Debra Lynn Dadd 5/23/13 Debra Lynn Dadd 5/23/13

Instructions to Bake-Out Toxic Fumes

NonToxU does not recommend the bake-out technique because studies show that it does not reduce VOCs and in some instances can increases them.

Debra Lynn Dadd 4/23/13 Debra Lynn Dadd 4/23/13

Allergy to Hemp

I had some organic hemp/tencel roman shades made for my son's room, as he has asthma. The first night we installed the shades, he started wheezing. He slept in our room the next two nights and was fine. We put him back in his room, and he started wheezing again.

Debra Lynn Dadd 4/22/13 Debra Lynn Dadd 4/22/13

Verizon Modem is Smelling Up the House

I just received a new Actiontec Modem from Verizon a few days ago. It has been outside and wiped w/vinegar, soap, etc and still has strong odor. We had to plug it in b/c my husband needs wireless for his work. We now have it in the back of our home running and the entire room smells like the plastic. Is there a brand of modem that does not off-gas these harmful fumes? I cannot believe this. We have never had this issue before. We now have it in a brown bag, but it still has the entire room full of this toxic odor. I'm afraid the walls, etc., are going to smell like this and we'll never get it out.

Debra Lynn Dadd 3/29/13 Debra Lynn Dadd 3/29/13

Safe, Wipeable Fabric for Covering Kitchen Chairs

Hi there, we just bought a new set of kitchen chairs (via Craig's List), and my husband wants to re-cover them with fabric that we can wipe down since we have three young kids. When we did this four years ago, we bought reasonably priced fabric and then a clear plastic to put on top of the fabric. The solution worked great, but I now realize that the plastic must have contained PVC and surely off-gassed.

Debra Lynn Dadd 3/5/13 Debra Lynn Dadd 3/5/13

How to Remove Musty Smell from Organic Mattress

I am wondering if there is a natural way to get a musty smell out of my older son's Naturepedic wool/cotton mattress. It was stored in a closet in our home for a year or so, and now it smells...I guess from lack of air circulation?

Debra Lynn Dadd 3/3/13 Debra Lynn Dadd 3/3/13

CertiPUR-US Polyurethane Foam

I have a friend who recently purchased a foam mattress from a company called CertiPUR-US. It claims to be a green item with very little off gassing. I have an older mattress in my guest room and was thinking about replacing it. Any info on them?

Debra Lynn Dadd 2/17/13 Debra Lynn Dadd 2/17/13

Is Volck Oil Toxic?

I run a native plant nursery and we try to be chemical free. One of the volunteers has brought in volck oil. I looked it up and it is 97% petroleum oil. We have 3 Chemical Sensitive volunteers and one complained about feeling ill after being in the nursery 5 days after this product was used. Do you think this could still made her ill?

Debra Lynn Dadd 1/24/13 Debra Lynn Dadd 1/24/13

Wet and Forget

Has anybody used Wet and Forget? It's for removing stains and mold from outside patios. You just spray it on and leave it...the rain is supposed to wash it away....there are concerns about pets listed on the label...Is it even safe to breathe? Would appreciate any information anybody has.

Debra Lynn Dadd 1/8/13 Debra Lynn Dadd 1/8/13

Nontoxic Picture Frames

I never knew that even the picture frames in our homes have chemicals that can offgass. There is a new labeling system for "formaldyhyde compliant" with a phase number. I have looked everywhere for solid wood frames.

Debra Lynn Dadd 11/5/12 Debra Lynn Dadd 11/5/12

Is There Lead Exposure From Stainless Steel

Lead is not an ingredient in stainless steel.

Debra Lynn Dadd 11/4/12 Debra Lynn Dadd 11/4/12

Amazing Whip-it Cleaner

My daughter just purchased The Amazing Whip-It cleaner and wanted to know if it was safe to use. It claims to be "natural".

Debra Lynn Dadd 10/13/12 Debra Lynn Dadd 10/13/12

Healthy Chair Mat

I am looking for a healthy material chair mat for my computer desk. Don't know if there is such a thing. I have a low pile carpet in the room and over my lifetime have mostly used the cheap mats at office supply stores. I am more sensitive now and the 2 mats we have have cracked and need replacing. I found a mat I liked (size and price) but it was made of polycarbonate.

Debra Lynn Dadd 10/8/12 Debra Lynn Dadd 10/8/12

Is Bora Care Termite Treatment Safe?

Do you have any thoughts on a product called Bora Care? We are considering purchasing a home that is being sprayed with Bora Care for a fungus issue in the crawl space. By state law it can only be applied once which makes me concerned about its safety.

Debra Lynn Dadd 9/17/12 Debra Lynn Dadd 9/17/12

Is Duck Brand Duct Tape Toxic?

Is the colored craft duct tape, DUCK BRAND toxic? My son likes to use it to make crafts. Apparently it is the in thing right now among kids his age. I called the company and they said the adhesive is both natural and synthetic rubber. The tape is made from polyethylene. Is the tape or the adhesive toxic for my son to breathe in while crafting with it?

Debra Lynn Dadd 9/14/12 Debra Lynn Dadd 9/14/12

Thermoplastic Rubber

I was wondering if you had any information on Thermoplastic Rubber being used on slippers. I'm thinking of purchasing a pair but am finding anything solid online about this material. Thank you so much for your time!

Debra Lynn Dadd 8/8/12 Debra Lynn Dadd 8/8/12

Aromatic Cedar in a Closet

I am designing a closet for a client. She has a moth problem and I was going to back some of the walls with aromatic cedar. However, she was told that aromatic cedar is 'toxic'. I think the wood dust is toxic, when the material is sawed, When it is installed maybe someone could be allergic to it ?

Debra Lynn Dadd 8/1/12 Debra Lynn Dadd 8/1/12

Sealant to Block Smell of Wood

I recently purchased a wool bed from Shepherd's Dream and am waiting for it's arrival. I have an ash platform bed from Bedworks of Maine. The slats are unfinished but I find the natural odor of wood bothersome. I have already put them in the sun and it helped some, but not enough. Can they be finished or sealed with the shellac you recommend or something else so I can't smell the wood or would this compromise the mattress?

Debra Lynn Dadd 7/24/12 Debra Lynn Dadd 7/24/12

Can I Absorb Fluoride Through My Skin?

I am trying to find information about skin absorption of fluoride in bath water and laundry cloth contacting with skin. I got conflicting infomation. Now we are drinking and cooking with spring water to reduce the fluoride exposure. But we also need to take a shower and do the lawndry for the cloth using fluoride city water. We can not find a perfect whole house water filtration system since both alumnum and bone char are not perfect. We want to avoid a whole house water filtration system if we can convince that fluoride will be entering into human body by skin.

Debra Lynn Dadd 7/3/12 Debra Lynn Dadd 7/3/12

Has Post-it Notes Adhesive Formula Changed?

I've been using Post-It Notes for years and never had a problem with them. The other day I bought a new package and the notes had an odor for the first time. Did they change their adhesive?

Debra Lynn Dadd 6/21/12 Debra Lynn Dadd 6/21/12

Steel Bed

Are steel beds less toxic overall than beds made of other materials (wood or foam-covered fabric)? It seems like the toxicity would come primarily from lacquer. I have no chemical sensitivities, but would like to create as chemical-free home environment as possible, as we have young children. Thank you!