Question from stacy devivo
Hello,
I recently bought a bookcase from Big Lots for my 2 year old daughters room. It said that it was made from nontoxic paint, but it smells terrible. Even putting it together made me nauseous– I am chemically sensitive. It is made from pressed wood so I’m not sure if it is from the fermeldahyde or from the plastic that it was wrapped in. After assembling the bookcase, I immediately moved it to another room, hoping that the smell would offgas. I would like to know if there is another way that I can speed up the process or if I should try something else. I obviously don’t want to risk my daughter’s health and the bookcase will be placed right next to her bed. PLease give me some opinions or suggestions. Thank you!!
Debra’s Answer
My suggestion would be to dump this bookcase entirely. If it’s going right next to your daughter’s bed, you want a bookcase that is as safe as possible.
You could try using heat to outgass the chemicals or apply a vapor barrier sealant, but the best choice would be to use a solid wood bookcase or a metal one.
Readers, any other suggestions?
