Question from Karen I use a mortar a pestle daily to crush large mineral pills that I can't swallow. I have a stainless steel one. I also have a ceramic one that is made in China. All ceramic mortar and pestles appear to me to have a chalky area where the grinding...

A new study at Karlstad University in Sweden shows that phthalates from PVC flooring materials shows that children can ingest these softening agents with food but also by breathing and through the skin. Phthalates are a group of chemical compounds that occur in a...

Well, it seems that manufacturers throughout the world who were using toxic Bisphenol A (BPA) may have just switched to Bisphenol S (BPS) a toxic chemical that may be equally, if not more, toxic. Read this article to learn more about the family of bisphenols. BPA-Free...

Question from Judith Dear Debra and readers! Does anyone have any experience with Bioshield's "solvent-free" wall paint? We used it on only one wall in my daughter's bedroom a week ago and it still has a very strong paint smell. The company said that there should have...

Question from ari Anyone have suggestion for removing cat dander from a house. There are no carpet, but there house does have ducts. Debra's Answer I've had cats, but never a problem removing dander from the house in general. I suggest a high-efficiency filter on your...

Question from Barb P. I haven't read that anyone has used any ozone machines to remove chemicals and odors. There are a few listed on the Internet, but I haven't bought any of them, except the Ionic Breeze (originally sold at Sharper Image) and Aclair. The two work...

Question from NewEnglandSara. Hi there, we are in a conundrum about our closet shelving, and I thought I would reach out for ideas.... We recently built a new house, and I became more aware of toxins as time went along. For some reason, it never occurred to me to...

Question from NewEnglandSara. Hi there, we just bought a new set of kitchen chairs (via Craig's List), and my husband wants to re-cover them with fabric that we can wipe down since we have three young kids. When we did this four years ago, we bought reasonably priced...

Question from CarolynB My Mother will be having a colonoscopy soon. Does anyone have any advice about anesthetics? They use Versed for amnesia twilight zone? What about the pain killer? To clean out, she will be using 1 cap of Miralax mixed with Pedialite. I think it...

Question from Nell Hi Debra, I like the furniture I keep seeing: Resin covered wicker. There is one chair I'd like to use indoors. Is the resin considered safe? Is it likely to have a smell for a while? Would appreciate any help on this. Thanks! Debra's Answer See if...