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!

Question from Annette 

Hi Debra,

I thought I saw a while back on your blog, something mentioned about trash bags. I tried to find it but could not.

We have a large kitchen trash can that we had been keeping in the kitchen. It uses 33 gallon trash bags. I don’t remember the name of them because they are outside now. ”

You see, used to, I was able to handle the trash bags, but months ago they started smelling like fabric softener sheets. We moved the trash can to the front of the house, but inside the house and our daughter said she did not want the smell in her room, since her room is right next to the room the trash can was put in. So the trash can was put on the front porch outside.

Can you recommend a 33 gallon trash bag that is unscented?

Debra’s Answer

Readers? What do you recommend?

I personally don’t use plastic trash bags, so I have no experience with this.

My food waste goes into compost and trash in a paper bag, which then goes into the garbage can outside.

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Question from Donna L

Hi, I’m looking for some inexpensive bamboo roman shades and found some that are a cotton/bamboo blend. Do you think these would be safe? Do you think that since they are a blend, they would be made with formaldehyde? Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

I haven’t found anything that says cotton/bamboo blend fabrics have formaldehyde finishes, like cotton/polyester blend fabrics do. The formaldehyde finish seems to be needed for the polyester.

But double check with the maker of the blinds.

Question from Leslie

Hi everyone,

There’s a company called “Cuddledown” with great products. However, I found some sheets on their website that are 400-ct. cotton/sateen with a wrinkle-resistant finish – yet they are Oeko-Tex certified. I thought when sheets were essentially “permanent press”, they were toxic.

Cuddledown’s rep said that the wrinkle resistance comes from the type of weave (?) and not from a finish, but they had nothing in writing regarding this.

What do you think, Debra? Thanks so much!

Debra’s Answer

Since the beginning of permanent press, all permanent press finishes have been toxic. However, in recent years, new technologies have become available where formerly toxic things are now available nontoxic. This is especially true in Europe. It’s in the realm of possibility that there could be a nontoxic permanent press finish, and if there was and the label said it was Oeko-Tex certified, then it would be nontoxic. More specifically, formaldehyde is the chemical of concern in permanent press fabric finishes, and formaldehyde is one of the chemicals for which the Oeko-Tex 100 certification tests.

Now, that said, yes, fabrics can be wrinkle-resistant because of the type of weave. Cotton flannel sheets, for example, do not wrinkle. Neither do cotton knit sheets. So there may be other weaves that do not wrinkle as well.

It used to be that “permanent press,” “no-iron,” and other such terms indicated a formaldehyde-based finish. Nowadays, some fabrics with weaves that don’t wrinkle have labels, as you saw, which indicate they don’t wrinkle and are not toxic.

The important thing to check is if the sheet is wrinkle-free because of the weave or a finish. Weave is OK, finish is not, unless it carries a certification, such as Oeko-Tex 100 that indicates it has been tested and certified to be nontoxic.

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Question from mammina

Dear Debra,

I am looking at some HEPA air filters and I have noticed that not all of them are certified HEPA. For example, the Austin Air Healthmate, which seems to be doing a good job at filtering chemicals, and is also more affordable, is not among the certified HEPA ones. What are you thoughts about this? Is it important to get a certified one, or the Austin would do the job?

Thanks a lot!

Debra’s Answer

HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. HEPA filters are mats of randomly arranged fibers, typically made of fiberglass. Unlike other filter types, where particles as wide as the largest opening or distance between fibers cannot pass in between them at all, HEPA filters trap smaller particles by making them stick to the fibers of the mat.

HEPA filters, by definition, must remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 micrometers in diameter. A certfied HEPA filter has been tested in an independent laboratory to verify the filter actually does meet this standard.

The original HEPA filter was designed in the 1940s. It was used to prevent the spread of airborne radioactive contaminants in the Manhattan Project. When HEPA filters were commercialized in the 1950s, “HEPA” became a registered trademark, but also a generic term for highly efficient filters, just as the trademark name “Kleenex” is a generic term for tissue paper and the tradmark name “Xerox” is a generic term for photocopies.

Filters that say they are “HEPA-type,” “HEPA-like,” “99% HEPA,” or simply “HEPA” do not meet the certified HEPA requirements and may not have been tested in independent laboratories.

Do you need a certified HEPA filter?

HEPA certification exists primarily for filters used in high technology industries–such as aerospace, pharmaceutical processing, hospitals, health care, nuclear fuels, nuclear power, and electronic microcircuitry (computer chips)–where particle-free air quality is required for manufacturing.

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I just want to share with you a nontoxic home that is also very visually appealing, so much so it was just on a magazine cover.

This is the personal home of designer Lisa Kauffman Tharp, who has MCS herself.

The website about this house is Concord Green, you can see more pictures and description at Portfolio | Kauffman Tharp Design.

Lisa did a great job of putting this house together. It’s a great example that a toxic-free can also be beautiful.

Photo and design: Kauffman Tharp Design.

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Update 2020:  Check back soon for a guide to slow cookers.

