Question from Melanie  Hi Debra, I hate vinyl, but need a thin pad to go under my dining room tablecloth. I have searched the Internet thinking I could find latex or rubber padding but was not successful. Thoughts? There has got to be something less toxic than...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally told manufacturers they can no longer put triclosan in consumer soaps. The FDA says antibacterial do little or nothing to make soap work any better and the industry has failed to prove they are safe. Manufacturers...

An interesting article entered my email inbox the other day from the environmental blog Treehugger. It was about the change that’s occurring in the way people buy soap. Bar soap sales are declining and liquid soap sales are gaining. I was sorry to read this. From a...

There have been so many questions about finding affordable sofas I thought I would make a separate post to answer this question. First, there are no ready-made affordable sofas that I would call toxic-free. All the ready-made sofas cost thousands of dollars. But there...

The Cornucopia Institute has a new report on toothpaste that is exceptional, It covers regulations, and ingredients and ends with a list of toothpastes that contain organic ingredients and how to make your own at home. CORNUCOPIA: Behind the Dazzling Smile [button...

Question from Katherine I’m confused about PET and PETE. Are they the same thing or different? Debra's Answer PET and PETE are both acronyms for polyethylene terephthalate. Polyethylene terephthalate is a clear, tough plastic in the polyester family. It is made from...

There have been some questions about what type of colorant is use to make brightly-colored silicone products. I’m in the process of reading a book called Advances in Polymer Coated Textiles=which states that coloring agents for silicone coatings need to be chosen...

Question from Sicili Hi Debra. I noticed on one of your comments, you said you hardly have any plastic in your home at all. I just wanted to ask ,what type of hand dish washing soap do you use for doing dishes ? I am trying to figure out if I should use the natural...

Tests Reveal Nature Valley Products Contain Glyphosate, an Ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup Washington, DC - Today, three non profit organizations filed a lawsuit against General Mills for misleading the public by labeling their Nature Valley brand granola bars “Made...

Question from Katie Hi Debra, Glad to be able to ask advice on nontoxic glue for a patch job. We had to remove several planks of engineered hardwood flooring in front of our back sliding door. We will be putting down new planks but I am concerned about fumes from the...