Question from green-earth

Hi Debra,

About a month ago, a family member used my washer and dryer (without my knowledge) and I’m concerned of possible contamination on my clothes if I now use the dryer. I’m not worried about the washer so much because it is stainless steel, and I just ran a few cycles with hot water and detergent. No smells.

The family member put their dirty clothes into my washer using my fragrance-free detergent, on extra rinse and also dried them in my dryer. Problem is, at home they use scented detergent and possibly fabric softener on their clothes, so I’m worried that there may be residue inside the dryer, even though they washed with my detergent.

Do you think the dryer is still safe to use, or is there residue that could come off onto my clothes if I use it? I don’t smell anything in the dryer that indicates fragrance, and others have been using the dryer for about a month. My skin is very sensitive (to fragrances especially) so I’m afraid to use any cleaners in it. What do you think?

Debra’s Answer

I had a similar problem recently. I just ran the dryer several times and the chemicals burned off.

If others have been using the dryer for a month, I would think there are no residues left. It should be safe for you.

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Question from mammina

I just found this water filter. It claims to reduce a lot of contaminants, and it is also very affordable. What do you think about it?

http://www.pureeffectfilters.com/filter-units/pure-effect-ultra.html

Debra’s Answer

Good find.

There are some things I like about this unit. I read a lot of the website and they understand the basic issues.

1. All of their cartridges are sourced from the USA and are never sourced from China.

2. All filter components are custom manufactured from the purest quality materials such as our Stainless Steel Spouts, Purified Lead-Free Brass Connectors and Diverter valves, and BPA-Free, Food-Grade Plastic Housing and Tubing.

3. They have separate specific cartridges for chloramine and chlorine.

4. They have a separate cartridge for fluoride.

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Question from keelyeliz

Dear Debra,

Still trying to educate myself on a water filter for my family! (It’s a tall order as there are SO many on the market!!!)

One of the contaminants in my water are nitrates. I just discovered this as I was looking through my city water report. In an instant, I switched from being a carbon block advocate, to loving the idea of reverse osmosis (I have always written reverse osmosis off, after reading that it removes essential minerals from the water, and leaves it with a low ph.

Anyway, even with these pitfalls, I’m now leaning towards reverse osmosis, because of the need to remove nitrates. I came across a filter by Pure Water Products that contains a carbon block pre-filter, a TFC membrane, and a calcite/carbon post filter (along with a multi pure unit). The company states that the calcite will raise the ph of the water after being lowered by the reverse osmosis unit.

My question is in regards to Calcite. I have never heard of this before? I’m wondering if you have, and if you know if it’s safe, and effective at regulating ph?

Also, do you agree that reverse osmosis is essentially the only way to remove nitrates from water? Or is there another type of filter available?

Debra’s Answer

Calcite is another name for calcium carbonate, a natural mineral.

Calcium is the main constituent of bones and teeth and it has keys metabolic functions.

Calcium is sometimes referred to as lime. It also assists the functions of nerves and muscles.

As with many other natural elements, calcium is essential in certain amounts and toxic if too much is taken. Lack of calcium is one of the main causes of osteoporosis, but too much calcium can lead to the development of kidney stones and sclerosis of kidneys and blood vessels.

Calcium itself is not toxic, but I don’t know if running all your water through a calcium carbonate filter would add up to excessive calcium over time. I think unlikely.

Calcium is widely used to adjust the ph of water, making it more alkaline. One drawback is that calcium also makes water hard, and so then a water softener needs to be used.

Question from petercsantoro@yahoo.com

Is it okay to store food/ liquids in plastic in the the freezer? I order grass fed meat which is frozen and packaged in plastic. Is there leaching from the plastic? I really don’t think there is anything I can do in this case…some things I just have to accept. What about freezing milk in the #2 HDPE plastic? I have had to freeze some raw milk in the plastic container…is this okay? Is it okay to give to my children, or should I worry about leaching? Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

Leaching of plastic increases with heat and decreases with cold, so frozen plastic would leach less than room temperature plastic.

In my opinion, too, the benefits of eating grassfed beef and drinking raw milk far outweigh any leaching of plastic that might occur.

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While looking for some information on the health effects of a certain water pollutant I came across this from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC):

Common Tap Water Contaminants

See Chapter 5 for some great information on contaminants like lead and radon, describing short and long term health effects, safe levels, and what type of filtration will remove these contaminants.

Interestingly, this report does not include chlorine or chloramines, or fluoride, perhaps because they are intentionally added to the water.

Regardless of what is missing, what’s there is a good report worth reading to get a better idea of what might be in your water.

