Question from JC Gandhi

We are looking to replace our hardwood floor as we have had 2 leaks in the past year and it has buckeled in several places. We are considering both laminate and engineered hardwood but would like to know if there are any other options. We saw one that is ‘antibacterial porcelain stoneware’ which seems to be green but then we had concerns about triclosan and antibacterial products in general. We had bamboo floors in our old place which I loved but they dented so easily. We have 2 young children and a ton of guests that come through this area – it’s the main area in the house (kitchen plus living). Any suggestions would be greatly apprec iated.

Debra’s Answer

I’ve written a lot about hardwood floors elsewhere on this blog (in particular see Types of Wood Flooring).

I don’t recommend laminate or engineered hardwood.

The other option is solid wood hardwood flooring. And I recommend prefinished so you don’t have to deal with toxic finishes.

Solid wood flooring is not difficult to find. It is more expensive. You can find it at Lowe’s and Home Depot, but also try Lumber Liquidators, as it costs less there.

Just ask for “solid wood hardwood flooring.”

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Question from Steve

I am specifying a wire fence to be used in a kennel. I have learned that PVC coating on fencing is toxic. But I am considering polyester powdercoat. Would it be toxic to dogs if they chew on it?

Debra’s Answer

Polyester powdercoat coating is less toxic than PVC coating. And this applies to any wire product, like shelves, baskets, and dish drying racks.

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Question from audrey

I cannot go in to shoe stores so I only have two pairs of shoes because I find it very hard to order shoes over the internet/catalog due to sizing and comfort issues. Over the weekend I ordered a pair of shoes from QVC. I spoke to a friend the next day who said when I told her I order Clark’s, that they are treated with antimicrobials. I called Customer Service but they did not have any info about this. The next day I cancelled the order. Do you know if Clarks (and other shoes) are treated with antimicrobials? If I wore socks would this prevent my body from absorbing the antimicrobials? Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

I don’t have a list of shoes treated with antimicrobials or not treated. However, I would assume that most standard shoes are treated with them nowadays, and that would include Clark’s.

It’s good you called Customer Service about this, and they should be able to tell you yes or no. That they had no information about this is not very helpful, but doesn’t indicate whether their shoes have antimicrobials or not—they just don’t know. In a case like this, ask to speak to the Supervisor. I’ve gotten a lot of information about products by just going up and up within the company until I reached someone with answers.

A better choice would be to consider shoes made by more natural companies. See Nontoxic Shoes and Are there any nontoxic shoes?.

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Question from DonnaH

Hi Debra, My husband replaced two 6×6 tiles in our hall bath shower using TEC Invision floor and wall adhesive. Later, I looked on your site and saw where you say never use mastic in a shower because of its toxicity. I can’t smell any fumes, but am very concerned because this bathroom is next to my son’s bedroom. Should we rip it out or leave it alone, as it’s only two tiles? Will ripping it out generate toxic dust? In the meanwhile, no one is allowed to use this shower. Thank you so much for all that you do!

Debra’s Answer

Part of evaluating the toxic effect of something is how much of the toxic material is present. There’s a big difference in the concentration of emissions from laying two tiles vs using mastic for the entire shower.

If you don’t smell any fumes, it’s probably fine. Ripping it out will not generate toxic dust, but you will then need to clean up the mastic, which would be a toxic experience.

I would probably just leave it. The tile and grout are blocking the fumes.

My warning about mastic really applies to installing an entire shower or floor with it. A lot of toxic fumes in the installation and someone with severe MCS would still be able to smell it. No reason to use it because thinset mortar works just fine.

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Question from sandra vb

Hello!! Thank you for this opportunity. I have a dinnerware christmas set made in Romania “Arpo”, the dishes are so beautiful,colorful, when a see in the store I feel in love rigth away. But now I don’t know if they are diswhasher safe or toxic. Can you please let me know as much you can, and I like to know how much is worth. The set is 8 cups, 8 small plates, 8 medium plates, 8 plates for soup and 8 plates flat. Thank you very much for your time and you help.

Debra’s Answer

I have no way of knowing how toxic or nontoxic this dinnerware may be because I don’t have it here to test.

But I can tell you that brightly colored ceramics from foreign countries are exactly the type of dinnerware that might have lead in the paint or glaze and should be tested. You can get 3M LeadCheck Swabs at amazon.com if you don’t find them in a local hardware or home improvement store.

If the LeadCheck swabs test positive, there’s lead. If negative, they are lead-free.

