Are There Any Nontoxic Wedge Pillows?
There are natural latex and organic cotton wedge pillows that are safer than regular foam.
Washing out Flame Retardants
Flame retardants that collect on clothing throughout the day will wash off of clothing but clothing treated with flame retardants are designed to withstand washing.
Time it Takes for Kitchen Cabinets to Offgas
We are having new kitchen cabinets built (using solid wood doors and Purebond plywood interiors). My builder is suggesting using waterborne products for finishing but I am nervous about the VOC's. He would be spraying them at his shop then bringing them to our house. I was searching for info. on the internet and came across this claim by a cabinet company. Is this true?
Remove Leftover Smell from a Glade Plug-in
Glade plug-ins give me a head ache and I was wondering if you have any sense of what it takes to get rid of the smell and the associated chemicals.
PLA Fibers in Organic Mattress
I am researching a mattress for my daughter. I wanted cotton or wool or both, and the most affordable so far for me is Naturepedic organic cotton quilted deluxe. The only problem - it contains PLA fibers somewhere in the mattress. I know it is polyester derived from plants, but is it ok to have it inside the organic mattress?
Cold Foam in IKEA Furniture
I am looking at an office chair at IKEA, the GREGOR swivel chair. The product description says the seat cushion is made of "high Resilient polyurethane foam ( Cold foam)". Do you know what that is and is it safe?
That New TV Smell
Hi...I read that some flatscreen t.v.s outgas the lifetime of the TV. Wondering what your input on this is.?? Is there a website that rates TV's on the greenest etc. Thanks
Lead-Free Crystal Door Knob
I'm looking for replacement door knobs, antique in style, and have seen several glass knobs that I like very much. Upon reading the descriptions, it seems that all the glass knobs are actually lead crystal knobs. I am aware that leaded crystal leaches lead if you drink from it, but NOWHERE can I find any information on door knobs.
Lead in Glass Canning Jars
I use glass canning jars with glass lids for almost all of my food storage---I don't actually can with them but I store lots of different foods in the fridge, pantry and freezer with them. I came across a blogger who used an XRF gun to test these jars and found they had 142 ppm of lead. I called the company and when I asked if the jars were lead-free, they said that no glass is lead-free. They said their jars were tested annually, and that they were made in Germany where they said the standards are stricter, and they said that it would be impossible for lead to migrate into the food.
Eco-Friendly Furniture from Pottery Barn
Thanks for all your research and helpful information, which I use all the time. I'm wondering if you know anything about Pottery Barn's new furniture line, "PB Comfort Eco."
New Refrigerator Off-Gassing
I have been in my current home for 12 years with the same refrigerator that was here when we moved in… I'm considering a new refrigerator, yet am stalling, due to the off gassing of new units. (I've been "considering" a purchase for 6 years!). I have searched the web and found very little discourse and no refrigerators that are manufactured with materials that do not off gas.
Sweet Smell in the Drum of Speed Queen Washer
I had my new Speed Queen top loader washer delivered today and the smell from the drum is making me very ill. Do you have any ideas as to how I clean the drum to get rid of the smell? It was suppose to go away as soon as I cleaned the drum and removed the finishing wax. Not so. It just seems to keep right on smelling.
Formaldehyde Free Plywood
are you familiar with PureBond formaldehyde-free plywood? It is apparently available at Home Depot, and it is soy-based rather than using the urea formaldehyde. I typically avoid soy (have a bit of a food sensitivity to it and don’t think it’s great for us overall), but in this instance, we won’t be eating it, and it seems much better than typical plywood. But I’m wondering if you are familiar with it and recommend it, or if there are any other concerns I should be aware of with this product.
Dry Cleaned Clothes and Evaporation of Solvents
I have some dry-cleaned clothes still in the plastic that have been in my closet for about 6 years. Would these be safe by now to wear, or would you dispose of them?
Blue Indicator on Toothbrushes
I use the Oral B blue indicator toothbrush. Well I just did some research and found out that the blue indicator is a blue dye, Coomassie Brilliant Blue. Wouldn’t that be considered not healthy?
Sleep Number Bed Odor
have owned a sleep number bed for about 4 years. The volcanized rubber air chamber still puts off a very strong odor. I can not even turn my pillow over because it will smell to strong. My bed sheets have the odor. In the past you recommended a aluminum camping sheet to block odor from a chair.
Eyeglass Lenses Coatings and Frames
My husband and I both need to get glasses and are having a hard time finding the frames and lenses we believe would be non or least toxic. Please help!
Lead-Free Extension Cords
I was wondering where I could purchase lead free etc. extension chords.
IKEA and Flame Retardants
I contacted IKEA about an article I read but I don't fully know what to make of the response. I read an article about IKEA intending to phase out flame retardants by 2010. Did this happen? What were they replaced with? Do you have any furniture without polyurethane foam, if so what do they contain?
Safe Headphones
Any tips for finding safe headphones? I have decided to look for in-ear headphones since there is less material I might be sensitive to. I thought I picked out a good pair. They were anodized aluminum, phthalate-free and BPA-free but the cord still had a strong plastic odour.