A friend of mine sent me this blog post that says adhesives are now being made from soy: Tofu ingredient used to create formaldehyde-free plywood glue.

At the end it says “Soy-based adhesives currently make up less than five percent of the wood adhesive market.” For me, that statement says the adhesive market is 5% full of soy adhesives, not 95% empty of them.

Columbia Forest Products has been leading the way in making wood products with their formaldehyde-free soy-based Pure Bond adhesive since 2005. I saw them at Home Depot the other day.

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Question from Christine Stewart

We are building a new house. I am agonizing over the bathtub selection. My husband and I would really like a cast iron tub, but they are quite expensive. We have been looking into getting an old one and having it refinished, but I’m not sure if the chemicals used to refinish them would leach into the bath water. The best option for refinishing would be to have it refired with new porcelein, but I haven’t found a company near us (Dallas, Texas).

If we can’t buy a new cast iron tub, would a fiberglass tub be less toxic than a refinished cast iron tub? Do acrylic tubs leach?

Yikes! After all this stress, I need a bath. Of course, not one filled with chemicals . . .

Debra’s Answer

Oh…I don’t like any of your alternatives to the cast iron.

Re refinishing the tub, check out the complaints at Q&A: Bathtub Resurfacing (it also has info on some less toxic products to use).

Fiberglass would be better than acrylic.

I really want a tub in my house. My husband has promised to build one for me. We’re going to build a frame and tile it.

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Question from Reenie

Does anyone have success in getting mice out of a car engine using a non toxic method?

I’ve read about strobe lights, high frequency sound, peppermint/spearmint oil, cedar chips, and wonder if others have tried these methods in getting mice out from under a car engine. My friend put some moth balls under her hood and in the trunk and now the interior of the car smells like moth balls. Thanks for any suggestions!

Debra’s Answer

Readers?

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Question from Violet56

HELP PLEASE?! I wish to remove the very old, dust laden carpets located in the front stairwell. I lifted up a corner and see that there are wooden tack strips that are glued down VERY VERY tightly. I tried to pry one up and it was absolutely impossible. I would greatly appreciate any tips on a safe product which I can use to remove these wooden strips that are holding the carpets down. (and any tips on how to remove these wooden tack strips safely?) The stairs are made of some type of 1950’s/60’s style – a type of stone, which appears as many mixed mottled colours(difficult to describe). Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

Readers, any suggestions?

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Question from Adica

Hi Debra, My boyfriend and I have just moved into a new house, and as my botfriend discovered after mowing the lawn for the first time, it seems there are several poison ivy plants around the house (resulting in three–going on four–weeks of blisters and rashes for him). We rent the house, but we’re in charge of landscaping, so it’s up to us to kill it.

I was wondering if you had any suggestions on how to kill it. I have Borax and white vinegar on hand, which I’ve read some have used to kill plants, but I was wondering if you had a other suggestions. I’m not concerned about killing some of the surrounding plants in the process (they’re mostly weeds, anyway), so anything would be helpful. Thanks! Adica

Debra’s Answer

Annie Berthold-Bond has a homemade Poison Ivy Killer using salt and vinegar, but my husband says if you use salt, it will be a while before anything grows there again.

My husband recommends trying steaming the plant and leaves with a steam cleaner. He’s never tried this, but his logic says it would kill the plant (I myself am not sure it would kill the roots).

Readers, any experience with this to share?

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Question from Mrs. Chris

We have a dropped ceiling in our basement and are going to replace the acoustic ceiling panels with something more healthy. We’re not sure what to use. The metal grid framework will accept panels about 2′ x 3′.

Any recommendations?

Debra’s Answer

Readers, any suggestions?

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Question from joyinjesus

I am planning a trip in about 3 weeks and will be flying for the first time since developing MCS. (First flight for 7 years) It will be within the USA. I am very concerned about all the chemicals in the cabin of the airplane as well as the concentrated exhaust outside the airport and the smells inside the airport. Being near perfume or other fragrances makes me cough uncontrolably. Pesticides and cleaning products bother me in other ways.

I have read about using oxygen in flight, but how is that done? Does one use an oxygen mask or just the tube that goes to the nose? New plastic smell bothers me, so how can I avoid that with oxygen? Is there a brand of tubing or mask that is better about not smelling like plastic? Do I just need a prescription for oxygen, or a special kind of prescription?

Thank you for your help and please tell me how to protect myself.

Debbie in NM

Debra’s Answer

There is already some information about this at Q&A: Toxics While Traveling, but it doesn’t answer your questions about oxygen.

Readers, any experience or advice to share on this?

Question from KatherineM

I was looking into these really cute reusable sandwich/snack bags (www.lunchskins.com) and their site says the inside is coated with “food-safe polyurethane liner.” Do you think this is really safe/non-toxic? Thank you!

Debra’s Answer

See Q&A: Toxicity of Polyurethane.

I don’t think the toxicity of the polyurethane liner would be any more or less toxic than a food grade polyethylene sandwich bag. I don’t know if this wraps are more or less reusable than a sandwich bag, but they are cuter.

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Question from Alison Denning

I used to order”Right On” Crystal Aire, Pace Industries from Jim Nigra (as suggested in Nontoxic and Natural, 1984). I can no longer locate it. Is it still made? If not, what alternative is there?

Debra’s Answer

I haven’t heard of it in a while and can’t find it on the Internet.

The wood finishes I currently recommend are at Debra’s List: Interior Decorating: Wood Finishes.

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Question from Santa Cruz CA

Debra, A while back I was browsing your site looking for information on buying a new bed.

At that time, I thought you said that buying organic is good for the planet but made no difference at all in relation to people with MCS, since there were no pesticide residues left over in the fabrics once they were finished growing. But now I am reading that pesticide and fungicide residues are found in non-organic cloth.

I want an inner-spring bed and I have found an “all-natural” one, but its not made with organic cotton. It has nothing synthetic in it, and is made with cotton, wool and natural latex. Because there is wool in it, it is not required to have fire-retardant. I seem to do fine on it, when testing it out and its SO comfortable. I do not find the Shepherd’s Dream beds to be comfortable…I need a little more cush because of joint pain.

I believe the company who makes the beds is called Berkeley Ergonomics, but they are being sold at a store in Santa Cruz called SC41. Here is a link to the beds: http://sc41.com/SC41ProductSheets_Mattress_Systems.pdf

Please clarify for me, whether I need to buy certified organic in order to heal from MCS. The price difference for organic is more than twice as much! Thank you so much!!!

Debra’s Answer

I said that there are no pesticide residues in non-organic cotton fabric after it has finished processing, not growing. This is based on lab tests from Germany. You don’t say where you read there are pesticide and fungicide residues in non-organic cotton, so I can’t comment on what was said.

If you want to avoid pesticide residues, you must get organic batting on the inside of the mattress. Organic cotton is not necessary for the cover of the mattress.

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