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Question from Karen B

I have finally found an affordable apt I would like to rent- currently I live in a VERY toxic place. But the new apt had recent work done to it including new vinyl floors (in kit and bath only, hardwood elsewhere). Can you tell me how bad this might be: Daejin America, Decoria vinyl Travertine, DF-502. I read that these floors have a double uv cured coat of polyurethane and microceramic coating. I just need to make a decision on this by Dec 24. Any input appreciated! The place has about 10 cross ventilating windows compared to the only 2 that I now have where I live!

Debra’s Answer

It’s hard to say how bad those vinyl floors might be. Usually I would say no…vinyl floors outgas a lot. But these have a cured polyurethane and microceramic coating which may encapsulate some of the outgassing.

Use your best judgement. Even with these floors, it sounds like this apartment is much less toxic than the existing one, and you could always add more layers of finish to the floor if outgassing is a problem. Or cover them with foil to block fumes and lay something else on top to walk on.

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Question from ENrico

Hey Debra, I purchased the Sultan heggedal mattress from Ikea. I wanted to know your opinion if it is a good opinion. Does it off gas VOC? Thank you

Debra’s Answer

Here is the Product Description from Ikea:

Product description

This isn’t 100% natural, but I don’t see any horribly toxic components I would be concerned about. Looks like they are using a wool layer to meet the fire retardant standards, but it would be worth double checking with them about this.

Synthetic latex and polyester are made from petrochemicals but they are present in small amounts.

Lyocell is a regenerated cellulose fiber made from bleached wood pulp.

PLA is a polyester derived from renewable resources, including corn starch, tapioca starch or sugarcane (in the rest of the world).

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Question from Bunkie

Does anyone have any info on the Honeywell Hepa Clear Germ Reducing Airpurifier with Ultraviolet? I am trying to replace all my Hunter purifiers because all the new filters are treated with microban. The Honeywell is expensive and I am not sure if it i s worth the investment. If not this one I will have to try the Healthmate. Thanks.

Debra’s Answer

Searching for a page with technical specs for this product, I came across this product at Wal-Mart which gave me the answer to just the question I was concerned about.

“The purifier itself has an Offensive odor. The purified air coming from it smells like cheap plastic. The charcoal filter did not change this odor. In fact nothing changed the odor of the purified air…Bottom line though, the one thing that is propelling me to return this item is its smell. So if you want clean air that smells clean this is not the unit for you.”

Enough said.

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Question from E.K

Hi Debra! I have been a big fan of your site, thank you so much for all your hard work! I was wondering if you had any information on Thermoplastic Rubber being used on slippers. I’m thinking of purchasing a pair but am finding anything solid online about this material. Thank you so much for your time!

Debra’s Answer

The term thermoplastic means that the material become pliable or moldable above a specific temperature and returns to a solid state when it cools. A stick of butter, for example, or an ice cube, is solid when cold and melts above a certain temperature. It can then be poured into a mold and formed into a new shape, and hold the shape when cooled, as long as it is not heated above the temperature than makes it melt.

The opposite of thermoplastic is thermoset, which means that the material will hold the shape regardless of the temperature. Plastic dice is an example of a thermoset.

Rubber is rubber, which can be made from the sap of the rubber tree, or from petroleum. Usually it is made from petroleum unless otherwise specified.

Thermoplastic rubber is more commonly called thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). This is a class of materials that have properties of both rubbers and thermoplastics.

The MSDS for one brand of thermoplastic rubber does not indicate any health problems from handling pellets of this material. It does warn of toxic fumes from melting down the pellets to put into molds to make various products. But in the formed state there is no warning.

Question from Gustavo

Hi Debra!

I read your “Guide to Creating a Green Bathroom” and I see that you put on your bathroom floor one-inch white hexagonal tiles. I’ve always wanted to have small white tiles on my bathroom floor, but always gave up due to the idea of having to clean all of the grout that most certainly would turn brown/black – and with these small tiles you get a lot of grout!!

I see that you used AFM grout sealer, which is nontoxic, but does it really keep the grout as white as it was on installation day? How long have you remodeled your bathroom, is the grout still white and clean? Have you reapplied the sealer so far? Many Thanks!! 🙂

Debra’s Answer

I remodeled my bathroom in 2006, so it’s been a little more than six years. Is the grout as white as it was on installation day? Well, yes and no. It depends on how much traffic on the particular area. And it will depend on how often you clean it and how you clean it.

I haven’t reapplied the sealer.

I would say six years later it’s still protecting the grout. When I clean the floor, dirt comes up easily, it’s not embedded in the grout.

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