Question from Gina

Hi,

I have asthma and allergies, and I find I am very sensitive to shoes and jeans that say they are made in China. Lee jeans and regular pants that I bought at Kohls I had to return as I put them in my closet, and the horrible chemical smell came out from them. I ended up returning them the next day. I have seen on other blogs that people have complained of the smell of Lee Jean and Levi’s. Also, most of the shoes in stores now are made in China, and those smell horrible too. Is this them spraying stuff with pesticides before items come to the US? Why do most items smell that come over from there? And where can I find shoes and jeans that are made in the US instead?

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know what they spray clothing and shoes with in China.

There are a number of websites now that list products made in the USA. I started a list of them at Q&A: Made in the USA.

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Question from Jennifer Herman

Dear Readers,

I’d like to have new slipcovers made for a wood day bed but want to avoid filling them with foam since it contains toxic fire retardants. Any ideas?

Jen

Debra’s Answer

You could fill them with almost anything. I’ve used organic cotton and organic wool in the past to stufff cushions, but you could even use rolled up towels or blankets, or whatever you want.

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Question from Louise

Hello Debra.

My husband & I love your web site, thank you for all the info and “words of wisdom”.

I have two questions.

1. Do you know of a permanent hair dye that is free of perfumes and harsh chemicals, safe for MCS people ?

2. Do you have any information in reguards to the safety of tattoo dyes on people with MCS ?

Many thanks Debra!!!!

Debra’s Answer

Readers, what are your recommendations?

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Question from Melissa

Hi. Has anyone tried Skoy cloths (www.skoycloth.com)? They’re made from cotton and cellulose pulp, are biodegradable and are supposed to be a green alternative to paper towels. Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

Looks fine to me.

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Question from Millie

Does anyone own a Naturepedic mattress in a full or queen size? I am interested in purchasing one for my son. How firm is it and is it holding up well? I’m worried that it might be too firm. It seems the stores in my area only stock the crib size mattress. I’m a little nervous buying it without trying it out first. Many thanks!

Debra’s Answer

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Question from R

Hi Debra,

I recently went into an Origins store and the sales agent told me that they don’t use any chemicals in their products so they are all 100% natural. I bought a couple of items that didn’t have any chemicals listed in the ingredient list, but do you or your readers know if this is in fact true? I would appreciate any advice…

Thank you very much.

Debra’s Answer

Unfortunately, their website does not list any ingredients, so I can’t look at all the ingredients lists. I know when they first came out, they weren’t 100% natural, but I know they changed their formulas.

A lot of beauty product websites list their ingredients, so consumers can check out the products before they buy.

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Question from Stephanie

I know the topic of thyroid health has been a hot topic on this site and many members are users of natural thyroid supplements.

I ran across this article this morning and was deeply concerned.

The article was posted in Dr. Mercola’s weekly newsletter.

Here is the article I am referring to:

articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/09/19/Is-the-FDA-Poised-to-Ban-a-Century-Old-Natural-Remedy.aspx

In this article there are pointers to some grass roots efforts to save natural thyroid products:

Debra’s Answer

Thank you Stephanie. I myself have been having difficulty getting my prescription filled. We need to keep these natural hormones on the market.

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Question from TE

Dear Debra,

We are renting an apartment with a large cupboard made out of particle board and wood veneer. I suspect it is pretty old (probably 10 years or more) but after reading about particle board and formaldehyde I am concerned that it may still be off-gassing.

I live in Israel so there is very little awareness of these issues and no products such as vapor barriers etc. or no VOC paints are available. I thought I could wrap the shelves with simple nylon sheets (the kind used to wrap school books) to minimize offgassing. Do you think that would work?

Thank you!

TE

Debra’s Answer

The thing that absolutely will work is heavy duty aluminum foil. Put it up with aluminum foil tape, which you can buy at a hardware store.

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Question from Melissa D

Hi Debra,

I am looking for a beang bag-esque chair for my two-year-old son. Our house has all Ecotimber floors, and he doesn’t love always climbing up on the couch when he is looking for a softer place to sit. I’d like to get him a cotton or hemp bean bag chair, but all of the ones I have found – even the ones advertised as “green” – contain polystyrene beads. I thought those were not safe? The sites all claim those fillers are non toxic.

I guess I could always empty of the beads (if they are toxic) and fill the bag with something else with give – maybe cotton or wool batting?

Thanks for any advice you can offer, and thanks for being such a lifesaver for my family!

~Melissa

Debra’s Answer

Polystyrene is not nontoxic.

How about a big pillow for the floor? When I was a kid, my parents bought three big pillows and stacked them up on the floor. It was my favorite place to sit.

Get pillows with natural fiber casings, filled with a natural fiber stuffing.

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Question from Annette Tweedel

Hi,

I am looking for a 100% Organic Cotton Waterproof Mattress Pad.

We have been looking and so far we have only found one. It’s called Organic Mattress Protector Pad (Waterproof & Non-Waterproof) by Naturepedic for $139.

I also just found this one on the internet through Debra’s listings. And it is 100% Organic Cotton Mattress Pad by The Natural Sleep Store. It says the pads are “expertly machine quilted and will protect mattress from spills and accidents.” And this is $185.

Would any one of these be healthy for a person suffering with MCS? I need this for a queen size bed. We were hoping to find cheaper.

Would you know of any that do not contain any synthetic materials? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Debra’s Answer

There are several different types of moisture protection for mattresses.

The Naturepedic waterproof mattress pad is waterproof. It contains a layer of food grade polyethylene that does not outgas. I have personally “sniffed” this polyethylene and there is no odor. It is certified by GREENGUARD. This is waterproof. It completely protects the mattress from liquids and is washable, so it is hygenic.

The Natural Sleep mattress pad that you mentioned might be moisture resistant, but I don’t see from the description that it is waterproof. The fibers may be so tightly woven that it is difficult for water to penetrate. It wouldn’t block moisture as well as the Naturepedic pad, but it is made from all natural materials.

There are also wool pads that are moisture resistant, again all natural, but not as waterproof as Naturepedic.

You really need to decide if you want a pad that is less effective and all natural or more effective and less natural. I think it depends on your needs. If you really need something to be waterproof, using a less effective pad will only result in an unclean mattress. But if you just need some moisture resistance for occasional spills, the natural fibers should be fine.

As long as we’re talking about polyethylene, I want to clear up a confusion I’ve observed.

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