Question from Liz Schmidt

Whenever our neighbors do laundry it smells up our house. Several times a week I have to go around the house and close all the windows, but by then the smell is already inside so this is of little help. I don’t have MCS, but I’m sensitive to chemical fragrances and I have weak lungs–have had pneumonia several times in the past couple years.

I wrote a letter to all the neighbors and my husband personally talked to the ones we think are the worst offenders, but a year later it’s still going on. In the letter I mentioned some facts about fabric softener as well as my health concerns, but apparently I didn’t use the right tone, or maybe not the right facts. I don’t think these neighbors are jerks, but I’m sure they are ignorant of the dangers of fragranced products.

If anyone has been successful in getting neighbors to switch to unscented laundry products I’d love to hear about your strategy and references, if any. It’s so bad we are considering moving, but that would probably cause more problems than it solves.

Thanks for any advice!

Debra’s Answer

Readers, what have you done that was successful?

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Question from dalilah61

I purchased a pillow from essentia and it had a horrible odor. It was the classic pillow and very pricey ($199). When I contacted the company, they told me that they do not return pillows and to air it out. I aired out the pillow for over a week and could not sleep on it because the odor was so strong and smelled like chemicals. The woman I spoke with assured me in our many conversations they do not use any harmful chemicals in their products despite it smelling like it does.

They eventually took back the pillow and sent me another one (the forma spa) which was better, but still had a strong smell to it. I aired it out for a week and purchased a dust mite cover with the hope that it would mask the smell. It helped, but it was not 100%.

I have had the pillow now for months and I no longer notice an odor. I really like the forma spa pillow as it is very comfortable, supports my neck and does not get hot to sleep on. I had considered purchasing their mattresses, but they do not offer financing and if the pillow reeked for so long, I can’t even imagine how bad the mattress would smell.

I would suggest considering this if anyone is very sensitive to smells. While I do not have chemical sensitivity, I am like a blood hound when it comes to odors and I could not tolerate having my face/olfactory senses that close to something that smelled so bad to me all night.

Debra’s Answer

I contacted Essentia about your comment, as it didn’t sound right to me that you said the pillow smelled like chemicals. Here is their response:

No chemicals are used to make their mattresses or pillows. They are made from 100% natural latex and essential oils. I asked about any odor from their essential oils, and was sent this response:

I think if the pillow smelled like chemicals, it picked up chemicals along the way during shipping. I’m glad you persisted and got a replacement pillow and that you are happy with it. It’s always a good sign to me when a company is willing to make things right with the customer.

www.debraslist.com/essentia

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Question from HEG

In 2 weeks I am moving into an apartment that was painted with traditional latex paint in May (about 2.5 months prior to my move-in date). I was wondering if anyone could estimate how long this paint may be off-gassing for and if there is anything I can do to seal in the VOC’s, like apply a sealant to the walls or paint over with a no-VOC paint like Mythic? Any suggestions would be much appreciate. Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

Well, that paint should be offgassed by now, especially since it’s summertime.

In general, you don’t want to seal in VOCs, you want to evaporate them out. Heat will do that, so the solution would be to turn up the heat and “bake” it out.

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Question from Mary Marston

Hi Debra, I purchased a stick vacuum by Germ Guardian for occasional use when I don’t want to drag out my regular vacuum. The dirt cup has Silver Clean technology to help fight the growth of odor-causing baceria and mold, according to their website.

By the time I realized what that meant, I had used the vacuum for a few minutes and didn’t feel I could return it. I am presuming it blows silver nanoparticles into the air but perhaps it does not.

Do you feel the nanosilver is safe? Would it be safe to use this vacuum for a few minutes occasionaly, perhaps every few months? Should I not use it at all and get rid of it? Or should I use it without hesitating and not worry about it?

I’d appreciate your thoughts about this.

Debra’s Answer

I went to the Germ Gardian website and it said:

What this means to me is that the interior of the dust cup is lined with silver particles. It doesn’t say that silver particles are emitted into the room. I think it controls bacteria in the vacuum.

This certainly is not clear.

I personally stay away from products with nanotechnology of any kind.

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Question from Molly

My husband and I have gone through 2 organic latex mattresses and were not satisfied with either of them. Both made claims to be similar to the traditional memory foam mattress. Both ended up leaving permanent impressions where my husband would lie only after a few months. He is 6’3 & 200 lbs. He is fed up and so am I. I was thinking of going with an organic spring mattress, but my husband found this the Eco Memory Foam Toppers at Costco.com.

Do you know anything about it? From this product description, do you think it sounds safe?

Traditional memory foam mattress toppers and pillows conform in the presence of your body heat and mold to your body shape, relieving pressure points while improving circulation. Now, EcoMemoryFoam mattress toppers and pillows accomplish these things and also use new technologies to create additional benefits.

Functional Benefits:

EcoMemoryFoam is more open, with greater air flow, producing a cooler night’s sleep
Toppers are ”Ready for Immediate Use” – Packaged with the Cover Already Installed
EcoMemoryFoam mattress toppers and pillows are part of the first ever bio-based memory foam consumer product line in North America for those consumers who are committed to sustainability and environmental responsibility
Pillows have patented shoulder relief construction for the ultimate in softness and a better night’s sleep

Environmental Benefits:

Debra’s Answer

Their explanation is more than a little confusing.

There is only one company that I know of that actually makes a plant-based memory foam: Essentia. When I couldn’t get anyone on the phone at Costco.com, I wrote to them and asked if they were making mattresses for Costco.

They responded with this link to their research into “eco-foam.” It totally agrees with what I’ve found to be true: most eco-foams, as I’ve written here before, contain only a small percentage of plant-based material, the rest is the same toxic polyurethane as in regular mattresses. Read more about this at:
www.myessentia.com/research/soy-memory-foam.

