level or is it just liquids that would be vulnerable? Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

It’s hard to say what toxic chemicals might be leaching from a #7 plastic container. The number is to identify the plastic for recycling purposes, not toxicity.

The type of plastic for number #7 is “other.” Plastic #7 is the code assigned to any plastic that does not fit into the other six well-defined categories of recyclable material.

Plastic #7 includes two main types: acrylonitrile styrene or styrene acrylonitrile (AS/SAN), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). But plastic #7 might also be polycarbonate that leaches Bisphenol-A (BPA).

Or plastic #7 could be one the new bio-based plastics that use corn, potato or sugar derivatives.

Personally, I prepare food from fresh raw ingredients as much as possible, to avoid exposures from unknown packaging.

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Question from chickadee

Hello again, I am continuing to learn how to connect to this online community and break my isolation.

After contemplating the latex issue, for today, I’ve decided to shop for a latex free mattress. This is my goal of what I would like to find.

The closest I’ve come to finding a mattress, is the Oasis Innerspring. I have been able to try it in the store, but without a box spring. It is not returnable or exchangeable. It is not pocket coil mattress. I tried one that is hard and works for sleeping on my back, only and one that is softer and works for sleeping on my side, only. I sleep both ways.

Understandably the resources for natural mattress seem to offer less choices, in this kind of comfort. Any thoughts and support is appreciated. Thank you, Edie

Debra’s Answer

Readers? Do you know of any mattresses that fit this description?

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Question from Dana R.

Does anyone know about the safety of these? They are dry when you put them on–you peel off the back and stick them on your nails then file off the extra material. Would the nail polish ingredients still be harmful even though they are not wet and do not touch your skin, and is the adhesive harmful?

Debra’s Answer

I suggest you contact the manufacturer and see what information you can get about the adhesive. Post it here and I’ll comment.

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Question from Kcall07

Hello,

I recently purchased an old board game off Ebay, and it came supplied with painted lead figures. It gives a warning saying not to chew or swallow them, and for them not be used by children under twelve, but are they safe for an adult to handle?

Many Thanks

Debra’s Answer

It sounds from the warning like they consider that the paint is a sufficient barrier to the lead. If the paint is not damaged in any way and forms a complete seal, it should be OK for an adult to handle.

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I saw this article in a health newsletter that arrived in my email inbox. It had some good tips but was not completely toxic-free. So here’s my rewritten nontoxic version.

Summer is about sweating. Sweat is a good thing, it cools your body down on a hot day, to maintain consistent body temperature.

Perspiration itself is practically odorless, made up mostly of water and salt. When it mixes with the bacteria that live on your skin, however it turns into body odor.

Keeping body odor under control starts with following some basic rules of hygiene:

1. Bathe at least once a day – more often if needed. Showering or taking a bath reduces the amount of bacteria on your skin and also washes sweat down the drain.


2. DON’T use an antibacterial soap. Though antibacterial soaps will kill the bacteria that causes body odor, most antibacterial “deodorant” soaps contain triclosan, a pesticide that can cause liver damage when absorbed through your skin. Just plain, unscented soap works well enough. And you don’t even need to apply soap to your entire body–armpits, upper thighs, and feet are the areas that generate most body odor.


3. Dry your body carefully. Pay particular attention to the area between your toes and to armpits, upper thighs and genitals. When your skin is dry, it’s harder for bacteria to breed.


4. Shave your underarms regularly. This will help keep bacteria from building up there.


5. If needed, use a baking soda to reduce underarm odor. Yes, plain baking soda. I have recommended baking soda to a number of people who have suffered for many years with unconquerable body odor, and they say it’s the only thing that has worked for them. Just take a bit of dry baking soda on your fingertips and pat it under your arms after you’ve dried off from your shower. Your skin should be slightly damp, but not wet. If the baking soda feels too abrasive to you, you can mix it with cornstarch or white clay.


6. Wear clothes made with natural fibers. Cotton, linen, silk, and wool all allow your skin breathe.


7. Wash your clothes often — especially clothes that you sweat in. In summer, when you’re more likely to perspire, change your clothes frequently.


8. Keep your feet dry. Wear socks made of moisture-absorbing materials like cotton and wool and change them often. To allow your feet to breathe, choose sandals and shoes made of leather. Better yet, go barefoot when you can.


9. Watch what you eat. Sometimes eating spicy or fatty foods can lead to body odor.

If your body smells really bad continuously, it might be a sign of illness or toxic overload. It makes sense to me that the body in its natural state would smell good, as do other things in nature, and that a bad odor would be a symptom of something wrong with a body. Check with your health professional if bad body odor persists.

