Question from bev Rockey

I am really trying to do away with all my Teflon coated cooking pans. How harmful is the George Foreman Grill? I love mine.

Debra’s Answer

Personally, I don’t use any pot, pan, or appliance with a Teflon or other no-stick finish. There are different grades of Teflon, but it’s all still Teflon.

We all have to make decisions about what we are willing to use and what we aren’t willing to use. It’s a personal decision, based on health, budget, and various personal factors.

It took me a long time to give up my favorite shade of red lipstick. But ultimately, I’m happy I did.

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Question from CynthiaK

Hello,

We are thinking of buying a 1920 house that has fiberglass insulation haphazardly placed throughout the attic. My husband wants to have the the new air conditioning ducts installed there. I am afraid that the workers will track it through the house or worse yet, get it into the air ducts while assembling it.

Should I be concerned that the house and the air ducks could become contaminated and how high is the probability that it would get contaminated? Should we consider removing all the old insulation before installing the duct system? I can’t imagine that they would get it all out or possibly disperse more of the fibers in the living space while doing it.

I suggested to my husband that maybe we should just get a ductless system for upstairs and install the duck work in the basement for the first floor. The only problem with this is that it maybe cost prohibited and I won’t be able to have the air filtration system going through there either.

The attic door (walk in) is located in the second floor guest bedroom. The first floor will be our primary living and sleeping area.

I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and it is imperative that I have a healthy environment. Can you offer us some suggestions?

Debra’s Answer

I’m going to ask some experts to comment on this. Meanwhile, readers, what is your experience?

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Question from HAH

Hello….help,

Searching for a Natural Vitamin D3 (Cholcaliferol),encapsulated in Veggie Capsules or in Bovine Gelatin Capsules or if possible in Tablet form.

Not the synthetic version (Ergocalciferol)!

Really need your help!

Thanks,

HAH

Debra’s Answer

Readers? Anyone know where to get this?

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Question from stacy

I always worry that the polycarbonate plastic is leaching into the hot food that I put into the food processor. Does anybody know if there are any food processors made of glass?

Thanks.

Stacy

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know of one. Readers?

I’d recommend using a high-speed blender to puree hot foods rather than a food processor. I’ve heard that chefs actually prefer a blender for puree. Or get an “immersion blender” that you can use right in the pot.

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Question from josylo

What would you suggest to control domestic spiders for a house in the woods. There is too much inside ! I don’t want to use the commercial treatments proposed. Any suggestions ?

Debra’s Answer

I’ve lived out in the woods and decided myself to just live with the spiders. For the most part they are considered to be beneficial insects because they feed on other insects, thereby themselves being natural pest controls. So I just let them wander the walls of my house and do thier natural thing.

At first, I didn’t want “creepy-crawlies” in my house, but then I realized they are part of the ecosystem. They never bothered me or bit me and I just came to view them as part of life that I was sharing my home with and appreciated them for helping control other insects.

Spiders prefer, actually, to live outdoors, but come inside homes in early fall when cooler temperatures force them to seek shelter.

You can discourage spiders from coming in your house with good housekeeping, both inside and out. Keep stored items in boxes and bags shelves and clean up and dispose of clutter and trash. Repair screens and maintain the weather-stripping around doors and windows, so it is more difficult to get in the house. Once spiders are inside, spiders and their webs can be eliminated by using a broom or vacuum cleaner.

In certain areas of the country there are specific types of spiders that are poisonous. Contact your local science or natural history museum to learn about poisonous spiders in your area and learn to recognize them so you can avoid them. These DO bite humans.

Readers? Any suggestions on what worked for you?

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Question from Lisa Nyden

Dear Debra and Readers,

I recently purchaced an all purpose cleaning product called “Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day” I just have to say that I LOVE it. I chose the Geranium scent it is so nice and very refreshing. I was pleasantly surprised. It is made with safe ingredients and not tested on animals. I recommend it for anyone

Try it!

