Question from Sandy

I posted a question last week on sheetrock, but forgot to ask one of the the most important questions. Would green sheetrock be equally as safe as white sheetrock..which would you recommend?

Thanks

Sandy

Debra’s Answer

When I first looked at your question I thought of a piece of green sheetrock I saw years ago that was coated with a think green waxy substance that smelled terrible.

Today that seems to have been replaced with a product with this description:

Sheetrock UltraLight mold tough gypsum panels are lightweight gypsum wallboard panels and have a noncombustible, moisture resistant gypsum core encased in moisture- and mold-resistant. 100-percent recycled green face and brown back paper.

I called US Gypsum and got from them the MSDS for this product, to find out what the mold inhibitor is.

It turned out to be Sodium Pyrithione. Here is a statement from USG about why they use it.

Here is the data sheet from the manufacturer for Sodium Pyrithione

If you wanted to use green sheetrock, it’s unlikely you would have any exposure to the fungicide after it was painted. But it’s not meant to be water-resistant.

In my bathroom and kitchen, I tiled the walls up seven feet to have waterproof walls. My bathroom is sooooo waterproof.

If you are wanting to install tile, use cement backerboard. That will firmly hold the tile in place.

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Question from Craig

Hi, Debra. I have a question. What boxes of chocolate do you recommend for Mother’s Day? Thanks.

Craig

Debra’s Answer

If you want chocolates in a pretty gift box, I don’t know of any organic chocolates you can buy in a store, but you might be able to order online. I started to do a search and found some, but they didn’t list their ingredients, so I couldn’t evaluate the sweeteners etc.

But let me say this about gifts. The best gifts are gifts that will make the receiver happy. If a box of chocolates says “I love you” to your Mom, then you should give her a box of chocolates of the kind SHE likes. Having a special treat one day out of the year is fine.

Of the boxes of chocolates that are generally available, I would choose Godiva. Not organic, has sugar, but no artificial ingredients or additives. It’s “all natural” unless they’ve changed since I last looked at the label. I recommended Godiva Chocolates in my first book Nontoxic & Natural in 1984. There was no organic chocolate then, and these were the best because they were all natural.

They are delicious and a very special gift.

Also look for a local chocolatier where you live. You can go in the shop and ask about ingredients and they will fill a box of chocolates you choose, just for your mom.

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Question from KER

Hi, just saw a segment on a shopping channel, while channel-surfing. The Simmons BeautyRest company was hyping its foam inside the mattress – saying it containted no formaldehyde, no chlorofluorocarbons, no lead, no mercury. They talked about how other mattresses smell a lot when you take off the plastic wrapper; theirs to not, because there is no outgassing. I am SO skeptical, but oh, if only. Their website says nothing about this! Any comments? Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

Well, there is some information about this.

I found it on the website North Shore Bedding, which says

I also found it on a complaints about these mattresses to the Consumer Product Safety Commission:
www.saferproducts.gov/ViewIncident/1232160

And here’s a press release announcing these mattresses are certified by GREENGUARD because of the CertiPUR-US certified foam.

www.prweb.com/releases/2010/10/prweb4646034.htm

But here’s the thing. I researched this foam extensively. It’s polyurethane foam made with a whole list of toxic chemicals (which I will write about another day).

Notice that it says LOW emissions, not NO emissions.

Then it says it’s made without “prohibited phthalates.” Um hmmm. All the foams are made without prohibited phthalates. They are prohibited by law. So nothing different here.

No CFCs. Well, CFCs were banned in 1978, so, again, no polyurethane foam is made with them.

Typically mercury, lead and other heavy metals are also not used to make polyurethane foam.

Formaldehyde also is not part of the polyurethane foam formula.

And PBDE’s have been banned in the United States since 2004. Again, no foam would have them for this reason.

It’s great the mattress doesn’t contain any of these chemicals. But it does contain other chemicals.

In fact, this certified foam is no different than any other polyurethane foam. It’s just telling you that it doesn’t contain chemicals that wouldn’t be there in the first place.

It’s like putting a label on a can of pineapple that says “fat-free.” Well, yes, there is no fat in this can of pineapple, but neither to any other pineapples contain fat.

By contract, organic cotton, for example, has NO emissions. I don’t want to sleep on a LOW emission mattress. When you see that phrase “low emissions” it means there are emissions of toxic chemicals. Certainly there might be less toxic chemicals than other mattresses, but it’s more emissions than natural fibers.

I’ll stick with my organic wool mattress, thank you.

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Question from Sandy

We may have to put new sheetrock on a bedroom wall. Do you find sheetrock, tapping and mudding that would have to be done, to be inert as far as bothering those with EI.