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Question from nukuspot

We have just done an energy audit on our house using the local Green Building company. We have a lot of air coming in from our crawlspace through our floors, and that is the main place we need to seal up to healthier indoor air as well as energy savings. Currently we just have Eco Batt fiberglass batts as insulation under there.

Our choices to seal the area (as per our builder) are to take down the current fiberglass and tape and caulk the gaps in the floor from the crawlspace side, then either 1.) Just put the Eco Batt back up (which would not totally seal the area but would help) 2.) Tape and caulk then apply rigid polystyrene foam boards (EPS) then put the Eco Batt back up. 3.) Take down the fiberglass and use a PU (polyurethane spray foam) product called Spraytite by BASF. The builder would like to do this option since it would totally seal the area and make it air tight. He firmly believes that after a 24 hour period of ‘curing” in which we would have to vacate the home, it is totally non-toxic and safe for chemically sensitive individuals. The BASF folks also tout this product as being safe for chemically sensitive people.

http://www.spf.basf.com/DOCS/ResidentialBrochures/363-3136BSPRAYTITEFAQsforHomeowners.pdf

Even with all this reassurance it will be safe for me (I don’t have MCS but am extremely sensitive to chemicals) I have severe reservations about using the PU spray foam. I hope someone might have some information that might help me in my decision making process. Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

Well, it looks to be nontoxic from the description at the given URL.

Anyone have any experience with this product?

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Question from onlythegreen2

I am looking to purchase a denture adhesive, and I can’t seem to find any that are completely non-toxic. Even the BioForce SECURE brand has polyvinyl acetate in it, yet it’s listed on many non-toxic/health-related websites as a safe choice. Debra, do you or any of your readers know of any brands that don’t have harmful ingredients? Does anyone make their own denture adhesive (I’ve heard peanut butter–what a mess that would be!). Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

Readers, any suggestions?

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Question from Cheryl3

Hi Debra and all,

Besides the price, the Miele vacuums all seem heavier than I can manage. I need to vacuum the carpeting on a regular basis and can’t handle heavy awkward appliances. So, does anyone know of a lightweight, upright, bagged, HEPA sealed vacuum with good suction and no triclosan? After reading several reviews I can’t find one that seems healthy and light. Or, if it has to be bag less, I might be able to work with it, but I’m concerned about dust spewing when I open it since it wouldn’t be contained in a bag. Thanks for your help.

Debra’s Answer

Readers, any suggestions?

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Question from jiwaskow

Does anyone with chemical sensitivity have experience using Vermont Natural Coatings for finishing/sealing doors, floors, wood trim and furniture?

Also wondering if anyone knows about the company OSMO for exterior staining and sealing?

Thanks!

Jill

Debra’s Answer

I love Vermont Natural Coatings, however, I would not consider myself to be as sensitive as I know many of my readers are.

So readers, have any of you used these products?

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Question from guspvt

Hi Debra!

I want to purchase a filter that eliminates (or at least reduce) Fluoride / Hydrofluorosilicic Acid in my tap water and I don’t want to use a Reverse Osmosis or Distillation filter.

So, I narrowed my search down to 5 filters, of different brands, and they all claim they eliminate Fluoride / Hydrofluorosilicic Acid using Aluminum (or Activated Alumina).

Concerned about Aluminum/Alumina leaching into the water, I asked the manufacturers if this leaching would occur, and they all said it wouldn’t. But Debra, my main concern (and the reason I’m asking for your help) is: How can I rest assured that the Aluminum/Alumina will NOT leach into the water I’ll be drinking? Do you know if this leaching will NOT occur? I’m afraid I might be exchanging Fluoride for Aluminum, and that’s not a good trade-off at all in my opinion.

Thanks!

Gustavo

Debra’s Answer

First of all, fluoride is NOT easily removed from water. There are only a handful of ways to remove it.

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Question from wigo

I am senstive to Flouride and Chlorine/Chloramine and am therefore looking for a water filter solution for my house. Ideally we would like a steam destillation system made of glass. We would then add small amounts of Himalayan mineral salts to the water in order to remineralize it and prevent it from leaching minerals. As a second step we would need a carbon block filter to remove Chloramine and a Bone Char filter to remove Flouride.

I’ve been looking at different solutions on the web, but haven’t found anything that comes close to the ideal solution.

Do you have any recommendation where we could look for such a filtration system? Do they exist?

