Question from MS

Hi Debra,

I’ve always been a somewhat green-oriented person: I recycle, I use reusable shopping bags, I eat organic as much as possible, and use mostly organic beauty products. You could say that until now my green has been a shade of soft sage. Maybe seafoam.

However, now that we are having a baby, I’ve starting reading articles about the effects of hormones, pesticides, other chemicals, indoor pollution, etc. on children, and I want to be more of a shade of bright, kelly green! However, I have budgets to consider and I’m new at this, so I have questions that maybe you and your seasoned readers can help me with:

1. I’m committed to buying non-toxic furniture, mattress and bedding for the baby, but I’m wondering what to do with the articles people have already gotten us. This would include mostly blankets and clothes. What is the concern with nonorganic clothing and bedding (sheets and blankets)? More importantly, is there anything I can wash them in that will detoxify them, or are there certain articles I should weed out (like keep 100% cotton things, but get rid of articles that have polyester?)?

2. Is there anything I can do to OUR mattress to make it less toxic? Unfortunately I bought it last summer, so I’m sure it hasn’t gassed out yet. Can I wrap it in something? The baby will initially be spending a lot of time in our room, so this is important to me, and I think it is the biggest source of unnatural products in the room.

3. What about area rugs? Our home has wooden floors (from the 60s), but we have area rugs. Can I clean them with anything to make them less toxic? Also, does anyone know where I can buy a clean, toxic free area rug for the baby’s room?

Debra’s Answer

1. While organic cotton is better for health and the environment because no pesticides are used, lab tests in Germany have shown that once non-organic cotton has gone through the process of being turned into cotton FABRIC, it no longer has any pesticide residues. So if you have items made from non-organic fabric that are not permanent press (which has a formaldehyde resin finish), these would be fine. Eliminate the polyester and any other synthetic fabric.

2. About the mattress, you could wrap it in polyurethane plastic, which would not outgass itself, but I don’t know how much of the fumes (if any) might still go through the plastic. My view is that there really isn’t anything you can do to a synthetic mattress to make it safe.

3. I’ve found it’s pretty easy to find natural fiber area rugs. There are some on Debra’s List, and in addition in the past I have purchased them at places such as Cost Plus, Pier One, Sears, Macy’s, Home Depot…

Congratulations on your baby and for creating a nontoxic home for him or her.

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Question from EJ

Is it possible to seal cedar paneling so that I would not be alleric to it?

Debra’s Answer

You could use a sealant designed to be a vapor barrier, such as AFM Safe Seal. This product is designed to block toxic fumes from porous materials such as wood products.

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Question from Merle Weiner

Debra,

My husband has Parkinson’s and I have MCS. We have a wheelchair I still can’t tolerate after outgassing for 3 month. I have removed as many rubber items as possible…replaced handle grips with non smelly plastic ones. Only the wheels remain

and the nylon seat which has a bit of a cushy feel so it must have foam sewn inside.

I used zeolite on the seat and back…wiped most areas with baking soda/vinegar and sprayed it all with Smells Begone.

I will probably open the seams and remove the foam but don’t know how to overcome the rubber odor from the wheels. Other than covering them with duct tape which will probably wear off, (if I can even tolerate it) any suggestions?

Debra’s Answer

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Question from Brad

I have not been able to find powdered unrefined cane sugar. What brands do you know of and what do you use?

I have enjoyed your website.

Debra’s Answer

Any powdered sugar labeled “organic powdered sugar” is made from unrefined cane sugar. I personally use Hain Organic Powdered Sugar.

Note to readers with corn allergies: All powdered sugar contains a small amount of corn starch.

I don’t use much of this. I’m not eating a pile of frosting on cake or lots of candy made with powdered sugar. I use maybe a half a teaspoon to sprinkle on fruit or in a recipe.

Because it is powdered, the volume of sugar is less than granulated sugar and you get more sugar taste for fewer carbs or calories.

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Question from Laurel

Hi Debra,

Thank you so much for all your help.

I’m looking at an engineered wood floor by a company called Simple Floors.com

I want to ask them about their construction materials and emissions levels, but am not sure what exactly to ask for so they know what I mean. Is there a standard report that companies have available with that sort of info? They just tell me about what good quality it is, but can’t give me any specifics.

Unfortunately we can’t afford the companies that are known for their non-toxicity (Eco Timber, Kahrs)

Thank you,

Debra’s Answer

I don’t know that there is a standard report that flooring companies have available, but they should understand if you ask them about indoor air quality emissions. They should be able to provide you with some kind of lab test results that show emissions.

When looking for an engineered floor, the main things that may be a problem in terms of toxicity are the substrait wood, the adhesive and the finish.

Usually the flooring has high-quality hardwood on top, with a lesser quality solid wood beneath. However, the substrait wood could be particleboard or plywood.

Many adhesives contain highly toxic solvents, which can outgass, so watch out for this.

The finish is usually fine, as it is baked on, which bakes off any toxic solvents it may contain at the time of application.

