Art |Â Resources
Drain Pipe Repair
Question from yellowflowers
We have a 3-4″ PVC drain pipe under our house that has come apart. With research, the only choice that I believe we have is to use toxic PVC Cement to glue it back together. I can’t seem to find any concrete information about how long it will take it completely cure and stop off-gassing. We plan to take the oppportunity to get out of the house for a while once it is glued… but how long should we (including a small child) avoid the area?
Debra’s Answer
The solvents in PVC cement are very volatile and should evaporate fairly quickly. Exactly how long it takes depends on the amount of heat and airflow.
Heat will make the cement outgas faster, an exhaust fan will help remove fumes from the area.
I suggest contacting the manufacturer to find out how long it takes to completely cure. They should have that information.
Most Canned Foods Are Tainted With BPA — Even Organic
A new study shows that BPA was detected in 92% of canned foods tested.
Canned food companies claim that BPA is safe and necessary to protect food from metal corrosion and bacterial contamination. But hundreds of scientific studies show health effects from even low exposures to BPA, including cancer, abnormal behavior, diabetes, heart disease, infertility, developmental and reproductie harm, obesity, and early puberty.
This excellent study gives detailed information on health effects of BPA, where it is found in canned foods, and how much expsoure to BPA you can actually get from eating canned foods over the course of a day. Remember too, many restaurants and take-out places use a lot of canned foods–perhaps even more than you would use at home.
The solution here is to choose packaged foods in glass jars and make your own meals from fresh organic ingredients.
No Silver Lining: An Investigation into Bisphenol A in Canned Foods
Body of Grace
Low prices on thousands of natural and organic bodycare products. Shop by category or search for your favorite brand names.
Blueberry Forest Toys
A large selection of natural toys, including games, magical home decor, musical instruments, dolls, play silks and silk costumes, kitchen and grocery store play, wooden toys, puzzles, Waldorf dolls, and a lot more.
Baby Blanket
Question from jojomamma
I know that organic or not, that 100% cotton is a safe material for a baby blanket…but do I need to worry about the dyes used?
What materials are ideal (softest and safest) for a baby blankie/lovie?
If any readers know of a safe one that has holes that my boy can puy his little fingers through (like the knitted ones) i would greatly appreciate any advice!
Thanks, Deanna
Debra’s Answer
Readers, what is your experience with choosing baby blankets?
I have MCS and need help to buy a new Bed please
Question from Susan50
Dear Friends:
I have severe MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) and mild arthitis and need some help to buy a new bed please!
I am located in Vancouver, BC, Canada and I ordered and love the Home Safe Home book of Debra’s (thanks Debra!)
My current bed has to be thrown out as I discovered mold under the mattress.
I have narrowed my choices down to the following by researching Debra’s website.
Choice #1 – The Organic Dream Bed from Dream Designs www.dreamdesigns.ca. This is a organic bed made of organic cotton batting in wool wrap with 3 layers of hypoallerginic polyurethane foam. The mattress will sit on a wood slat bed which I will purchase too from them.
Debra’s Answer
I strongly suggest that you do Choice #2 as I can’t recommend that you buy a mattress that contains polyurethane foam.
Your skin will not be in contact with the wool. I have this mattress and I don’t like to wear wool, and I have no problem with the mattress. They can also send you samples of the wool before you buy.
These wool mattresses are not as soft as a latex or polyurethane foam mattress, but both my husband and I find it very comfortable. We have, I think, three wool toppers on top of the mattress itself, which makes it softer. Neither of us have arthritis. I would still go for this mattress and put things on top to make it comfortable for your arthritis.
Birch Hill Happenings
Unscented “Ecological Dish Soap” can also be used for laundry. “Contains washing agents made only from vegetable oils. Contains anti-irritants and is pH balanced to protect the skin. It is completely biodegradable. No phosphates, no builders, no inorganic additives, no benzene sulphonates, no animal products, no skin irritants, no dyes or perfumes, and is not tested on animals.”
Lead in reverse osmosis spigot???
Question from Krissy
Debra,
We have well water with a reverse osmosis unit under our kitchen sink. I recently met a man who was working with the laws for testing lead in Nebraska. He said that currently there are problems with many of the spigots leaching large amounts of lead into the RO water. He is trying to change the testing procedures to just test the first small amount of water that is drawn from the spigot first thing in the morning rather than the normal testing of one literof water. He is worried that the one liter testing is diluting the lead levels. He said that the original spigots that come with the RO unit are not as bad; however, the replacement spigots that are often used to match other colors of kitchen faucets are sometimes showing up to ten times the allowable limit of lead. He is looking at real life use, as if you get a tiny amount of water for your child and the implications this can have on children. We do have a replacement spigot so I am really worried. I have contacted a state authorized lab for lead testing (in water). We will be testing our RO water (both a small and one liter sample size for testing), I’m just wondering if others have heard anyting about this? Does anyone know of a source for spigots that are lead free and safe from other contaminates, preferably manufactured in the USA?
Thanks!
Debra’s Answer
I wrote a post a couple of years ago about Lead-Free Water Faucets. I don’t know what the regulations are for replacement spigots, but the lead issues may be similar.
I suggest that you test the water coming out of your R/O unit for lead to be sure.
Carpenter Ant Tips
Question from LydiaCA
I live above a inaccessible crawl space. I had dozens of Carpenter ants crawling up my walls. I temporally sealed the perimeter of the space with plastic and put a hand towel soaked in peppermint, cedar and lavender essential oils into the space. Within two weeks the ants were gone and have not come back in the last four years.
I know it was peppermint but am not totally sure of which other oils I used with it. I had read on the net that unless you get the queen you cannot get rid of them but I did.
Also when travelling in Indonesia I moved into a little cabin with a bathroom full of cockroaches. Again I put a few dabs of an essential oil formula i had prepared for a book. I lived there for two weeks and never saw another one.
Hope this helps, LydiaCA
Debra’s Answer
Thanks! 🙂
PLU #’s that start with 3 or 5
Question from Ronn
Lately I’ve been seeing PLU numbers that start with 3 or 5, and I would like to know what those mean. I know that 4 is conventional produce, 9 is organic and 8 is genetically modified, but what do 3 and 5 mean? I’ve done a lot of searching online, but can’t seem to find the answer.
Debra’s Answer
I wasn’t able to find it either. Readers?