If we can’t find one for the whole house we would consider alternatives, such as a smaller scale glass destillation filter just for our drinking water and the Chloramine and Flouride filter for the whole house. Do you have any manufacturer recommendations for us?

Thank you so much, your book Home Safe Home is a life saver.

Wigo

Debra’s Answer

You have a good idea, but I don’t see that there could be a whole house water distiller.

A water distiller works very slowly. It has to boil the water, then steam rises, and the steam condenses into water that does not contain any solids, which were left behind when the water turned to steam. You just couldn’t make enough water for all your household needs in the time period in which you would use it up.

There is, however, a great little glass water distiller that I used for many years, called the Rain Crystal. The reason I stopped using it is because we moved from California to Florida where there is much more dissolved solids in the water. It the first month of use, it completely clogged the distiller and we couldn’t clean it. In retrospect, had we known, we could have gotten a sediment prefilter and that probably would have handled it.

But I’m a little confused. You said you are sensitive to chloramine and fluoride. If you got a whole house chloramine and fluoride filter, why the distiller? What are you expecting it to remove?

Distillers primarily kill microorganisms and remove solids. Some volatile gases escape with the steam, but since distillers concentrate steam back into water, they would also concentrate the gasses back into the water.

It’s important to know what’s in your water and know what you want to remove before you buy a filter. You can get your water tested at watercheck.com.

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Question from HEG

For the past 5 months there is a faint strange smell all over my office building floor (not the flooring itself but just on our level). Many people don’t smell it at all and of those of us who do smell it we do so to varying degrees. We can’t pinpoint exactly what it is but some of us think it smells like over-heated plastic (which we all know is very toxic). It is intermittent and is often worst in the mornings. We work at a university and have alerted our building managment, operations, and the department of environmental health and safty but no one has been able to identify the source, and most of them can’t even smell it. They looked in the electrical room and in the AC room and did not notice anything obviously problematic. Does anyone have any recommendations regarding what they can check and what we can do? Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

It sounds like something is being used in a room on an intermittent basis, and the odor is getting into the central system and being distributed.

Since it is worse in the mornings, I would probably spend the night in the building. If the smell occurs, it would be easier to track it down when it starts than after the fact.

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Question from svw

We need to replace the front windshield in the automobile we are using. Any advice for someone with mcs would be appreciated. Thanks s

Debra’s Answer

Readers, any suggestions? I have no experience with this.

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Question from Hope Fox

We are doing renovation work on our old house in order to improve a wet basement (we want to get rid of an environment where mold can grow!). Our contractor has submitted a proposal that would surface repair any major foundation cracks, apply a tar foundation coating, followed by a Platon membrane system. Do you know of any alternatives to a tar-based foundation sealant that would be as effective in this application? I appreciate the advice!

Debra’s Answer

Take a look at a product called Penetrating Waterstop by AFM. If this isn’t the right one for your application, ask them which of their products would be the one to use.

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Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are being widely promoted as having better energy efficiency than other lighting sources, and as being more environmentally friendly because they do not contain mercury.

But this is a case where a product does not contain one toxic substance, but does contain others.

A new study done by UC Irvine showed that LED bulbs contain various levels of arsenic, lead, and nickels, and should be classified as household hazardous waste. If disposed as regular landfill trash, these bulbs could leach these metals into soil and water when they are crushed and broken.

Researchers determined there is little toxic exposure when using unbroken bulbs at home.

At least they are more difficult to break than compact fluorescents.

Eco-friendly bulbs loaded with lead, arsenic

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Question from darenso

Hello Debra

I have just read your answer of some years ago about shoe polish and just tried the Tapir shoe polish. It does contain ammonia, and sometimes I can feel the vapour in my eyes but it is very slight and does not cause any irritation.

Can you tell me if you would be concerned regarding the ammonia?

Also in the UK I have found a shoe polish contain beeswax,carnauba wax, white spirit and natural turpentine. I thought natural turpentine is ok but since read, although from trees it is very toxic and can cause cancer

Thank you

David

Debra’s Answer

I generally recommend avoiding ammonia, however, how much of a chemical you are exposed to certainly contributes to it’s toxic effect. So much so, in fact, there is a very famous saying “The dose makes the poison,” meaning that the amount of exposure is a greater factor in the poisoning than the inherent toxicity of the substance itself.

If you must use shoe polish, Tapir is one of the least toxic. I would recommend using it outdoors.

In the other shoe polish, I’m actually more concerned about the white spirit in the shoe polish. Also called Stoddard solvent, enough exposure can lead to central nervous system effects.