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Question from Tiffany Newman

I have twin infants who are on formula and the information on the local water supply scares me to death…from jet fuel to prescription medications, etc. My question is two-fold as we are moving into a new home from an apartment in two months: First for now, will a Brita filter remove prescription medications, etc from the water? Second, can you recommend a whole house water filter that I could have a plumber install that would get ride of all these things from my family’s water? Thanks so much. Tiffany

Debra’s Answer

No, a Brita filter will not remove prescription drugs from water, but neither will any other filter I know of (readers, please let me know if you know of one).

There is no one “right” whole house filter I can recommend–it all depends on what is in your water. The best overall whole house filter I know of–the one I have in my house–is from Go Beyond Organic. But mine is specific to the pollutants in my local water, and yours should be too. There’s no need to pay for fluoride removal, for example, if there is no fluoride in your water.

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Question from Ethel

Hello Debra,

I had a question about PVC & PHLALATES, I just called the munchkin company about their products containing either one of these chemicals and her response to me (which she wasnt 100% sure)was the phlalates is a chemical added to PVC products. So if the Phlalates are removed from the PVC product then that would make the product with PVC safe. I also have a diaper changing pad made by Serta claiming it has no Phlalates but yet contains vinyl which the company confirmed it’s a PVC vinyl.

I wasnt sure if you or any of your readers had any info on this considering i’m rather confused about the whole situation.

Any information would be greatly appreciated… Thank You

Debra’s Answer

Phthlates are added to PVC used to make baby products, however, removing it does NOT make PVC safe. PVC is still PVC, which is considered by Greenpeace to be the most toxic and environmentally damaging plastic there is and they have a program to eliminate it.

The only safe plastic to use for baby products is polyethylene.

It has been illegal since February 9 of this year to sell baby mattresses and some other baby products containing phthalates in the United States. But many products and mattresses are still made with PVC (also called, simply, vinyl).

My recommendation is to avoid both phthlates and PVC.

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Question from LH

Debra,

I recently purchased a bamboo steamer at a high-end cooking store, thinking it would be better than stainless steel for me on an energetic level. The brand name is Helen Chen (not Joyce Chen) and it is well made does the job beautifully steaming multi levels if needed. It is also a good alternative to the microwave for reheating food.

My concern is this. The directions say to line the steamer with parchment paper or put food on a plate. They say it is to keep the steamer clean. I don’t care about stains on the steamer but I am concerned that the bamboo itself could be treated or toxic. It is made in China and I usually avoid cookware from China. I am starting to wonder if I might be safer with stainless though I do love this piece of kitchen equipment both practically and asthetically, not to mention the waste of investment.

I would like your opinion or information about the safety of bamboo for cooking, especially bamboo imported from China.

thank you

steaming in Montague

Debra’s Answer

I have seen nothing regarding any hazardous exposures from Chinese bamboo steamers. I have one myself and use it often.

I imagine that these are not made industrially. They are probably handmade in some little village out in the countryside, far away from industrial chemicals.

If anyone has an evidence to the contrary, please let me know.

I love my bamboo steamer for all the reasons you love yours.

Question from PAA

Dear Debra

I would like to first thank you for your wonderful web site. I appreciate all the information you share with us on healthy and nontoxic ways to improve our lives.

I would like to ask a question about the Himalayan salt that is posted on your website. I was reading the element ingredients listed on their website and a few of them really jump out at me:

Lead, Radium (radioactive) Aluminium, Nickel, Arsenic, Antimony,

Cadmium (toxic even in low doses).

Please comment on how these elements are healthy for people with MCS who are constantly trying to avoid these toxic elements in their environment. Thank you.

Debra’s Answer

First, there are no “ingredients” (something that enters into a compound or is a component part of any combination or mixture) in Himalayan salt except the salt itself, which is mined from underground salt deposits formed from primal seas.

Himalayan salt is a naturally occurring mineral that contains many elements, nothing is added to or removed from the salt by man. And so it contains the full spectrum of elements provided by nature. The amount are extremely small. Trace amounts.

And yes, all of those elements exist in nature. Throughout nature. Nothing in natural is “pure” in the industrial sense that it is one element only.

Refined table salt does not contain those elements, or any other. It is pure sodium chloride. But it also makes people sick. Himalayan salt, on the other hand, with all it’s natural elements, has been scientifically tested and found to be exceptionally iife enhancing.

I personally have been eating “The Original” Himalayan Crystal Salt for, oh, about four years, I think, and my body loves it.

Just a side note…I recently found that my body had elevated blood pressure. I stopped eating in refined salt entirely (no restaurants or processed foods containing salt) and it my blood pressure went to normal in a few weeks without doing anything else. All this time I was eating Himalayan salt. Then I went to San Francisco for six weeks and all I ate was restaurant food. And now, returning home, I found my blood pressure was up. But I’m not concerned…I just stopped eating in restaurants.

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Question from L.A.

The commercial non-chlorine bleaches seem awfully expensive for something that seems to be essentially hydrogen peroxide with a stabilizer (whatever that is). Is it possible to just dilute drugstore hydrogen peroxide and use that instead? If so, any ideas on what dilution and is it okay to store it in a bottle instead of mixing it up each time?

Debra’s Answer

It’s 1 cup hydrogen peroxide per washer load (but don’t pour it directly on clothes as it will bleach out colors like chlorine bleach).

Here’s a whole page of other household uses for hydrogen peroxide: www.h2o2-4u.com/house.html.

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