Debra’s Answer

I took a look at Mrs. Meyers for Debra’s List, and decided not to include them, because they do contain synthetic ingredients and there are plenty of all-natural and even organic cleaners (all the information I’m about to give you is on their website under “About Our Company”).

Mrs. Meyers uses “naturally derived ingredients whenever possible from corn, sugar cane, coconut and palm.” However, when they “cannot find a plant-derived ingredient that performs to our rigorous standards, [they] use ingredients from the world of safe synthetics.”

Their fragrances contain “natural essential oils and other non-natural ingredients.” Some companies, including Mrs. Meyers say they need to use these non-natural ingredients “to ensure safety, consistent performance and quality” however, other companies seem to be able to ensure these by using only natural essential oils. These are not suitable for people with allergies to fragrances or MCS.

Some good things about Mrs. Meyers:
* no ammonia, chlorine or phosphates, sodium lauryl sulfate, organic solvents (glycol ethers, butyl ethers) phthalates, mineral oil, animal-derived ingredients (except beeswax), or synthetic anti-bacterial or antiseptic ingredients
* recyclable packaging
* biodegradable
* concentrated
* not tested on animals

So Mrs. Meyers is better than a lot of what you will find on the shelf next to it in the supermarket, but not natural enough for me personally.

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Question from Michelle

Debra,

My doctor recommends I clean our baby’s cool humidifier with bleach and hot water. I do not use bleach for anything else because it is so toxic. Do you have any recommendations on how I can clean the humidifier and remove any mold in a less toxic way?

Michelle Clark

Debra’s Answer

My recommendation would be to use hydrogen peroxide instead, which will kill bacteria, but I don’t have personal experience with this. Readers? Your suggestions?

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Question from Nikki

I’ve been working on turning our apartment “green.”

Background: Our bathroom doesn’t have a window and the exhaust fan the manager had put in doesn’t work as well as the old one. Two showers are taken on a daily basis.

I’d like to get a hemp or cotton shower curtain. Which curtain type dries faster? Is one more resistant to mildew than the other? Will either curtain type completely dry overnight?

Thanks for your advice!

Nikki

Debra’s Answer

A hemp shower curtain will dry faster, however, it will still mold.

I’ve used cotton shower curtains in the past, and they seemed to mold to the point of having the mold eat holes in the curtain, rendering it unusable in 3-4 months. I finally just installed glass shower doors, which cost less than $100 at Home Depot and Lowe’s. And they are pretty easy to install if you are handy around the house.

If you don’t want to install glass doors, go with the hemp and pretreat it as described in Q&A: Controlling Mold on Shower Curtains.

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Question from SB

What is the best cookware for someone with mild sensitivities? Also is carbon steel cookware safer to use than regular stainless steel cookware. Lastly what is the best (in terms of safest) brand or type of stainless steel cookware out there?

Debra’s Answer

The best cookware for someone with mild sensitivities…Probably Pyrex and Visions are most inert, but if your sensitivities are mild, you can probably use any cookware.

For an overview of cookware, type “cookware” into my website search engine. There are a lot of Q&As on this subject.

Now, to answer your questions about stainless steel and carbon steel.

Carbon steel is used to make woks and I’ve also seen carbon steel skillets in restaurant supply stories. It is kind of greyish black. Made simply of iron with 0.1 to 1.2 percent carbon and even less manganese, carbon steel can be recycled and often contains about 25 percent recycled content whether it is so labeled or not.

Most pots and pans, cooking utensils, and flatware are made from stainless steel, which has a special ability to resist corrosion. The most extensively used type of stainless steel for household items is made from 71.95 percent iron, 18 percent chromium, 8 percent nickel, and 0.05 percent carbon. Stainless steel products can not be recycled and do not contain recycled material.

Stainless steel is generally considered the best choice for cooking because it is sanitary, nonporous, and the metals are highly stable. But stainless steel leaches nickel and chromium into food, which may be harmful to health, and environmentally, the mining and manufacture of steel is a highly technological, energy-intensive and polluting process. So it’s not one of my favorites, considering there are more healthful and environmentally-advantageous options available.

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