Question from Shel50000

Hi Debra,

I am looking for a safe chair for my 16-month old son that emits zero VOC’s.

I know plastic is not eco-friendly, but wouldn’t a polypropylene chair be zero VOC? It seems like any of the upholstered or wooden chairs I look up are not zero VOC because they have some particle board/stains/paints or polyurethane.

I visited the Room Doctor website that you referenced on another post, but their comfy chairs are filled with urethane foam, and they don’t have any child-size wooden chairs.

If I put the urethane foam from an upholstered chair outside for a couple of weeks, would that be adequate off-gassing time?

Thank you! -Shelly

Debra’s Answer

Well, no, that wouldn’t be enough time.

Tell the Room Doctor that polyethylene foam is available. That’s nontoxic and he should use that.

A polypropylene chair would be fine from a toxics viewpoint (though not renewable or biodegradable), and inexpensive.

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Question from HEG

I am wondering if anyone has recommendatiosn for moving and storage companies in the south florida or Boston areas that don’t use pesticides or other harsh chemicals in their trucks and storage facilities? Thanks

Debra’s Answer

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Question from Sue

As I was taking apart a wood frame on a very old mirror, it occurred to me that the mirror might have toxic materials (such as lead, heavy metals etc) on the back of it. How about new mirrors? Any thoughts or info would be appreciated. Thank you. Sue

Debra’s Answer

Mirrors are made by fixing silver or aluminum particles to glass, and then a paint is applied to the back to protect the metal coating. Various industrial applications are utilized to do this.

I don’t see anything about a mirror that would cause a toxic exposure from breathing or touching. It’s highly unlikely anyone would eat a mirror!

Question from Leslie

Hi all,

This is part of the response I got from Lands’ End when I asked about their ‘no-iron’ cotton sheets, Oeko-Tek certified on their website:

“Although our 400 Count No Iron is Okeo-Tex certified, this does not mean it is completely free of formaldehyde resin.”

Debra, what do you think of this? I thought Oeko-Tek certification meant that no harmful substances (I think they check for 100 of them) were on the fabric.

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

No, Oeko-Tek certification does NOT mean no harmful substances. I’ve been saying this over and over!

Same thing with GREENGUARD and some other certifications.

They test for certain chemicals to meet a standard of low emissions that they consider to be safe.

The problem with this, I will say again, is that a wide variety of products qualify. Let’s say the standard is 100 ppm formaldehyde. A set of sheets could quaility that emits 99 ppm formaldehyde and also sheets with 0 formaldehyde qualify,

What I’m looking for personally are the untreated sheets with 0 formaldehyde.

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Question from Dad49

Hi,

I’m trying to decide on a crib mattress for baby to be. It seems like Naturepedic is the leading company in this regard, but I am worried about the plastics they use – even though they are food grade. Another option I am looking at is the baby jenius from Essentia. Can you offer any insight to which is safer?

Similarly, I’d be buying the waterproof matress pad and would appreciate your recomendation on this as well.

Debra’s Answer

First, there is nothing to worry about regarding the plastics in Naturepedic mattresses. Polyethylene is not toxic. I don’t know how many hundreds of thousands of babies are sleeping on Naturepedic mattresses in homes and hospitals without problems. Nobody I know who makes mattresses knows more about toxics than Naturepedic–the founder is an environmental engineer, and he was determined to make the safest crib mattress possible for his grandchild. Health and safety is their number one concern.

As for choosing between Naturepedic and Essentia’s baby jeanius, its six of one and half a dozen of another. It all depends on whether you want springs and cotton, or foam. Both are safe.

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Update 2020:  Check back soon for a guide to slow cookers.

Question from chemikaze

Hi Debra,

I’ve been researching this for a while now and have come up empty handed. What is the best slow cooker to buy? I found a Vita-Clay cooker on Amazon, but I don’t know if I feel comfortable with clay. I think a lot of people are completely lost when it comes to this because a non-toxic slow cooker doesn’t seem to exist. Any help would be very appreciated. Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

We have been discussing slow cookers for years.

The Vita Clay cooker is the only one I know of that does not have a finish that could contain lead. The Vita Clay website says they work very hard to ensure their products are made from chemical-free natural clay.

What is your concern about using clay?

I cook in clay pots and I love them!