Myself, I never use shoe polish of any kind. I’ve made choices in my life to not require wearing shoes that need to be polished.

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Question from vlavianos

Does anyone know about the safety of magnetized water? My daughter has interstitial cistitis and apparently drinking magnetized water could be helpful. Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

I know of no negative health effects.

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Question from Rubys Mom

What do you think of The 10″ Green Earth Frying Pan by Ozeri, with Smooth Ceramic Non-Stick Coating (100% PTFE and PFOA Free) ?

Debra’s Answer

The descrtption sounds good, but I’ve never actually seen one.

Readers, any experience?

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Question from samsam

Hi Debra,

I was wondering if putting a couple of cotton slipcovers on a normal sofa is effective in containing the fumes? I can’t find any non toxic sofas on the east coast (of Cananda or the US.) Is there a normal brand that is less toxic?

Thanks,

sam

Debra’s Answer

No, this will not work. Fumes go right through the spaces between the threads. You need something with no gaps, like a sheet of polyethylene plastic or aluminum foil.

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Question from allyv

Hi Debra,

I’m searching for a rocking chair or comfy reading chair for my 2 1/2 year old. We already have a pottery barn kids hybrid anywhere chair which she loves but I recently found out the foam contents of that chair is polyurethane along with 30% recycled soy material (whatever that means). In your opinion, is that pottery barn chair safe to keep in her bedroom? she likes to keep it next to her bed. And second, what is another chair you recommend (we’ll put one for her in my son’s (baby) room so she can read books, etc.

Thank You,

Ally

Debra’s Answer

If it were me, I would remove the chair with the polyurethane foam.

Just last week when I was in New Jersey at White Lotus Home, they recommended a company they know called Room Doctor. They make affordable chemical-free solid wood furniture. They just might be able to make any chair you want.

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Question from Donna L

Hi Debra,

I’m doing a little redecorating and have two questions. Many sofas now contain soy in the cushions. I know soy when ingested is considered an endocrine disrupter, but what about if inhaled? Can soy even offgas if it’s in a cushion?

Secondly, I purchased some 100% cotton drapes from Pottery Barn, and the description stated that they were CPSC compliant for flame resistancy without being chemically treated. What does this mean? They’re going to be hanging right under a heat vent, so I’m concerned if they contain a flame retardant at all (in case the heat causes them to offgas).

Thank you so much for your help with this and everything else you do!

Debra’s Answer

I would think that soy would outgas from a cushion. I’m sure most people with soy allergies would tell you that.

If the drapes say they are not chemically treated, by law they should not be chemically treated. That doesn’t mean that they aren’t as there is such thing as deception in labelling. But it’s likely that they are not chemically treated.

“CPSC compliant” simply means that they meet the CPSC standards for being flame retardant. The CPSC does not specify how to achieve being compliant, only that they comply.

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Question from EMC

So I’m using glass as much as possible.

But I have kids who run around outside a lot and wanted to know if its better to use the stainless steel versions like Kleen Kanteen or a BPA free plastic for these outdoor periods?

I assume that the leaching is more problematic when heated, is that right? But which one is more resistant?

It’s hot year round here, bottles are often left in the scorching sun or baking in a bag.

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

I can’t evaluate which is the lesser of the two evils.

Sitting in the sun would release more plastic when heated, so I would probably go with the stainless steel, if those were the only options.

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Question from Gigi

Is anyone familiar with Dri-Out for Termites?

I have looked at Tim-bor, however, I was told that I would also need a soil treatment.

Is Dri-Out as non-toxic/safe as the manufacturers say?

It is a dry micron size desiccant powder that clings to the exoskelton and dehydrates the insect within two hours of contact rather than affecting the nervous system.

According to the MSDS and Technical Sheets, it is a SYNTHETIC amorphous silica, not to be confused with silica such as quartz or other naturally occuring silica. It has a Health Rating of 0.

It does not seem to be carcenagenic.

Debra’s Answer

This appears to be a nontoxic product by its description.

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Question from JAD

I was told that I was Chemical Sensitive in 1993. I crashed when my husband painted the cedar on our Mi home with oil based stain while I was out for the day in 2008. After a few months I decided I needed to find help. I Googled “How to Cure MCS” and found Debra’s site and found a link to my now Environmental Allergy Specialist. Debra’s site pretty much says the same thing my Dr. has, but he tested me for allergies and found out that I was very allergic to Soy and Glycerin. He told me that if you are fighting allergies your body has a harder time fighting the chemicals. I have switched all my medical needs to his office and it has been slow but I have made great progress.

