Question from JeanineDC

I’ve been looking for new chairs and I found some I like that are made of Hirek polymer. One of the websites said that they were 100% non-toxic, but I really could not find any more information on them or on Hirek specifically. Have you heard of it? What is it exactly?

Debra’s Answer

I couldn’t find anything on this either, except a lot of chairs made from it.

Readers, any ideas where to find information on this plastic?

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Question from Kathy Kane

We just made the switch from analog to digital and in the process switched our Cable TV provider from Cablevision (copper wiring) to Verizon (fiber optics). As a result of this process, we now have a digital box and a router. My body/mind does not like this new setup.

A tech gentleman suggested that we turn off the router as an experiment. This improved things somewhat, but even with the router, TV, and digital box unplugged it affects me in a negative way.

The only options for cable where I live are Cablevision, Verizon, and Direct TV (satellite). Even if I went back to Cablevision I can’t return to the baseline what with the switch from analog to digital technology. My TV is not setup to receive a cable card.

Any suggestions or comments? Educated guesses as to what would likely be the safest option? Thanks so much.

Debra’s Answer

Readers? Any experience with this?

Question from Rebekah

My husband bought a used washer and dryer, thinking it was a great deal and that it would help my laundromat related allergies and illness. Unfortunately, he bought the washer and dryer from someone who ran scented detergents and softeners through them for years! I don’t think he understands my sensitivity, and even after hours of cleaning the machines, the smells are nauseating to me. I don’t want to even think about running any of my clothes or linens through the machines until I can get the odors out. Is there anything I can do other than re-sell these machines?! My husband thought he was doing me a great service and was hoping to recieve thanks and appreciation; instead I’m frustrated and slightly angry that his “great deal” turned into a huge ordeal for me and my chemical sensitivity. Will anything take out the overpowering chemical perfume odors that have obviously permeated the plastics of these machines?! Thanks in advance for any help, advice, or tips.

Debra’s Answer

Readers? What’s your experience with this?

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Question from laa

Hi Debra,

We recently purchased a high-quality featherbed (made from polyester, “down alternative”). Trying to relieve hip pain from a saggin innerspring mattress.

Well – the pain after the first night was the worst I’ve had in years – I sunk way, way down into the featherbed (in the hip area) – much worse than sleeping on my old mattress alone.

My question: Would a wool topper (Shepherd’s Dream has a nice one) be more firm and not sink so far down? I know wool is good for pressure point pain relief – which is what I need – and I know it compresses. But will it actually have a deep, deep “hole” after sleeping on it one night?

Thanks! Also – have heard some people say wool has a strong odor (Vivetique organic mattress with organic cotton, wool and innerspring – no rubber of any kind – has received quite a few complaints). Your opinion?

Debra’s Answer

I had a featherbed once and stopped using it because my body weight pushed the feathers aside as I slept and made a hole, which kind of defeated the purpose.

I have a Shepherd’s Dream wool topper on my bed and it does not make a hole like a featherbed. The wool stays in place and offers cushioning night after night, year after year.

I have not noticed an odor from the wool used in my bed. Shepherd’s Dream will send out samples of the materials, so you can try that before you buy.

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Question from Laura

I have a white enamel basin that I use for laundry and a floot bath. There were a few rust patches when I got it second hand and I would like to know if there’s something nontoxic that I can use on them to keep them from eating through the basin. Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

Readers? What’s your experience?

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Question from Renee’

I have been very sick since Thanksgiving and your book Home Safe Home has been very helpful. I am seeing an Int. MD who treats naturally; my neurotransmitters are very sensitive and we are slowly, getting them back to being ok! In the meantime, I discovered black mold and water in our crawl space which is below our family room!! A plumber helped resolve this issue and we used your Borax Solution. Although we do need to do it again!! The wall between the crawl space and out doors had basically deteriorated because of the poor, drainage under a very, large deck that came with the house when we bought it 18 years ago. The wood above the brick foundation has now been replaced; the deck has been removed and we are in the process of putting in a screened in porch and correcting the water drainage problem around our house!!

The problem is that we thought adding mulch to the house would help with the problem; we were wrong! So, I have been told that we need to get the dirt/mulch removed so that the first brick is exposed and so air can circulate. Our house has steel siding on it!

Now the question – one solution is to buy anodized aluminum and to attach it below the siding tented with dirt under it and dirt and mulch on top. It would be slanted away from the house so that the water would go away from the house. My handyman and the landscape/concrete man met yesterday; and the landscape person recommended hand digging along the two sides of the house that need this and putting in a drain tile (PVC) which woudl be connected to the drain that is behind our house in the next neighbors yard. The PVC put up a red flag for me and they convinced me at the meeting yesterday that it would be ok because it was in the ground.