I called Vita Clay and talked with them about the clay they use. Their pots are made from zisha clay, which is a famous Chinese clay, known for its purity. It has been used for centuries to make teapots because zisha teapots are treasured for their ability to enhance the flavor, aroma and texture of tea. Zisha clay is also structurally strong without glazing and does not crack when subjected to large and sudden temperature differences.

Vita Clay pots are certified lead-free by SGS and are also tested by the FDA.

Question from mammina

Dear Debra,

I am looking at some HEPA air filters and I have noticed that not all of them are certified HEPA. For example, the Austin Air Healthmate, which seems to be doing a good job at filtering chemicals, and is also more affordable, is not among the certified HEPA ones. What are you thoughts about this? Is it important to get a certified one, or the Austin would do the job?

Thanks a lot!

Debra’s Answer

HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particulate Air. HEPA filters are mats of randomly arranged fibers, typically made of fiberglass. Unlike other filter types, where particles as wide as the largest opening or distance between fibers cannot pass in between them at all, HEPA filters trap smaller particles by making them stick to the fibers of the mat.

HEPA filters, by definition, must remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 micrometers in diameter. A certfied HEPA filter has been tested in an independent laboratory to verify the filter actually does meet this standard.

The original HEPA filter was designed in the 1940s. It was used to prevent the spread of airborne radioactive contaminants in the Manhattan Project. When HEPA filters were commercialized in the 1950s, “HEPA” became a registered trademark, but also a generic term for highly efficient filters, just as the trademark name “Kleenex” is a generic term for tissue paper and the tradmark name “Xerox” is a generic term for photocopies.

Filters that say they are “HEPA-type,” “HEPA-like,” “99% HEPA,” or simply “HEPA” do not meet the certified HEPA requirements and may not have been tested in independent laboratories.

Do you need a certified HEPA filter?

HEPA certification exists primarily for filters used in high technology industries–such as aerospace, pharmaceutical processing, hospitals, health care, nuclear fuels, nuclear power, and electronic microcircuitry (computer chips)–where particle-free air quality is required for manufacturing.

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I just want to share with you a nontoxic home that is also very visually appealing, so much so it was just on a magazine cover.

This is the personal home of designer Lisa Kauffman Tharp, who has MCS herself.

The website about this house is Concord Green, you can see more pictures and description at Portfolio | Kauffman Tharp Design.

Lisa did a great job of putting this house together. It’s a great example that a toxic-free can also be beautiful.

Photo and design: Kauffman Tharp Design.

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Question from Donna L

Hi, I’m looking for some inexpensive bamboo roman shades and found some that are a cotton/bamboo blend. Do you think these would be safe? Do you think that since they are a blend, they would be made with formaldehyde? Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

I haven’t found anything that says cotton/bamboo blend fabrics have formaldehyde finishes, like cotton/polyester blend fabrics do. The formaldehyde finish seems to be needed for the polyester.

But double check with the maker of the blinds.

Question from Leslie

Hi everyone,

There’s a company called “Cuddledown” with great products. However, I found some sheets on their website that are 400-ct. cotton/sateen with a wrinkle-resistant finish – yet they are Oeko-Tex certified. I thought when sheets were essentially “permanent press”, they were toxic.

Cuddledown’s rep said that the wrinkle resistance comes from the type of weave (?) and not from a finish, but they had nothing in writing regarding this.

What do you think, Debra? Thanks so much!

Debra’s Answer

Since the beginning of permanent press, all permanent press finishes have been toxic. However, in recent years, new technologies have become available where formerly toxic things are now available nontoxic. This is especially true in Europe. It’s in the realm of possibility that there could be a nontoxic permanent press finish, and if there was and the label said it was Oeko-Tex certified, then it would be nontoxic. More specifically, formaldehyde is the chemical of concern in permanent press fabric finishes, and formaldehyde is one of the chemicals for which the Oeko-Tex 100 certification tests.

Now, that said, yes, fabrics can be wrinkle-resistant because of the type of weave. Cotton flannel sheets, for example, do not wrinkle. Neither do cotton knit sheets. So there may be other weaves that do not wrinkle as well.

It used to be that “permanent press,” “no-iron,” and other such terms indicated a formaldehyde-based finish. Nowadays, some fabrics with weaves that don’t wrinkle have labels, as you saw, which indicate they don’t wrinkle and are not toxic.

The important thing to check is if the sheet is wrinkle-free because of the weave or a finish. Weave is OK, finish is not, unless it carries a certification, such as Oeko-Tex 100 that indicates it has been tested and certified to be nontoxic.

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