They don’t sell a topper, but you could ask…they might be able to make you one.

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Question from Natalie

I want to try oil pulling, but would like to buy a toothbrush sanitizer to use afterwards. I found one called UVZ Health Systems ESA302 Wall Mount Family Toothbrush Sanitizer at amazon. Do you think this is a good sanitizer? Since there’s lots of toxins that I will be brushing out of my mouth when oil pulling I figured I should probably buy something to kill the bacteria. Thanks for any info.

Debra’s Answer

I personally don’t think it’s necessary to have a big plastic box to sanitize your toothbrush. And it may not even be necessary to sanitize your toothbrush. I don’t and I have no dental problems.

A dental website says:

So unless you have an infection, there’s no need to sanitize.

I’ve done oil pulling too, and my understanding is that it is pulling toxins out of your body, which are not necessarily bacteria. I think a good rinse of your mouth is the most important thing, and you can also rinse or soak your brush in hot water.

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Question from Shauna87

I am interested in finding out if anyone has done any testing on Emile Henry Cookware. I did read on your site that back in 2008 someone tested a lasagna pan with some sort of metal meter and it did test positive which saddens me because their website does say the glaze has NO lead and cadmium which is better than lead-free which, from what I have read here means there legally can still be some lead in it. I thought about getting Xtrema which according to tests does not leach anything and does meet CA Prop 65 but is not lead free according to the manufacturer. Don’t want to take that chance. Thank you for any help out there!

Debra’s Answer

I think the reason Xtrema may have said their cookware is not “lead-free” is a legal one. There is no lead added to their ceramic material, but since lead is ubiquitous in the natural environment, it is not possible to guarantee anything is “lead-free”. If you are looking for cookware or anything else that has 0.000000 lead in it, you’re not going to find it.

I’ve been using Xtrema for a few years now and like it a lot. I have no concerns about toxic anything leaching from it. My health has improved during that time period. So I am not concerned and feel confident recommending it.

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Question from SL

Does anyone have actual experience with either the Essentia all latex natural memory foam beds (debraslist.com/essentia) or Euro-Flex latex beds (www.euro-flex.com)?

In addition to chemical and scent sensitivities, comfort is key as I am underweight due to illness and have a lot of pressure point and spinal pain.

Thank you so much to all contributors!

Debra’s Answer

Readers?

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I just happened to come across this while searching for something else.

The American Lung Association, Environment Defense Fund, and other groups are working to establish an emissions control area in U.S. waters to protect the health of Americans from global shipping pollution.

Some excerpts from their report Protecting American Health from Global Shipping Pollution:

Ocean-going ships impact air quality in U.S. coastal cities and ports and even send pollution hundreds of miles inland…

The large ocean-going ships that travel along U.S. coastlines and dock at our nation’s ports deliver considerable amounts of pollution in addition to the goods they bring. Much of the pollution from these large vessels is concentrated in ports and the densely populated metropolitan areas near ports that, in almost every instance, already suffer from unhealthy air.

The health effects of diesel emissions in general are well documented. Diesel air pollution adds to cancer risk all around the United States. In many places, diesel emissions create the greatest contribution to cancer risk from air pollution…

In addition, because diesel emissions are a complex mixture of chemicals, exposure to this pollution contributes to a wide range of non-cancer health risks, including pulmonary disease, cardiovascular effects, neurotoxicity, low birth weight in infants, premature births, congenital abnormalities and elevated infant mortality rates.

Particulate matter can aggravate respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic bronchitis and has been associated with cardiac arrhythmias (heartbeat irregularities), heart attacks and premature deaths. People with diabetes, heart or lung disease, the elderly and children are at highest risk from exposure to particulate pollution…

Oxides of nitrogen transform into aerosol particulates and also combine with volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight to form smog, or ground-level ozone. High ozone levels cause acute respiratory problems, aggravated asthma, decreased lung function, inflammation of lung tissue, an increase in hospital admissions and emergency room visits for respiratory causes, and crop damage. Children with asthma are among those most at risk. Ozone also is associated with premature death.

Pollution from ocean-going ships impacts our environment, in addition to impacting public health. The same fine particles that can be breathed deep into the lungs adversely affecting human health also cause the haze that pollutes scenic vistas in national parks and wilderness areas and creates “brown clouds” in our urban centers.

The constituents of diesel exhaust also contribute to the acid rain that continues to harm sensitive ecosystems across the United States. Acid rain occurs when pollutants like SO2 and NOx react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals in the atmosphere to form various acidic compounds. The result is a mild solution of sulfuric acid and nitric acid.29 When this acid falls back to the earth, it harms our nation’s revered ecosystems–causing acidification of lakes and streams and con- tributing to the damage of trees, like red spruce trees, at high elevations and many sensitive forest soils.

Pollution from ocean-going vessels also contributes to global climate change. In 2006, in U.S. waters alone, these vessels emitted about 55.6 million metric tons of CO2.31 Additionally, ocean-going ships contribute about 1.7% of global black carbon emissions every year. Black carbon refers to the solar-absorbing component of soot, which is released during the combustion process, and is another potent global warming pollutant. Studies show that black carbon triggers snow and ice melting, and contributes to Arctic warming. And in some places, including the Alaska region, shipping can contribute an additional 40% to atmospheric con- centrations of black carbon. Further, black carbon from shipping could have disproportionate effects on air quality near port areas because of the intensity of shipping in these areas.

On the new Debra’s List I now have an icon for products Made in the USA. By choosing these products you reduce the market for globally shipped products.