Question from chemikaze

Hi Debra,

I’ve been researching this for a while now and have come up empty handed. What is the best slow cooker to buy? I found a Vita-Clay cooker on Amazon, but I don’t know if I feel comfortable with clay. I think a lot of people are completely lost when it comes to this because a non-toxic slow cooker doesn’t seem to exist. Any help would be very appreciated. Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

We have been discussing slow cookers for years.

The Vita Clay cooker is the only one I know of that does not have a finish that could contain lead. The Vita Clay website says they work very hard to ensure their products are made from chemical-free natural clay.

What is your concern about using clay?

I cook in clay pots and I love them!

I called Vita Clay and talked with them about the clay they use. Their pots are made from zisha clay, which is a famous Chinese clay, known for its purity. It has been used for centuries to make teapots because zisha teapots are treasured for their ability to enhance the flavor, aroma and texture of tea. Zisha clay is also structurally strong without glazing and does not crack when subjected to large and sudden temperature differences.

Vita Clay pots are certified lead-free by SGS and are also tested by the FDA.

Question from mm42111

We purchased a home recently and had the hardwood floors refinished in the whole house–upstairs and downstairs (sanded, stained, & sealed with polyurathane), and the entire house painted & kitchen cabinets sprayed. There is alot of dust and fumes in the house–there is no carpet in the house. We are going to have the ducts cleaned next week. Everything was done 1week ago and we move in 10days. I am 6 weeks pregnant and have asthma and have a 5 year old son and we are very concerned about the fumes. Could you recommend any solutions to help get rid of these fumes so we feel safe to move in. Also I read we should crank up the heat to try and cure the floors. Wondering if you know if this helps.

Debra’s Answer

Heat does work. I would suggest that you simply turn up your central heat as high as it will go and “bake” your house. I’ve done this many times for myself and clients and it DOES work. What it does is speed the outgassing of the toxic components of all those finishes you’ve used.

For the dust, I would get some fans and blow all the air out of the house before you heat.

Then heat for 24 hours and air the house out. Then another 24 hours and air, until you feel comfortable there are no more fumes. The longest I’ve ever had to do this is a week, so you should be able to get this done in your 10 days.

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Question from petercsantoro@yahoo.com

I try to buy organic fruits and vegetables when I can. I notice that a lot of fruits are from Mexico and South America. Can we be sure this fruit is as ” organic” and safe as it should be? I think I read that we should be careful of fruit from Mexico and South America in your last book, but I am not sure if this also applies to organic fruit from these countries… Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

It’s always best to buy food produced as close to home as possible. Your own backyard is the first choice, then from a local farmer or farmer’s market, then from a local store that probably brings in food from a wider sphere.

The further away your food source is, the less fresh the food is, and more opportunities for contamination along the way.

Look for the USDA Organic certification logo. The program does have trade agreements with other countries.

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Earlier this month The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), asking for a reduction of lead levels in lipstick because there there is no safe level for lead.

That lipstick contains lead has been known since 2007, when the CSC tested 33 lipsticks, including selections from top brands, and reported that “two-thirds of the 33 samples we tested contained detectable levels of lead; of those, half were above the recommended limit for lead in candy.”

There is much you can read about lead in lipstick, here is an article that sums up the issue: Consumer and environmental groups concerned with lead levels in lipstick.

I was asked, “Are there any lipsticks without lead?”

I want to say “yes” but I stopped myself because you can’t just look at a label and assume if lead isn’t listed as an ingredient, it’s lead-free. There is a list of lipsticks that tested lead-free in 2007, but that’s too old for me.

What’s needed is to make a bunch of phone calls to the natural brands and see what they say, or a whole bunch of lipsticks need to be tested anew to confirm they don’t contain lead.

I’m not even sure the Skin Deep database covers this as they are only looking at ingredients.

As I started looking at this, I found some brands that use organic ingredients and say their ingredients are “all natural” are using artificial colors, which may contain metals themselves, and those contaminants wouldn’t be on the label.

For example, I was searching “lead-free lipstick” and clicked through to an article that claimed to have a list of “lead-free” lipsticks, only to find that the first brand on the list had been crossed out because it contains lead. A natural brand, too, that you would think would be lead-free. I thought so. No harmful ingredients on the label. I have that brand of lipstick sitting in my purse.

This subject needs more research than I can give it today. We should all pitch in and figure this out together. Please post any research or questions here.

One lipgloss I am sure has no lead is Evan’s Garden Heavenly! Anti-oxident Skin Treatment. I’ve known Evan personally for about five years and there are NO synthetic ingredients of any kind in her products. I just got off the phone with her and we both think that the lead is coming from the artificial colors that are made from coal tar, such as the “red lake” colors with various numbers. So any lipsticks you have that are colored with natural pigments would be more likely to be lead-free

I’m going to keep checking and add more brands here. You check too.

Thanks!

Debra 🙂

More brands that have natural colors and told me they are lead free:

Ava Anderson Nontoxic