Question from Lauren

Hi Debra,

Thank you so much for your website. I have learned so much from it and I really appreciate the time you put into answering readers’ questions and conducting research.

I know from reading your site that clothes that are cotton/poly blends are treated with formaldehyde, and so I try to stick to 100% cotton clothing for myself and my family.

However, I realized that some of the clothing (like pajamas with “satin” trim) say 100% cotton exclusive of decoration. If the decoration, such as the embroidery, the trim, or in some clothing the drawstring made of ribbon, is polyester but the rest of the garment is cotton, would this item still be treated with formaldehyde?

Also, what about 100% cotton items that are sewn with polyester thread (and how do you know if something is sewn with polyester thread?) are they also treated?

Finally, I am also curious about buttons—we have lots of clothing with buttons and they are all plastic—-is the plastic in buttons harmful (like possibly containing BPA)?

Debra’s Answer

Cotton poly fabrics are treated with a formaldehyde resin to keep them wrinkle-free, however those “decorations” probably aren’t even if they are made from polyester. As far as I know, it’s only the fabric.

Polyester thread would not be treated with formaldehyde as far as I know. Most cotton clothing is sewn with polyester thread because cotton thread breaks too easily. But there are some manufacturers who sew with cotton thread. For myself, I don’t reject an item of clothing over polyester thread.

Buttons are made from many different types of plastic, but I’ve never seen a button I thought was toxic. You are exposed to more BPA handling cash register receipts than you are from buttons.

I wouldn’t be concerned about any of these items as being a source of toxic exposure. However, some people with MCS may react to them because they are made from petrochemicals.

Add Comment

Question from Debbie

Thank you Debra, for all that you do to help all of us. I sure do appreciate all the help you give.

We had our shower torn out due to mold and are trying to decide on what to rebuild it with. Fiberglass, acrylic, or vinyl is out.

Cultured marble seems easy to clean and there are no grout lines to have to seal yearly and clean with a toothbursh. Having had mold, a solid, non-pourous surface like that makes sense.

However, I am chemically sensitive and am wondering if taking a shower with cultured marble and breathing the steam from the hot water would cause problems?

Please help me as we need to make a decision very soon. Thank you, Debbie

Debra’s Answer

I looked up “cultured marble” to find out what it is actually made from and found that it falls into a category called “solid surface.”

A few years ago I did some research on solid surface products and found that they varied widely in toxicity.

Corian, for example, may emit methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate vapors, according to their MSDS.

On the other hand, Swanstone, another solid surface countertop, is completely inert, no VOCs, and OSHA does not even require any kind of protection for workers in their factories. It’s certified safe for food preparation. It’s also compression molded to be five times stronger than Corian. So you need to look at each brand individually.

I think if you want a solid surface, Swanstone would be a good choice.

Add Comment

Question from RedondoSun

Hello! I am getting ready to purchase a comforter from White Lotus Home and wanted some advice. I see their wool is not organic, but 100% virgin wool. Is there a difference? Or shall I go for the organic cotton comforter to be safe? Thank you always, Debra!

Debra’s Answer

Actually White Lotus Home DOES have organic wool. So you could choose from their organic wool or organic cotton comforter. I have a wool comforter and I love it!

I asked White Lotus Home President Marlon Pando to respond about the wool. Here is his reply:

Add Comment

Question from Kathy

I am looking to buy stainless steel drink ware, including straws, to use for both hot and cold beverages. My thoughts conflict on nickle content vs environmental responsibility. Comments?

Debra’s Answer

As a rule I don’t recommend stainless steel anything if there is another alternative, both because of heavy metals that can leach into food and beverages from the stainless steel but also because of the environmental effects of producing steel. Yes, much steel today is recycled, which lessens the impact, but it still requires mining of metals and heavy industrial processes.

I’m not sure what environmental responsibility you are referring to exactly, or what use you have that requires unbreakable drinkware and straws.

Is your question the health effects of nickel from stainless steel straws versus the environmental impact of throwing away numerous plastic straws?

First I would question if straws need to be used at all. I rarely use straws. I have some reusable glass straws, but since I rarely use straws, they rarely get used. If you need a reusable straw, these glass straws would be much better from a health viewpoint than stainless steel, and better for the environment in terms of manufacturing as well. Glass straws may seem fragile, but they are actually quite heavy-duty and well made.

If you really want to use stainless steel straws there probably would be little problem with nickel. In order for a metal to leach into a beverage, there needs to be a factor of time present, and a beverage whooshing through the straw for less than a second is hardly enough time for leaching. What would be more important would be the time the straw is sitting in the glass or the time your lips are on the straw. And then with stainless steel drinkware, the length of time the beverage is in the glass.

Add Comment

Question from Peru Lover

Does anyone know what kind of varnish they use on soapstone carvings from Peru and how toxic it is?

I want to buy a cute mini animal sculpture but it’s awfully shiny. Seller is in the USA and doesn’t know. Assuming it’s old enough and is done off-gassing, would this be a liver-toxic chemical? (I have liver disease which I think is the cause of my MCS).

I Googled and can’t find anything further than “varnish” or “butcher’s varnish” and “wax”. On Google images, unvarnished soapstone is definitely dull and this shines all over.

Is it possible to strip the varnish at all with like vinegar&baking soda? Anyway any input will be much welcome, sorry if it’s a silly question, I know I should shop safe sellers but it’s just something inexpensive I found and well I kinda fell in love with 2 of them. Thank you so much!