I volunteer at a FL State Park for 6 months and had announced to the other volunteers the only way I could continue is if they came in chemical free anytime I was around. I was very ill when I asked this of them, it wasn’t over night but most of the volunteers complied and they saw my health improve every time I came back from MI. They started asking questions and then 2 volunteers asked if I would do a talk on the subject non-toxic living.

So I invited all the volunteers, 7 were able to make it. I told them up front that I was not there to sell them anything and was only going to share information. I also told them that as much as I appreciated them all trying to help me that this was for them. I just wanted to share what I had learned from my Dr, Debra and others.

I shared information about Chemical Sensitivity and some of the symptoms that we all suffer from and that other suffer from chemicals and don’t know.

I told them about a young lady that just visited us. She thought she came chemical free. She used Free and Clear on her wash but just once so I had to have her wear my clothes why she was there. She told me about the headaches that she was getting and I suggested she keep using Free and Clear and she avoids other fragrances. I explained to her if she is having problems now that she could get worse. She made the changes I suggest and when I heard from her two weeks later she said her headaches were all but gone!

We talked about cleaning products and told them what I used (Shaklee, 7^th Generation….) and gave them information from the EWG site on what to stay away from.

Debra’s Answer

What a great idea! This is something we can all do. May this be the first of many “hands-on” nontoxic education parties! Thanks for sharing, Jackie.

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Question from Ronda

Hi Debra –

We received a used Wii game system from a friend. They had been storing the Wii in their closet that also must have had some potporri stored in there. The game controllers all smell like potporri. I’ve tried soaking the wrist straps in baking soda and washing down all the plastic parts, but it still smells. What else do you suggest I try? My kids love this and I don’t want to have to get rid of it. Right now we just keep it in a drawer and it doesn’t bother me until they bring it out to play with it.

Thanks so much!!!

Ronda

Debra’s Answer

Readers, any suggestions?

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Question from Margaret

I bought some jeans at the Goodwill last week and when I got home and smelled them in my clean home environment, I could smell perfume (there were too many odors in the store for me to detect it there). I have washed them numerous times, including in baking soda, and put them in the dryer, and I can’t get the perfume smell out. I even tried washing them with Pet Odor Eliminator to see if that would do anything. This has happened to me once before with jeans that I bought at the Goodwill. I finally threw out that first pair of jeans after umpteen times washing them, as I could still smell the perfume. I’m not severely chemically sensitive–I work in an office in downtown Denver and tolerate that–but I don’t want to wear jeans that smell like perfume! I know that can’t be good for me with my mild chemical sensitivities. Why can’t I get this odor out?

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know why perfume smells are so difficult to remove, but there are more things to try at Q&A: Removing perfume from new clothing.

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Question from daisianne

Hi Debra,

We are considering buying wool carpeting for our upstairs to replace very old synthetic carpet (looks about 30+ years old and we know there is lead in this house from testing we have done). I know you will say the best choice is to put in hardwood floors, but the floors are in very bad shape and would cost a fortune, and we are concerned about noise level since the third floor tends to echo throughout the house.

So, carpeting it must be. Yet we cannot afford Earthweave carpeting. I have found some discount wool carpeting in our price range. The customer service rep assured me that all their carpets meet or exceed the Carpet and Rug Institute Green Label standards, but that most carpet does contain mothproofing chemicals.

So.. my question is, given that the most non-toxic choices are out of our price range, what choice would be less toxic to our infant and ourselves: new synthetic carpet, wool carpet with mothproofing, or leaving the old synthetic carpet which may contain lead dust?

My intuition is the wool carpeting with mothproofing, but I’d like your opinion.

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

I would probably go with the wool carpeting. See if you can find out what type of mothproofing was used before you buy the carpet. There are different types with varying toxicity.

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Question from jiwaskow

I’ve read conflicting information about whether reverse osmosis would be good or not for chemical sensitivities and a whole house filter for well water. We need advice. What would be the ideal house water filter system (brand names welcome) for someone who is severely sensitive, and for living on a well system that could have icky stuff in it (e.g. dead animals were in our cistern for a while).

Debra’s Answer

The first thing you need to do is have your water tested to find out what you need to remove. If you are on a well, you don’t need to remove chlorine, or chloramines, for example, because they are not in the water naturally.

Go to the National Testing Laboratories website. Call them and let them help you choose the correct test for your well water. When the results come back, you can then make an intelligent decision about a whole house water filter.

