Question from Carinika

I recently had a new hot water tank installed and every time I run the hot water whether I run it very hot or lukewarm I smell a kind of metallic burning odor in the air and also on my dishes after rinsing them in the hot water. The plumber did add some copper pipes and used solder on the joints. I’m wondering if the smell could be lead related?! The water temperature is set at factory default which is 140 degree F. Any opinions, comments and experiences would be appreciated. I suffer from MCS and am very disturbed by this. I’m concerned about showering or bathing in the water. Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

Readers?

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Question from Cheryl3

Debra, I know you’re a proponent of glass. Is all glass nontoxic? Maybe Pyrex makes some? Assuming there are heat resistant glass mugs, are all glass mugs a safe option for coffee, tea soup etc. or do I need to know anything else about the glass before I buy? What about a glass kettle does one exist? Thanks again.

Debra’s Answer

I consider all glass to be nontoxic, except for lead crystal, which contains lead that can leach into the beverage. Even colored glass is OK (see Q&A: Colored Glass).

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Question from Cheryl3

Our cat of 15 1/2 years died last year and we were heart broken to watch him suffer. I am beginning to be ready for a new kitty but want to provide as healthy an atmosphere as possible. In New York we never used heartworm prevention, but here in Florida all the vets we’ve spoken to insist it is a must, even though our cats would never go outdoors except on our screened lanai. However, heartworms live all year here. They say mosquitoes could come in on our backs (which is possible) or get into the lanai ( I’ve never seen one inside the lanai although I’ve seen other bugs that bite sneak in there.) We don’t want to use these products (like Revolution, Advantage etc. ) because they are, I believe, very similar to pesticides. Does anyone know if there are healthy, effective heartworm prevention alternatives? Or do other Florida residents opt out of these? If so, how has it worked over the long haul? Thanks for your help.

Debra’s Answer

Florida readers, what is your experience? We had a cat here in Florida that we brought from California. She died of old age. We didn’t do anything for heartworm.

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Question from Cheryl3

I just realized that Klean Kanteen is made with surgical steel. So does that mean it won’t leach metals even in hot Reverse Osmosis water?

Debra’s Answer

Surgical steel leaches less than regular stainless steel, but any “empty” water, such as distilled water or reverse osmosis will pull molecules from any material, including surgical stainless steel.

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Question from Lisa

We are preparing to move into a new home which we have carefully designed to safe for our family with MCS. I’ve begun looking for options for lining the cabinets, drawers and shelves safely. I’m certain conventional contact paper is out of the question. My own brainstorming has come up with the short list of unbleached wax paper (but I fear it will slide around and tear easily) or Natural cork tiles (which is very expensive and I will need to verify with the manufacturer that they haven’t been green washed). Any other suggestions or ideas that you have would be GREATLY appreciated!

Debra’s Answer

Readers, what do you use? I personally do not use shelf paper. In the old days, before contact paper, everyone used plain paper on their shelves, and held it down with tacks in the corner. My shelves are painted, and I leave them bare so they are easy to clean.

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Question from Angela

I’m curious why you don’t use any cast iron??? 🙂

Secondly, the white porcelain you have…I’m confused on porcelains and glazed stonewares. What’s the difference?

Do you verify the glazes are safe? I’m curious because I’m in the process of revamping our fam’s cookware…we have some Corningware French White Stoneware that looks like yours pictured…it’s glazed. How does one know when to question the glaze used, or not?

The same with those Corningware Mugs that come with the “white collection”…they are glazed stoneware as well.

Confused-

Debra’s Answer

I have nothing against cast iron, I think it’s great. I’ve used it in the past and may use it again. This is just what I have at the moment.

The Corningware I have is a material called “pyroceramic” which is part glass and part ceramic. It does have a glaze that “meets the California requirements” according to the Customer Service representative. That’s the legal thing they have to say.

I doubt there is any lead in these glazes. I haven’t personally tested them, but Corning said they have been testing their products for years for lead and they have always been less than the California requirement.

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Question from Camille

I found you by Googling “mineral oil, is it safe?” Here’s why I ask: I am in my 60s and was perscribed a vaginal lubricant by my gyno….Having read the ingredients, it contains mineral oil. Yikes. I thought I remembered hearing that mineral oil is not that great for you so putting it there, well, thought I’d better check around first.

Looks like you might know something…..What do you say?

Debra’s Answer

I’m not a big fan of mineral oil. It’s made from petrochemicals and comes in different grades. I personally wouldn’t use it a vaginal lubricant as mineral oil has a tendancy to dry out the skin.

Did you read the post Mineral Oil–Is it Safe and Natural?. Lots of info there.

Also, there are lots of natural lubricants recommended at Lubricating Jelly.

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Question from Donna L

I was wondering if you’re familiar with Anji Mountain Bamboo rugs? I’m interested in one of their shag rugs and understand that the fiber is bamboo and cotton and that they use “non-toxic” dyes. However, I’m concerned about the backing and glue (particularly if there is any formaldehyde) that they use, as I can’t find any information on either. Thank you so much for your help with this and all the other great info on your site.

Debra’s Answer

From looking at the site, it looks to me like these rugs have no backing. If they are using natural fibers and nontoxic dyes, it’s likely there are no toxic elements. However, I would call the website and just double-check this with them (and then leave a comment here and let us know).

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Question from mikkiv

I love the Norwex microfiber and am interested in trying some their other products.

I don’t see any listing of ingredients on their website.

They say all natural and biodegradable but I would still like to know what is in them

before I buy any. Can you help me? Have you ever looked into them?

Thanks, Michele

Debra’s Answer

Yes, I did look into them and couldn’t find any ingredients. So I can’t give an opinion.

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Question from L. L.

I’ve been seeing advertisements for Raid®’s new Earth Options insecticides. The label says the active ingredients are plant-based, but are they really safe to use?

Debra’s Answer

I contacted the manufacturer, S. C. Johnson and Sons, for the Material Safety Data Sheets for these products. They faxed them to me, along with a letter stating that they could only be used “for the purpose of safety and health evaluations by your company” and “any other use is expressly prohibited.” So I can’t tell you what the MSDS sheets say, but you can ask for your own copy, if you want to.

So I went to my local supermarket to see what it said on the label. All of the same active ingredients were listed–there was nothing on the MSDS that wasn’t on the label.

The active ingredients are eugenol and 2-phenethyl propionate. Eugenol is more commonly known as clove oil and gives the product it’s natural clove scent. It is used in many food flavorings and perfumes as well as in industrial applications. 2-phenethyl propionate is a synthetic flavoring agent made from coal tar that is on the FDA list of additives that are permitted to be added to food for human consumption.

These active ingredients are commonly used in other eco-friendly insecticide products. The critical difference between R

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