Question from Gina

I am snowed in today and had the chance to look over your site more in-depth. Thanks for the section on how you live! I found it exciting and helpful to see that it can be done in a conventional house! I’m especially excited about the wool bedding and the copper cookware. I’m just starting to think about buying a new set and had been considering stainless steel until I read what you said about copper.

My question is about the tin coating on the Ruffoni. I called my father when I read about it and he said that it would oxidize. (“think of what happens to a tin can.”) Since you actually use it, I wondered if you could tell me if that is the case and what you do to prevent/deal with it.

Also, just fyi, I did a search on the Ruffoni cookware and found several sites that have pretty good pricing. Ruffoni’s own site is offering the 10 piece set on sale for 1400 something (normally 1700 something) and I found it at buycoppercookware.com for 1095. That’s a considerable discount. I’m not sure how that compares to Williams Sonoma, but I didn’t see a full cookware set on their site.

Debra’s Answer

Your post was very timely, as I was just about to add a comment to My New Cookware regarding my Ruffoni pots.

Before I purchased this cookware, I read an article which said there were two types of copper pots–a heavier pot for cooking and a lighter weight pot that is mainly used for serving.

Williams-Sonoma does have a full set of Mauviel copper cookware, but not Ruffoni. Mauviel is very heavy, which is why I didn’t buy that one. The Ruffoni is much easier to handle.

Prior to puchasing the Ruffoni, I asked the salesperson about the tin lining. They said it would last about five years and then need to be retinned.

Well…that was not the case. I’ve had my two Ruffoni tin-lined pots five months and already the tin was wearing through to where we could see the copper. Just last week we took the pots back to Williams-Sonoma and they exchanged both pots for new ones.

We learned a few things about these pots. You need to cook only over medium heat, You need to remove the food immediately, so you can’t store food in it in the refrigerator. Once you are done cooking, you actually need to wash the pot immediately because even one piece of vegetable will begin to wear away the tin.

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Question from gayle

We recently purchased an older home (built in the 1940’s) The bathtub seems to be enclosed by a “liner”. It looks/feels like some type of plastic. Since the original tub probably carries lead, does this “liner” make it safe?? How can we tell??

Thanks so much.

Gayle

Debra’s Answer

A number of websites that sell bathtub liners say that such a liner will encapsulate the lead that may be leaching from your bathtub (more than half of all porcelain bathtubs made before 1974 leach lead, which can be absorbed through your skin when you take a bath).

Since you already have an existing liner, it may be made from either PVC vinyl or acrylic. PVC being the more toxic of the two.

You can tell for sure if lead is coming through the liner (or if you need to be concerned about lead in your bathtub) by using a lead test kit, such as Lead Check.

If you need to encapsulate the lead in your bathtub, look into refinishing your tub as it will encapsulate lead as well. Both liners and refinishing are pretty toxic to install. I think refinishing would be less toxic after installation.

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Question from jal333

Have you heard of Children’s Orchard stores? We pay cash or store value added credits for kids clothes, toys, furniture sizes 0 through 10. We encourage parents to recycle back with us. If clothes are worn we donate them or send them to recycling centers. We work diligently to give back to the community, work with not for profits, elementary schools, PTA’s, OB/GYNs. We are not 100% green, but doing whatever we can. It’s amazing the wonderful items we have that people bring to us for resale.

This is a small, national family-owned franchise and been in business over 30 years.

Debra’s Answer

Sounds like a great way to participate in recycling.

Readers, remember when we recycle by using an already existing item again, it saves even more resources than when we recycle by coverting the product material to a new product. It’s always a good idea to use an existing item through to the end of it’s useful life before sending it’s material back into the system.

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Question from kt

Hi,

Does anyone know of a source of upholsterers that work with natural or organic stuffing and fabric? I have several old pieces I’d like to get redone, but not with the toxic materials normally available.

Thanks!

kt

Debra’s Answer

I was going to suggest trying one of the custom furniture makers on Debra’s List, however, shipping is expensive and you would need to ship your items there and back.

I’ve had good success with finding local upholsterers who will recover according to my specifications. First, I make sure there is no smoking in the workroom and no pesticide spraying (visit to make sure). Then I get the materials myself and provide them. Ask them for an estimate for “COG”, which is customer’s-own-goods.

About ten years ago I had a sofa and wing chair reupholstered. I chose a 100% linen fabric for one and 100% cotton for the other. Neither fabric had any finishes, but I prewashed both. And I got wool batting for the stuffing.

Both pieces turned out beautifully and still look like new.

I found this upholsterer by asking people I knew. I asked for someone who did good work. And I found just the right person.

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Question from Mary

I have been reading you for years (bought your book, and read Natural Home mag). I stumbled on your web site today while searching unsuccessfully for info on these questions. Perhaps you would find them interesting enough to answer?

I have a wonderful old cast iron clawfoot tub bought from a salvage yard. Much of the original smooth porcelain finish is worn away, and it’s become quite stained. I can’t afford the commercial refinisher (besides, how “green” is that process?). There is a “porcelain restoration kit” I’ve seen at a hardware store and on web, but it looks really toxic, and the rebonding agent doesn’t look all that durable. Since I have a graywater system that recycles used water to my garden, I’m very picky about what goes down the drain. I’ve tried hydrogen peroxide to no avail. Any suggestions to nontoxically clean and/or refinish the surface?

Similarly, I rescued from a house remodel an old kitchen stove from the 40s, very cute. The top porcelain is quite stained from 60 years of cooking. Basic baking soda hasn’t touched the deep stains. Any nontoxic way to clean this, and keep it from re-staining?

Debra’s Answer

Good questions! Readers?

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Yesterday I found a wonderful olive oil that tastes very much like butter. This is the natural flavor of the oil–there are no flavorings added of any kind. I made my scrambled eggs with it this morning and they tasted even better than with butter!

Though it’s not organically grown, I thought I’d let you know about it for all of you who love the taste of butter but would rather eat a plant-based oil.

It’s available in a store here in Florida called Cork and Olive. Currently their website isn’t set up for online ordering (www.corkandolive.com) and the chain of stores is only in Florida, but if you’d like to order some, you can email Regina at r.dodd@corkandolive.com. Tell her you read it in my blog and ask for Alia d’Morocco.