Thanks

Sandy

Debra’s Answer

I can tell you that I have installed many walls with ordinary sheetrock, tape and mud, and never had a problem with it.

Some people with MCS prefer using Murco products,  but these need to be ordered by mail. They are totally fine, I just in the past haven’t had time for a special order, and found that once the mud dries and it is painted there is no odor.

The concern with regular sheetrock is that it is susceptible to mold growth.  Some alternatives that are more resistant magnesium oxide boards such as Dragonboard and MagBoard.

Question from Leslie Beck

Hi Debra – do you know of a safe, non-toxic way to clean bird droppings off of a concrete patio?

Thanks so much.

Debra’s Answer

Here are some instructions that are nontoxic and written by bird specialists who are familiar with special handling of bird droppings.

7 Tips for cleaning pest bird droppings

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A new building has been in the news recently. It was built by Swiss Healthy Life and Living Foundation for Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) patients in a remote part of Leimbach, on the outskirts of Zurich, Switzerland

They don’t allow products that contain toxic chemicals, or cell phones.

15 apartments.

I’m happy this has been built, but I would like to see ALL buildings built this way. Because nobody should have to live with toxic chemicals.

I would like to see toxic-free homes built and have them be available to anyone and everyone. It should just be the norm.

The Telegraph: The Swiss flats where smoking, painting and mobile phones are banned

New York Daily News: Switzerland apartment bans perfume, cell phones and smoking

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Question from Chris

Do carbon blankets work to protect against off-gassing? We need to protect against a 3 yr old latex mattress with a memory foam topper? My wife is chemically sensitive and is afraid to try it. Does anyone have any experience with the use of carbon blankets? Any other remedies for off-gassing of mattresses? Thank you!

Sincerely,

Chris

Debra’s Answer

Carbon blankets will absorbs offgassing chemicals from something like a mattress or a car seat.

I don’t have any experience with using one for that purpose, but I’ve been told they work.

My best recommendation to you is to get a toxic free mattress as soon as possible. The rule of thumb for best results is to eliminate toxics at the source whenever possible, rather than try to block them.

You can get carbon blankets at Nirvana Safe Haven

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Question from Susaninnyc

Thank you Debra, and hello everyone!

My question is this: My very dark eyebrows are starting to go gray. I use light mountain color the gray henna to color my hair, but was wondering if anyone else has a better idea for eyebrows. I have pretty severe MCS.

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

I have no experience with this. Readers?

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Question from Anne Castile

I have been a follower for the last 10 years.

I have a question regarding the Grand Legacy Mattresses. They are advertising a “green ” component. I’m curious if these are really green. They say they are formaldehyde free.. They use soybean and natural latex as part of the matttress.

Made in Cleveland Ohio and carried at the Levin stores.

I’m in the market for a new mattress and suffer from MCS.

Thanks for any info you can send me.

Debra’s Answer

I took a look at the product description at www.levinmattress.com/index.php/grand-legacy/

There are plenty of toxic chemicals in this mattress.

In addition to the gel memory foam and high density foam, the “BioFlex™ foam…

They says “BioFlex™ eliminates the use of harmful chemicals and is extracted from soybeans grown in Ohio.”

I’m sorry, but this just isn’t true. The soybeans may be grown in Ohio, but there is no soy foam in the world that “eliminates the use of harmful chemicals.” Soy foam is, at best, 30 percent soy, the remaining 70 percent is the same polyurethane foam used to make toxic mattresses.

There are many online sources of natural beds at Debra’s List: Textiles: Beds

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Question from Kathleen

Hi Debra. I read your first book when it came out. That means I am probably older than you. However, my oldest daughter is pregnant. I wondered if you were aware of any non-toxic natural remedies for morning sickness that actually work.

Nothing worked very well for me back in 1980. I took the Bendictin and it helped a little. I know it was safe.

When I was about 4 months pregnant, we had our house weatherized. Urea formaldehyde foam blown in, and storm windows and doors, and a heat pump. Because the house was already so tight, not much foam came into the house.

However, enough got in that within 18 months, I had health issues that have never gone away. My daughter shares the chemical sensitivities and has some allergies as well.

Sincerely,

Kathleen

Debra’s Answer

I’ve never had morning sickness (no children) but I know that ginger calms nausea. An old doctor told me that a long time ago.

People drink ginger ale for nausea, but it’s not the fizz that calms the stomach, it’s the ginger. So you could make ginger tea and drink it hot or cold, or even mix it with fizzy water to make ginger ale.

Readers, what worked for you?

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