Art | Resources
Garden bark dust and MCS
Question from tsim
My wife has extreme MCS, and is bothered by the dark red bark that a lot of people use. Is there a “safer” or “better” bark that we could suggest for our neighbors?
Debra’s Answer
Readers, any suggestions?
Air Conditioner Air Handler Mastik Problems
Question from Angelique
I should start by saying that I live in Phoenix, and it’s the summertime. Yesterday, the day they installed our new air conditioner/heat pump compressor and air handler, it was 112.
Debra – Do you have any advice for new air handler mastik fumes? Or do you know if new air handlers/ac units/heat pumps give off gluey/sealant-y/paint-y odors? (I really think we have a mastik problem.)
I thought I knew what getting a new air handler entailed – I handed the guys Gorilla Glue for the PVC pipe, told them to use my vaccum and rags to clean the closet and unit, and had them remove the felt lining from a section of the handler. (They said that the felt was useless for interior use, anyway; interior parts of the handler don’t need it.)
But I didn’t know that they use a type of mastik to seal the place where the handler meets our ducts! For all I know, the product they used was “low voc”; it actually didn’t have a strong odor, but the fumes give me headaches, and they are still lingering after 24 hours. (I am staying in the other part of the house, which has a different HVAC system. I have a safe place to sleep, but I can’t get into the kitchen.)
After they installed it, they tested it with heat and cold, then we ran it with AC and all the doors open (I know!) for thirty minutes. Then they left, and I put it on fan only with all the windows and doors open for hours. They said that air moving through the system would dry the mastik – skim dry in a few hours and totally dry in 24. I also know that heat helps things off-gas.
Since then the doors were shut and the AC has been on except for a short time this morning when I had everything open. (If the AC isn’t on on that side, the other side of the house has trouble cooling.)
Debra’s Answer
My husband says you are doing exactly the right thing, so continue until the odor bakes out.
Crescent Moon Duvet & Pillow Company
Handcrafted 100% organic duvets, mattress pads and pillows, covered with cotton and filled with soft alpaca wool (70% alpaca with 30% sheep’s wool to hold it all together). Alpaca is “warmer, stronger, lighter and cleaner than sheep’s wool…There are no chemicals, dyes or bleaches used when the wool is processed. Our materials are natural, renewable resources that do not pose a threat to the environment.”
Crayon Rocks
Charming nontoxic soy wax crayons in beautiful colors, made in the shape of pebbles. Slight indentations allow small fingers to color in large, wide strokes. Designed to strengthen the tripod drip muscles, preparing fingers and hands for pen and pencil use. Specially designed to help children with fine motor disorders to improve their tripod grip. I really like these colors and the fact that that the pebble shape allows you to fill areas with color in fine or bold strokes. Much more versatile artistically than a stick crayon and they feel natural in your hand.
Bon Ami
Bon Ami Cleanser has been a mainstay nontoxic product since 1885. This was the first nontoxic cleaning product I used. Today they have the original 1886 formula of plain feldspar and soap, the modern Powder with limestone, feldspar, biodegradable cleaning agents, soda ash and baking soda. AND they now have new Dish Soap, All Purpose Cleaner and a Liquid Cleanser, all of which I love. Can be used to clean almost any surface–“hasn’t scratched yet!” You find a store near you on the website or order online.
Coyuchi
Percale, damask, sateen, and flannel bed linens made from organically-grown cotton, in a variety of colors and patterns. ”Every fiber of cotton we use is produced in accordance with the standards set forth by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM)…All our organic cotton is grown in India by family farmers organized in cooperatives. We willingly pay premium prices to these small-scale growers for their organic cotton fiber because this encourages organic practices that protect not only the environment, but the farmers, their families, and their communities from exposure to toxic agricultural chemicals. Also, by purchasing their cotton at a better price per kilo, we help support local and economically sustainable production.”
Cowgirl Creamery
Award-winning artisinal cheeses made in Pt. Reyes, California, from local organic milk and cream. When I used to live down the road from Pt. Reyes, I would go to this creamery and buy fresh cheese–mmmmmmmm!–and I’ve been to the farm where they get their milk. Now they have expanded with a store in San Francisco and one in Washington DC, and carry organic and artisinal cheeses from all over the world. On their website they also have a comprehensive “Cheese Library” with pictures of each variety and descriptions which include wine pairings, which you can search by milk type, country, raw or pasturized, and even cheesemaker!
Country Save Laundry Products
This affordable laundry detergent provides a safe, gentle wash without the use of dyes, fragrance, phosphates, enzymes, optical brightners or harsh chemicals (powdered is unscented; liquid has a slight fragrance). Suitable for those with sensitive skin problems and for baby clothes. Carton is made from recycled paper with a substantial amount of content being post-consumer material. Inner poly bag made from 100% recycled plastic resins. Plastic measuring scoop is 100% post consumer recycled plastic such as milk bottles, 5-gallon pails and water jugs.
Country Curtains
Cotton curtains in many styles and colors, with matching fabric yardage. Now at Vermont Country Store.
The Cottage Stillroom & Candle Factory
Solid beeswax tapers made in various sizes and a whole rainbow of colors. Made using the centuries-old French craft of hand-pouring beeswax into tin "tube and funnel" moulds.