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Question from kendall

Hi Debra:

I teach at a school that uses aerosol bug sprays to kill mosquitoes and other flying bugs that enter the building. As someone with MCS this causes me severe distress every fall and spring. The powers that be at the school said they’re willing to use alternatives but are unaware of any products.

Can you recommend any particular products that are safer than standard insecticides and can be used in a school setting? I’m open to any suggestions–otherwise they’ll continue to use the standard bug sprays.

I’ve heard of non-toxic pheromone based mosquito traps. Are these effective and non-toxic? I appreciate any help/information you can give in this regard. Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

The best answer I can give you on this is to type “green schools” into your favorite search engine and contact the organizations that come up.

There are many folks working to make schools greener, and that would include less toxic pest controls.

Schools may have special regulations or issues I am not familiar with.

Readers, any ideas?

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Question from sarahw

Hi there

I am from Sydney, Australia and I am seeking a clothing dye that is non-toxic and chemical free. I have a lovely black dress which its colour has started to fade. It’s such a lovely dress that I don’t want to throw it away just yet.

I would be so grateful if someone is able to please kindly assist me by providing a name of a manufacturer who produces non-toxic, chemical free clothing dyes. I am more than happy to purchase outside of Australia.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sarah

Debra’s Answer

Readers, I have no experience with dying fabrics. Any suggestions?

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Question from HEG

Debra,

Do you or any of your dog-owning readers know of a nontoxic preventive application for fleas/tics on dogs?

Debra’s Answer

I’ve never had a dog so, readers, what are your recommendations?

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Hello Nontoxic Moms ~

I have a question for you.

Having no children of my own, I have no experience with babycare products, specifically those applied to the skin.

I would like to know from you…

What, in your experience are

1) the essential babycare products
2) organic brands you have used and liked
3) homemade substitutes that you have used and liked

Thank you!

Debra 🙂

My father-in-law forwarded this to me, from CalPirg.

Over the weekend I was reading a book that suggested one of the best possible ways to approach life was to use the minimum effective amount of anything needed to get the job done.

We just don’t need nuclear reactors to be able to turn on light bulbs.

The danger is greater than the benefit.

Below is a great summary of the issues.

Debra 🙂

Q: Just how risky is nuclear power?

A: Very. Every operating nuclear power plant in the United States has a pool of spent fuel on site, and the possibility of a Fukushima-like loss of coolant—and ensuing release of radiation—is quite real. A worst-case accident involving one of these pools could make more than 2,700 miles of land unfit for human habitation, lead to as many as 143,000 cancer fatalities within 500 miles of the accident site, and cause more than $700 billion in property damage.[i]

Even minor exposures to radiation released during a nuclear accident can cause health problems, including cancer later in life.[ii] Radioactive materials stay dangerous for thousands of years.

Q: Wasn’t the disaster in Japan caused by a combination of events—the earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent power outage—that couldn’t happen here?

A: Between hurricanes, tornadoes, human error, the potential for terrorist attack, mechanical failure, the age of our nuclear reactors and yes—earthquakes and tsunamis—it’s not outrageous to think that a major incident could happen at any one of the 104 nuclear reactors operating at the United States. Each of America’s nuclear power stations share the same vulnerabilities as the nuclear reactors in Japan.[iii]

Q: Don’t we need nuclear power to keep the lights on?

A: Not necessarily. Nuclear power currently generates about 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply, and it would be difficult to immediately shut existing reactors down. But we don’t need to continue to allow nuclear reactors to operate beyond the 40 years they were originally designed for, and we don’t need to build new reactors.

We have vast safe energy resources that can do a better job of keeping the lights on. And they don’t explode, spill, or contaminate food supplies with radiation. For example, if we improved efficiency, in the next 20 years we could free up as much electricity as 100 new nuclear reactors could generate.[iv]

And America’s entire electricity needs could be met by the sunlight falling on a 100-mile-square patch of Nevada desert, or by the wind blowing across North Dakota.[v]

Q: But isn’t nuclear power cheap?