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Question from Sheila Flores

Hi Debra,

We are purchasing a new home and having it built. Unfortunately it is the best option for us where we live. We have a 7 month old and I am very concerned about the off gassing for her [and for us] with the new construction. Is there anything you can recommend that we request from the builder to help? Our mattress is on the floor of our bedroom for safety reasons because we co-sleep. Is it a danger to have us all breathing so closely to the carpet? We have an Austin Air purifier. Should we invest in some more of those? Carpet vs. hardwood floors? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I have read about putting AFM safecoat on the cabinets [as I’m certain they will not be made of real wood]. What are your thoughts on that product?

Sincerely,

Sheila Flores

Debra’s Answer

There is a lot you can do to reduce the use of toxic materials during construction.

I can help you choose less toxic building materials in a personal consultation.

Please call me.

Yes, it is a danger to be breathing sleeping right on top of a carpet.

With air purifiers, they need to be the right purifier to remove your specific pollutants and the right size to remove pollutants effectively from the area. I can help you figure that out too.

AFM Safe Coat has been used successfully by many. Some people don’t tolerate it. I used it once to coat a piece of particleboard that was part of a table I bought, and it was very effective. However, my first choice is always real wood.

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Question from tatiana514

Hi,

I am pregnant with our first and am trying to be as green and non-toxic as possible without creating a massive dent in our bank account. I am currently torn between 2 cribs – Argington Sahara and Baby’s Dream Cube. I am looking for a white crib. From what I have read about both, they appear to have a low level of toxins, but the Sahara does seem a bit more eco-friendly. I’ve read so much my head seems like it is going to burst, so I just need some advice from others please. Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

Readers?

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Question from petercsantoro@yahoo.com

I received the Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System as a Christmas present. Supposedly, it cleanses the skin really well yet is very gentle. I contacted the company and discovered that the bristles (which cleanse/touch the skin) are made from “DuPont Super Soft Elastomer which is a thermoplastic.” Just wondering what you thought about this device, and if you think it would be better to avoid using this plastic on my skin…I have not opened it in case I want to return it. Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

Well, I always want everything to be natural, so I would prefer a natural bristle brush, however brush bristles are generally not toxic. This description “DuPont Super Soft Elastomer which is a thermoplastic” is not enough of a description to discern what material it actually is.

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Question from suzanne mikula

I’m starting this discussion for people looking for non-toxic window blind options and suggestions. I’m not a Sales person! This is my personal experience and I have been active on Debra’s site for years now.

Some time ago I’d submitted a question to 3 Day Blinds about their wood blinds. They said that the finish on their wood blinds was non-toxic and low VOC. We decided to go ahead and have a home consult. We talked about all their options. The Consultant informed us that their Faux Wood Blinds were made of a polymer with no VOC, and no off-gassing. It isn’t a covered MDF or anything similar; it’s a more solid plastic type material. He showed us a sample and I examined/sniffed it :-).

I felt very good about the option; there was no smell and I can usually get an energetic sense of how things affect me. This felt totally inert to me. My husband has been installing the blinds the past few days and so far there is no smell or adverse reaction that I am experiencing.

I know beauty is a side issue to toxicity but I just have to say the blinds are beautiful… I’m very happy because they feel safe to me, look great and finally offer us the privacy and light control we’ve been missing for years in our home!

I have mild-moderate Chemical Sensitivity with probably a higher tolerance than those with a Severe condition. I don’t know if these blinds will work for others, I can only speak for myself and share my experience.

I’m going to ask the consultant who helped us to chime in here perhaps, if there are questions about the 3 Day Blind materials.

Debra’s Answer

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Question from loribeth

I read your article about organic vs non organic clothing. You mentioned not to buy non organic batting. Your article was posted on Healthy Child and Boba’s sites. My question is, should I stay away from a baby carrier that does not have the organic batting within it? I don’t know how much batting there is in the carrier to know if it is enough that would be harmful to my baby and myself. I am looking at the Boba carrier. I am not sure when you say not to purchase this material if you meant only large items i.e. a mattress. Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

There are many styles for Boba Baby Carrier, so I’m not sure which one you are considering.

But in general, obviously larger amounts of cotton batting would give a greater exposure to whatever pesticides are on it, so you would get more exposure from a mattress than a baby carrier.

Also, there is nothing about the materials used in a baby carrier that I am aware of that would block any pesticides that are on the non-organic cotton batting.

If it were me, I would get a baby carrier that did not have non-organic cotton batting.

That said, if there is some compelling reason why you need to get this one, the amount of pesticides your baby would be exposed to would be small (a smal amount a few hours a day versus a large amount 8+ hours a day for a mattress).

Still, when it comes to babies, any and every exposure to toxics you can eliminate is worth doing.

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