Question from magda

Hi Debra! I have questions about comforters. I need healthy option without chemicals and fire retardant. I can’t afford organic comforters ( I need 4 so it’s a lot of money for me) what is the best option for me? Thank You 🙂

Debra’s Answer

White Lotus Home has great quality products at affordable prices. Here’s the webpage for their “green cotton” comforters: www.whitelotus.net/green-cotton-duvet/. They often have sales. You could get on their mailing list and you’ll be notified. I often announce them too but best to get on their list.

If that’s still too expensive, a couple of years ago when I was visiting San Francisco, I got a very inexpensive feather/down comforter at IKEA with a 100% cotton cover. Machine washable. $39.99. www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60133498/

There are no federal requirements for fire retardants on bed clothes, but check with IKEA to see if they add fire retardants. Things change so frequently that it’s difficult for me to keep up with companies, unless, like White Lotus Home, they have a dedicated “no-chemicals” policy.

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Question from anita

My newborn great grand son does not seem to get enough milk from his mom–any good formulas on the market to use as a backup?? thanks so much

anita wassweman

Debra’s Answer

Readers, I don’t have any experience with baby formula. Which have you tried and liked?

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Question from Jay

Dear Debra, we are a military family moving from one place to another, and we are approaching our time to move again. I found a beautiful brand new apartment complex that just opened in april 2012, and the idea of living in a brand new place is very tempting, (especially if you think about the risk of finding bugs, which is a common issue in apartments). I was wondering what were your thoughts about it, considering that the place has probably not off-gassed yet at all, that everything is brand new, (carpets, cabinets, and wooden floor). Should I just move there and let it air out for a few days? Or do you think that an older place would be better? Thank you in advance for your advice.

Debra’s Answer

Let is air out a few days? No. New apartments need more than an airing out. They are filled with toxic chemicals from carpets and particleboard cabinets especially. You’d need to do a major makeover to make it healthy.

I would recommend an older apartment where materials have offgassed. You may be able to kill a lot of the bugs with a major heat treatment or other nontoxic method.

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Question from Vicki in Oregon

Hi Debra Do you know anything about Okabashi Shoes

Debra’s Answer

Just looking at their website it says:

It’s great they are made from recycled material, but recycled doesn’t always mean nontoxic.

I called their customer service and left a message, but I’m not hopeful they will tell me the plastics or the anti-microbial agents.

This is the type of product I reject because it’s made of unknown materials that might be toxic in general and there are no specifics.

If I get an answer from them, I will post it here.

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Question from Chris

Hi Debra! I recently purchased a wool bed from Shepherd’s Dream and am waiting for it’s arrival. I have an ash platform bed from Bedworks of Maine. The slats are unfinished but I find the natural odor of wood bothersome. I have already put them in the sun and it helped some, but not enough. Can they be finished or sealed with the shellac you recommend or something else so I can’t smell the wood or would this compromise the mattress? (I also have a wool underpad to go on top of the slats so the mattress will not be directly against them). I cannot have any latex so those cushy strips are not an option either. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

Yes you can seal the wood to block the odor.

The most natural sealant is Zinsser Bull’s Eye Shellac. It is a natural product, liquified with volatile solvents. Once they evaporate all that’s left is the natural material. This is used as a sealant to block odors by many people with MCS.

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Question from Christal Janis

I love Tea but 99% comes from China or Japan. With the toxic conditions in China and the toxic air now in Japan, where can a person get safe tea? Thanks

Debra’s Answer

“China” and “Japan” are large areas with varying amounts of air pollution. While air pollutants certainly can travel around a country and around the world, there is more air pollution near the source of pollutants than far away. So the air quality in a city or industrial area is much more polluted that where tea is grown.

I suggest learning more about where teas are actually grown. Chinese teas come from five provinces. Yunnan, for example, is close to the Himalayas. The tea is grown at high altitudes where the air is very clean.

Japan produces almost exclusively green tea, which is almost all consumed right in Japan.

The largest tea exporter in the world is actually India. Other areas that produce tea are Ceylon and Formosa, East Africa, and Russia.

If you are a tea lover, I would suggest you forego the supermarket teas sold in teabags and head for the natural food store or a specialty tea shop or website, where they will know where their tea is grown.

Another option is to switch to herbal tea. Herbs can be grown almost anywhere. I grow mint in my own backyard for tea, and stevia to sweeten it.

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Question from John

I have M.C.S. I’m considering moving into a new condo unit that is 3 years old. It’s furnished (model) and no one has ever lived in it. Do you think it’s “safe” at this age or would 5 years be significantly better. I re-injured myself last year through anesthesia and a new piece of furniture that emitted formaldehyde. I don’t want to take any more risks. What do you think? Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

Personally, I do not think that 3 years is long enough for a new condo to outgas. Five years would be better.

I don’t live anywhere not built before 1965. Why? Because that’s when they stopped building with real wood and switched to particleboard. Particleboard subfloors, particleboard cabinets, particleboard doors…Certainly it’s outgassed since 1965, but these buildings also have no charm, or beautiful solid wood floors and workmanship is usually shoddy.

Of course there are also toxic problems with renovated buildings. But 3 years is just too new.

If you reinjured yourself and you are very sensitive, I suggest considering doing something to remove toxic chemicals from your body. See my [Toxic Free Nutrition website]=http://toxicfreenutrition.com .

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