A: No, it’s expensive and a bad investment. Nuclear power is among the most costly approaches to solving America’s energy problems. You just have to look at the history of nuclear power to understand. Of 75 nuclear reactors completed between 1966 and 1986, the average cost was more than triple the original construction budget.[vi] In 1985, Forbes magazine wrote that “the failure of the U.S. nuclear power program ranks as the largest managerial disaster in business history, a disaster on a monumental scale.”[vii]

The industry instead turned to taxpayer support. Over the last fifty years, American taxpayers have subsidized nuclear power to the tune of $145 billion.[viii] That’s more than the entire value of the electricity produced.[ix]

Wall Street investors still won’t touch nukes because the technology is too risky and too expensive. In contrast, investors are lining up to support newer renewable technologies, because they are more cost effective. Per dollar of investment, safe energy solutions—such as energy efficiency and wind power—deliver far more electricity than nuclear reactors.[x]

Q: Isn’t nuclear power better for the environment?

No. Energy efficiency is better. So are wind and solar power. These energy sources are better at preventing the kind of pollution that comes from fossil fuel plants than nuclear reactors because they are cheaper. They also don’t pose any risk of contaminating land, water or food with radioactive pollution.

For more information, and to get regular updates, visit our website.

Sincerely,

Emily Rusch

CALPIRG State Director

P.S. Please feel free to share this message with your friends and family.

[i] (In 2011 dollars.) A Safety And Regulatory Assessment of Generic BWR and PWR Permanently Shutdown Nuclear Power Plants, Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, August 1997.

[ii] According to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, a single dose of 0.1 Sieverts would result in approximately 1 person in 100 developing cancer over their lifetime. Lower doses produce proportionally smaller risks. For example, a single exposure of 0.01 Sieverts would cause 1 person in 1,000 to develop cancer during their lifetime.Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation, National Academy of Sciences, 2006.

[iii] U.S. Nuclear Plants Have Same Risks, and Backups, as Japan Counterparts, New York Times, March 13, 2011.

[iv] The High Cost of Nuclear Power: Why America Should Choose a Clean Energy Future Over New Nuclear Reactors, U.S. PIRG, March 31, 2009.

[v] Wind: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy’s Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply[pdf], DOE/GO-102008-2567, July 2008.
Sun: Bernadette del Chiaro, Tony Dutzik and Sarah Payne, Environment America Research & Policy Center, On the Rise: Solar Thermal Power and the Fight Against Global Warming, Spring 2008.

[vi] This figure actually underestimates the degree to which nuclear projects exceeded budget targets. It excludes escalation and finance costs incurred by construction delays, and does not include data from some of the most over-budget reactors. See Congress of the United States, Congressional Budget Office, Nuclear Power’s Role in Generating Electricity[pdf], May 2008, based on data from U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, An Analysis of Nuclear Power Plant Construction Costs, Technical Report DOE/EIA-0485, 1 January 1986.

[vii] J. Cook, “Nuclear Follies,” Forbes, February 1985.

[viii] Nuclear Power: Still Not Viable without Subsidies[pdf], Union of Concerned Scientists, February 2011.

[ix] Federal energy subsidies: Not all technologies are created equal [pdf], Renewable Energy Policy Project, July 2000.

[x] The High Cost of Nuclear Power: Why America Should Choose a Clean Energy Future Over New Nuclear Reactors, U.S. PIRG, March 31, 2009.

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Question from Heather Chandler

This is a super hard, long-lasting polish that needs strong remover to get off. My gut tells me it’s not good, though I’ve seen it marketed as a greener alternative since it lasts so long. What do you know of it’s toxicity? Many thanks for your help!

Debra’s Answer

Your gut is correct. Here’s an article from the New York Times about Shellac nail polish. It is applied in a salon, baked on with a heat lamp and requires soaking your nails with pads containing toxic acetone to remove it. How this is green, I don’t know.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/22/fashion/22Skin.html

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Question from janicedb

Hi Debra

I ordered your bathroom renovation project info and it was so helpful in re-doing our bathroom. What started out as a simple project resulted in our having to re-do the whole bathroom after a serious leak was discovered. Thanks for all the great info.

We’re tackling our old windows next. Do you or any readers have any advice on which replacement windows are better for chemically sensitive people. I like wood frame windows but know that the wood could be treated with pesticides and toxic preservatives and I understand that the fiberglas windows have been problematic for some as well.

Also any caulk recommendations for around windows?

Also our washer died a few months ago and I purchased a new Maytag Bravos washer. Two weeks later I still was getting sick from the offgasing. The problem seemed to be the rubber hose that is packed inside the new washer. No matter how I cleaned the tub or how many cleaning cycles I ran through, I couldn’t get rid of the smell. I returned it and asked about washers that didn’t come with hoses inside. I bought a basic top loading High Efficiency whirlpool washer Model# WTW4950XW0 from Lowe’s and I love it. I just left the window open in the basement for a couple of weeks until the new smells dissipated. It’s worked out really well.

