Question from Annette Tweedel

Hi Debra,

I have tried looking for the water-based ink markers and cannot find them. What are they supposed to look like and are there different name brands? What does the package look like? The only markers we have are the toxic ones.

Debra’s Answer

There are different name brands and they depend on what kind of markers you are looking for. Crayola and Prang water-based markers for children are sold at drug and discount stores everywhere.

I have some fine-point Pentel Color Pens. The link I gave here is to a set sold at Staples, but I can often buy them individually at art supply stores.

My favorite water-based writing pen is Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball, which you can get at any office supply store like Staples or Office Depot.

When looking for art materials, look for the CP Nontoxic or AP Nontoxic seal. This indicates that the product has been reviewed by the Arts and Crafts Materials Institute and found to be nontoxic. Search their list of approved products at http://www.acminet.org/CPListSearch.html.

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Question from TerryAnn

Being the dog lover that I am, I want to post this article about recent EPA reports regarding the harmful nature of topical pet flea treatments. Here is the link:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35914331/ns/health-pet_health/

When you are putting one of these flea treatments on your pet, you are exposing him to pesticides!!! Your vet may tell you it is safe, but here we are many years into doing it, and the EPA is discovering it may be dangerous to their wellbeing. There are safer alternatives, perhaps a bit more effort, but in my opinion there is no amount of effort that is too much for my beloved pets.

Thank you Debra for providing a place for things like this.

Terry

Debra’s Answer

You’re welcome. Thank YOU for posting. 🙂

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Question from vertemaman

Hello Debra ! I have a few 100% wool blankets from Ayers in Quebec that I inherited a long time ago that date back to the 50’s or 60’s. The tag says: Moth proof. I really loved these blankets as it is so hard nowadays to get such heavy and warm wool blankets (or if you do, you might have to pay 300$). Do you think they are still toxic, even after 50+ years to have in our home ?

thank you,

Debra’s Answer

I found a link that answers your question: http://knitting.about.com/od/yarn/f/mothproof.htm.

To paraphrase, it says the chemical used to mothproof wool is Mitin FF, which is added to the yarn in the dye bath. It adheres to the yarn in a similar way as the dye does. So, like dye, the chemical will not rub off or wash off in normal cleaning or dry cleaning. Mitin FF is a pesticide that works by killing the moth larvae when they ingest and digest the wool protein. So it doesn’t prevent moth larvae from eating your wool 100%, but it does stop them from doing a lot of damage.

Mitin FF has been used as a pesticide in the United States since 1948 and is used exclusively for mothproofing wool. It is considered to be “low to moderately toxic” and to have “low mammalian toxicity.”

I would venture to assume that your blankets are mothproofed with Mitin FF. Given that it was not very toxic to begin with, I would say there is little, if any, danger now.

Yesterday I had lunch with my friend Gloria and she ordered tea. It was Mighty Tea brand, and the tea came in one of those “silken” tea bags.

“What is this tea bag made of?” she asked. I didn’t know. But I found out this morning.

They are made of cornstarch. And they are 100% biodegradable.

Turns out that Mighty Tea originated those silken tea bags some years ago. While many other brands now use the silken bags, some use glue or staples to seal their bags while the Mighty Leaf pouches are stitched with an unbleached cotton string.

You can read more about the pouches at green and biodegradable packaging, and while you are there, check out their many organic teas.