Question from Annette Tweedel

Hi Debra, We are going to be staying at a Bed & Breakfast in a few weeks and they are willing to accommodate me. They use things like caburn (I am not sure if I spelled that correctly or what it is), windex and a toilet bowl cleaner. Is it true that peroxide can be used to clean anything? If so, how do you use it? Can you give me the mixture, so I can tell the people at the place, unless you can suggest something better. Or what would be better, vinegar and water or the peroxide?

Debra’s Answer

I would suggest the vinegar and water over peroxide. Peroxide is a bleaching agent and so could cause damage if they don’t use it correctly.

I would tell them it’s OK to use an unscented soap, baking soda, vinegar, and Bon Ami for cleaning. That should cover all their needs.

You might ask them to specify what are the cleaning tasks that need to be done and then give them instructions for each specifically.

Be sure to ask about what they use to launder the sheets, as that is often the worst!

And no potpourri, scented candles, or Febreeze.

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Question from Deborah Barnett

Debra,

I bought a 100% wool blanket that says “Dry clean only.” Could I possibly use a wool wash of some kind to wash it in a delicate cycle?

I don’t want to use any chemicals to dry clean it. What would be your suggestion?

Thanks,

Deborah Barnett

Tennessee.

Debra’s Answer

Yes, you can wash a wool blanket with a wool wash on a gentle cycle.

Heat causes wool to shrink, so it’s important to wash in cold water and hang your blanket to dry. Do NOT put it in the dryer. If you can’t hang it outdoors, fold it over the shower rod in your bathroom.

Remember, wool blankets used to be standard in homes for centuries before dry cleaning existed, so you CAN wash it yourself.

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Question from megzcrews

Is either the liquid or powdered form safe to use in laundry? If not- what are good replacements that are safe? Paritcularly for soaking baby clothes and as an ingredient in homemade laundry detergent.

Debra’s Answer

Oxiclean Versitile Stain Remover is made up of sodium carbonate and sodium percarbonate, with less than 5% ethoxylated alcohol, sodium polycarboxyate and sodium metasilicate.

The active ingredient is sodium percarbonate, which is also known as oxygen bleach. It is made by reacting sodium carbonate (a mineral) with hydrogen peroxide, so it’s basically a powdered form of hydrogen peroxide.

It’s fine to use Oxyclean, but you might get more bleach for your buck by simply using hydrogen peroxide or straight sodium percarbonate. In fact, the liquid OxiClean Stain Remover is 85% water, 5% hydrogen peroxide, with a little alcohol and lye. So you might as well just use hydrogen peroxide, which is pretty cheap at the drug store.

Natural Choices has “the widest range of quality oxygen bleach based products available anywhere!” They contain more actual oxygen bleach than the supermarket brands.

Whether you use liquid hydrogen peroxide or powdered sodium percarbonate, it’s all the same oxygen that is the active ingredient.

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Question from Dad49

Hi,

I’m trying to decide on a crib mattress for baby to be. It seems like Naturepedic is the leading company in this regard, but I am worried about the plastics they use – even though they are food grade. Another option I am looking at is the baby jenius from Essentia. Can you offer any insight to which is safer?

Similarly, I’d be buying the waterproof matress pad and would appreciate your recomendation on this as well.

Debra’s Answer

First, there is nothing to worry about regarding the plastics in Naturepedic mattresses. Polyethylene is not toxic. I don’t know how many hundreds of thousands of babies are sleeping on Naturepedic mattresses in homes and hospitals without problems. Nobody I know who makes mattresses knows more about toxics than Naturepedic–the founder is an environmental engineer, and he was determined to make the safest crib mattress possible for his grandchild. Health and safety is their number one concern.

As for choosing between Naturepedic and Essentia’s baby jeanius, its six of one and half a dozen of another. It all depends on whether you want springs and cotton, or foam. Both are safe.

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Question from HEG

I am wondering if anyone has recommendatiosn for moving and storage companies in the south florida or Boston areas that don’t use pesticides or other harsh chemicals in their trucks and storage facilities? Thanks

Debra’s Answer

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Question from Leslie

Hi all,

This is part of the response I got from Lands’ End when I asked about their ‘no-iron’ cotton sheets, Oeko-Tek certified on their website:

“Although our 400 Count No Iron is Okeo-Tex certified, this does not mean it is completely free of formaldehyde resin.”

Debra, what do you think of this? I thought Oeko-Tek certification meant that no harmful substances (I think they check for 100 of them) were on the fabric.

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

No, Oeko-Tek certification does NOT mean no harmful substances. I’ve been saying this over and over!

Same thing with GREENGUARD and some other certifications.

They test for certain chemicals to meet a standard of low emissions that they consider to be safe.

The problem with this, I will say again, is that a wide variety of products qualify. Let’s say the standard is 100 ppm formaldehyde. A set of sheets could quaility that emits 99 ppm formaldehyde and also sheets with 0 formaldehyde qualify,

What I’m looking for personally are the untreated sheets with 0 formaldehyde.

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Question from miatadriverchris

I constantly pride myself in purchasing “Made in USA” on all products I purchase. While purchasing less toxic products made here is sometimes difficult, I came across a boot from Red Wing shoes that stated the sole was made of PORON. The store has no idea.

(here is the exact link: http://www.canton.redwingshoestore.com/product/02245 )

I did some digging and found that PORON is urethane based, but couldn’t find any scientific data on it regarding what kind of urethane, if it off-gasses, leaches any specific chemicals, etc. Have you ever heard of this before?

Debra’s Answer

Here is the website of a manufacturer who makes PORON: Rogers Corporation PORON Urethanes. They have a link to a page with the MSDSs.

There are half a dozen different PORONs for different uses. You could take a look at this site to see the different types and then see if you can get more information from Red Wing about which PORON it is.

It looks to be not very toxic, but some are more toxic than others.

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Question from Shel50000

Hi Debra,

I am looking for a safe chair for my 16-month old son that emits zero VOC’s.

I know plastic is not eco-friendly, but wouldn’t a polypropylene chair be zero VOC? It seems like any of the upholstered or wooden chairs I look up are not zero VOC because they have some particle board/stains/paints or polyurethane.

I visited the Room Doctor website that you referenced on another post, but their comfy chairs are filled with urethane foam, and they don’t have any child-size wooden chairs.

If I put the urethane foam from an upholstered chair outside for a couple of weeks, would that be adequate off-gassing time?

Thank you! -Shelly

Debra’s Answer

Well, no, that wouldn’t be enough time.

Tell the Room Doctor that polyethylene foam is available. That’s nontoxic and he should use that.

A polypropylene chair would be fine from a toxics viewpoint (though not renewable or biodegradable), and inexpensive.

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Question from Sue

As I was taking apart a wood frame on a very old mirror, it occurred to me that the mirror might have toxic materials (such as lead, heavy metals etc) on the back of it. How about new mirrors? Any thoughts or info would be appreciated. Thank you. Sue

Debra’s Answer

Mirrors are made by fixing silver or aluminum particles to glass, and then a paint is applied to the back to protect the metal coating. Various industrial applications are utilized to do this.

I don’t see anything about a mirror that would cause a toxic exposure from breathing or touching. It’s highly unlikely anyone would eat a mirror!