I have tried to find the answser in your book – Home Safe Home; but, couldn’t come up with a comfortable solution. A part of me feels that the aluminum tent should be sufficient since I believe in the rapturer is not that far away! What are your feelings about the options and do you have any other options?

Is it true the PVC would be ok for my plants, birds and me since it is buried in the earth and that I only need to be concerned with how he plans to connect the PVC pipes? I know they used PVC on my wholehouse filtration system. It was amazing what is in the City of Racine’s water!!

So glad to find you!!

Debra’s Answer

My husband tells me that using the PVC pipe drain is standard procedure for the problem you describe and that it is necessary to completely handle the problem.

Though PVC is one of the most toxic plastics, it is commonly used underground. It will not pose a direct health danger to you or other living things in your immediate environment when buried underground (though it does cause environmental harm elsewhere when it is being manufactured, and it is not biodegradable).

Often we need to make trade-offs. My opinion is that in your case, it’s more important to handle the mold problem in your house. It wasn’t built correctly in the first place.

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Question from YH

Hi,

I know that natural fiber is better, but they are quite expensive… I have a polyester (feels like down) and polyrathane (memory foam) pillow. Which one is better? I think not using a pillow is worse than exposing myself to formaldehyde… my neck would be sore.

Do cotton pillows contain pesticide or herbicide? You said that cotton batting has pesticide residue. Is there some kind of chemical in wool pillows? How can I make a pillow myself? Seems hard…

There are also pillows made of other stuff such as buckwheat, millet hull, etc. Have you tried those? Which “ingredient” do you recommend?

Thanks

Debra’s Answer

Polyester is less toxic than polyurethane, but by giving you this answer, be clear that I am NOT recommending polyester pillows.

Cotton FABRIC, organic or otherwise, does not contain pesticide residues, even if pesticides were applied during growing. Cotton BATTING (the fill in the pillow) does contain pesticide residues if it is not organic. So it’s important that the fill of organic cotton pillows be organic, but not so important to health for the case (although pesticides from growing cotton do come to us indirectly through the environment, so organic cotton is always the better choice).

I have not tried all the pillow fills. My personal favorite is wool because it is resilient. Readers, what are your favorites?

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Question from Miemiemuis

I was wondering whether hardboard contains any formaldehyde. I’m fixing an old wood dresser and the bottom of the draws are hardboard/pressed wood that urgently need to be replaced and I want a replacement that will not off gas anything toxic. Should I seal it?

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

That piece of wood at the bottom of dressers is usually pressboard, which is made by simply steaming small wood chips together under pressure. The natural lignins in the wood stick together of their own accord, without any additional resins. Masonite is one brand name of such wood. It does not outgas.

Particleboard, on the other hand, is made by mixing wood chips with a resin that contains formaldehyde, and the formaldehyde outgasses from the particleboard over time until it is gone. Depending on conditions, this can take years.

Question from laa

Hi, we have to buy a new mattress – and it looks like we’ll have to buy a conventional innerspring (my husband does not want to take the risk of buying online, and not being able to return it if it’s too firm, or if we react to the organic cotton batting.

These traditional mattresses scare me so! My question is: would a wool topper (love the ones we see on Shepherd’s Dream website) be enough to help put distance between us and the toxic fumes (breathing them in, etc)

Thanks!

Debra’s Answer

Toxic mattresses release fumes that are gasses, very minute particles that require a material with very tightly bonded particles to block them. A wool topper is simply wool, which has a lot of space between strands, cased in cotton cloth that is not very tightly woven. Gasses can pass right through.

There is a material called “barrier cloth”, sold at Janice Corporation that is very tightly woven cotton fabric. Many people use this to block fumes from mattresses, in fact, Janice’s sells barrier cloth mattress covers. I personally cannot vouch for their effectiveness (readers, feel free to chime in with your experience).

I don’t think using a barrier cloth cover makes a synthetic mattress equivalent to a natural mattress. It’s still sleeping on plastic and there are the environmental effects to consider as well.

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Question from Kristen

Hi Debra,

We recently purchased a savvy rest serenity organic mattress for our daughters. We LOVE these beds but they have a smell to them, it’s not a chemical smell, it’s a latex smell. Will a regular mattress cover keep the smell away? Can I wrap this bed in bed covers that you have recommended for other people? Any thoughts would be great.

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know what will block latex mattress fumes.

I can’t tolerate the smell of latex either. But I did get some latex strips for my wood slat frame under my wool mattress. They had an odor when they arrived and I put them out in the sun for about six weeks. By then, the odor was gone and I have been sleeping on them successfully since. However, this is just latex, with no covering on it, so the sun could work on it. I doubt putting your mattress in the sun would have the same effect.

Readers, any experience with this?

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