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know anything about this. “Varnish” and “wax” are two very different things and could have varying degrees of toxicity, from very to not at all.

When I am uncertain about the toxicity of something, I avoid the exposure.

Add Comment

Question from Angelique

My husband took a new job at a company that uses a lot of auto-spray air “fresheners” in certain areas of the building. There was one in his office, but thankfully he was able to remove that.

He talked to HR, because he knows that they have a “no fragrance” policy, and if they’re worried about harming employees with fragrances, he wondered why they weren’t worried about harming them with air “fresheners.”

It turns out that the building is old and has poor ventilation, and some areas just get stale, stuffy and smelly, which is why they use the auto sprays. They told him to ask me what they could do instead of spray air fresheners. I asked him if they were trying to cover the odor of bodies, mold or something else, but he doesn’t know.

I’d love to talk to HR myself, but he’s brand new there and I don’t know if he wants me to ask them a bunch of questions. At least we have on opportunity to change the situation. Since it doesn’t sound like they’re about to improve the ventilation, I need suggestions!

Obviously I’m going to suggest air purifiers. But I know from experience that even the best purifiers — because I own $1500 Aller Airs — don’t get rid of all the odors an old building can produce. I’ve even thought of gentle fans, which help circulate stale air.

What natural, non-chemical thing would make a stuffy room seem less stuffy?

Debra’s Answer

Zeolite works very well for passive odor control, as it simply absorbs odors. Here’s a page with more information and some zeolite products: http://www.refreshinglyfree.com/Online-Catalog/Zeolite-Odor-and-Moisture-Control-Products

Also, talk to Daliya at Nirvana Safe Haven. She has a number of options for removing scents and odors.

Add Comment

Question from Deanna

I’m in search of a safe at home enema kit for my family.

I have narrowed it down to silicone or stainles steel bucket kits.

I called and spoke with the owner of optimalhealthnetwork.com— she said that their SS is the 300 series and is “coated with chrome containing oxide so that it does not leach metals into the enema fluid”. I knew that if SS is scratched it can leach so I dug in again and found your post on SS that goes into the details of this.

My question is, if we were to use sterilized water with an added powdered probiotic & kept care to not scratch the bucket, would this SS be a safe non toxic option for my family? The only other additives I would use may be coffee, plain chamomile tea or 24 hr yogurt.

With these I wonder if I should worry about leaching, even if it is not scratched.

My first thought was to just get silicone but it is sometimes hard to clean – the stains should be fine but it can get linty.

Debra’s Answer

It sounds like the manufacturer has done everything possible to make the stainless steel bucket as safe as possible. I would say there would be minimum leaching. It sounds like you would prefer the stainless steel.

My rule of thumb is to always do the least toxic thing, but then I balance it out by the benefits also. There may be a very large health benefit to doing enemas, and a very small toxic exposure.

We live in a world where toxic chemicals are all around. We cannot achieve zero toxic exposure. But reducing our toxic exposure in our homes and the toxic load in our bodies can greatly improve our health.

I personally don’t know of a better option, but my readers might have some suggestions. Readers?

Add Comment

Question from Mattress Mama

Dear Debra, I would like to replace several coil spring mattresses at once , so cost is a big issue.

I have been looking at White Lotus Home and am deciding between the Green Cotton Mattress wrapped in wool with a non organic fabric cover and the Organic Cotton Mattress wrapped in wool.

The Organic Cotton version is double the price of the Green version so I was going to go with Green.

However you said in another post … “There are few, if any, pesticide residues in non-organic cotton FABRIC. This has been laboratory tested. However, there are pesticide residues in non-organic cotton BATTING. The processing of the cotton into fabric removes most, if not all, of the pesticides. The problem with pesticides on cotton is that they do go into the environment, where they pollute the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil our food is grown in”

Isn’t cotton BATTING what makes up the core of the Green Cotton Mattress? What is a budget minded mom to do? Please advise. Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

Yes, cotton batting does make up the core of the Green Cotton Mattress, but it is a better choice than a synthetic mattress that is made from toxic materials and fire retardants.

You could ask them to make a mattress with non organic fabric and organic fill. That would reduce the price and still no pesticides.

I’m going to say something that I say a lot but it pertains here. Remember we live in a toxic world. What we are trying to do is REDUCE our toxic exposures because we cannot eliminate them entirely. So if you can’t afford all organic, do what you can afford. It will make a difference.

Or see if you can reduce your expenses on other items so you can buy the organic mattress. Or figure out how to get some extra money.

I always keep in mind that whatever I spend on eliminating toxics now will be fewer medical bills in the future. When I compare the cost of an organic bed now against the financial and personal cost of cancer in the future, I do what I need to do to get the money together.

Over the holidays I found I needed some money to make up for the holiday slump in my business and I just wrote emails to everyone I know locally and asked if they needed any help for the holidays. And the result was that I made a new friend and am helping him start a new business, while at the same time learning new marketing skills that are helping me in my business.

Add Comment

Question from Mickie

Hi, I am looking for a non toxic hair color to color grey hair, I was wondering if you have heard of Apivita Hair Color, or if you can suggest something else. Thanks, Mickie

Debra’s Answer

This product looks good to me. Let us know how you like it after you try it.

Other suggestions are on various blog posts and Debra’s List. Just type “hair color” into the site search box.

Add Comment