Debra’s Answer

Readers, what do you recommend for windows and caulk for MCS?

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Question from Tracy W

I have MCS and am thinking about buying a new house and having it remodeled with non-toxic, MCS friendly materials. Many homes have gas or oil heating systems, especially older homes. Is it okay to consider those homes with the idea that I will have a new HVAC system, such as forced hot water, electric or solar installed after I buy the home? Or should I avoid homes heated with gas or oil entirely?

Can an old home (including an historic home) be remediated and remodeled so that it is safe for a person with MCS? Do I need to worry about the wood floors and other woodwork such as moldings and banisters being contaminated with the residue from wood burning fireplaces and oil heat? Can any residues and odors be removed during a remodel? Can fireplaces be made tolerable if they are cleaned and then not used again?

Thank you,

Tracy

Debra’s Answer

I personally have never made a point to avoid houses that have used gas or oil heat in the past. In fact, the house I live in now used to have an oil heater.

I have remodeled several older homes and contamination from heat and fireplaces hasn’t been a problem for me.

Thinking about it now, gas and oil heat give off combustion by-products, which is not the same as cigarette smoke, which does contaminate a house and is difficult to remove. Combustion by-products are very volatile gasses that dissipate, where as smoke contains many particles that can stick to walls and other surfaces.

I doubt there would be any residues to be concerned about.

Old houses, do however, often have mold and paint often contains lead. Lead in paint, however does not outgas, and can be easily encapsulated by painting over it with a fresh coat of paint. You do need to be careful, however, when sanding paint that contains lead, and make sure any mold problems can be remediated before purchasing the house.

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Question from vta canary

Does anyone know a good unscented eye mask? I would like to find a good non-toxic eye mask for sleeping. I can not tolerate most of the fragrances that are in normal eye masks (ie lavender) The street light coming in my bedroom is bright and I really need a good nights sleep.

Debra’s Answer

Here’s one: Indigo Spring Eye Pillow. It’s made from 100% cotton, but I can’t vouch for the toxicity of the cotton. But take a look at it. I appears to be several layers of dark cotton with elastic straps. Seems like a simple enough thing to make yourself.

I have a silk eye pillow filled with flax seeds and lavender. The lavender doesn’t bother me, but I understand you do not do well with it. However, many companies that make flax eye pillows do offer them without the fragrant herbs. Here is one: Flax Eye Pillow. Again, it’s simple enough to just make a bag of whatever soft fabric you like and fill it with flax seeds.

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Question from Susan50

Hello Debra and folks: I am in the process of doing a renovation to my bedroom which is a basement bedroom that became moldy and unusable after water got in the home. I live in Vancouver, BC, Canada and am looking for building materials that will not annoy my MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivies) I have got the construction guys to put up the new drywall walls, and it is time to lay down the subfloor. These guys say they can not lay a wood subfloor directly on the concrete due to potential moisture/mold future issues. The subfloor they like is a clicking technology, with plastice egg carton type bottom and a particle board top. With my MCS being so severe I have issues with the offgassing from anything non natural. So, I am unsure what to do……they say a wood subfloor is bad on a concrete basement floor, and I say I need zero offgassing. I wonder if I put natural pine flooring on top of the plastic subfloor if that would hide the offgassing? Can anyone help with this? Thanks! Susan

Debra’s Answer

First, particleboard WILL offgas formaldehyde and pine flooring WILL NOT block the formaldehyde.

I have often laid wood flooring right on cement slab (the floor I am sitting on right now if laid directly on the concrete, however, if there are moisture problems with the concrete slab that’s not a good idea.

I would be inclined to solve the moisture problem with the concrete as you shouldn’t have a floor on top of damp concrete anyway. And they lay whatever you want right on top.

Readers, any other ideas about this?

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Question from petercsantoro@yahoo.com

I purée foods for my infant and discovered the Beaba Baby food freezer tray to store small portions in the freezer. The tray is made of silicone, and I am wondering how safe is silicone to store my baby’s food. Does it leach? Is it better than plastic? I have some Pirex glass bowls that I use also, but like the small, convenient size of the silicone trays. Which is best? Should I just stick with glass? Also, is a silicone steamer safe, or is there a better option for a steamer? Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

There’s a big discussion of silicone at Q&A: Is Silicone Cookware Safe?.

With regards to using it for baby food, I’ll just say that there is always the possibility of leaching of unknown substances, glass is always considered the safest, and with babies it’s always prudent to choose the safest option.

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