Art | Resources
Greenguard Certified Ottoman
Tucson Natural Fabric Storage Ottoman Coffee Table. It’s linen and hardwood, but finish and filling is unknown.
Question from Jenna J
Hi Debra,
I just came across your website and cannot believe I didn’t find it sooner. I am so passionate about nontoxic living. I first read The Complete Organic Pregnancy about a year ago when I found I was pregnant with my first. It changed my life and I began switching out all of my products, and before you know it, I started reading up on nontoxic living and greenguard certified products daily.
I am failing to find a greenguard certified ottoman coffee table, or at least a “nontoxic” one. My daughter will be crawling soon, so having a soft ottoman is key. The only one I have found was through pottery barn. Any other suggestions? Also, is there a difference between nontoxic and greenguard certified? I try to go as natural as possible, I was just wondering how the two compare.
THANK YOU!
Debra’s Answer
First I want to answer your question about Greenguard and nontoxic, and then I will address finding your ottoman coffee table.
There is no legal definition of nontoxic. Make a long story short, there is a definition of “toxic” and if the product isn’t toxic then it can be labeled nontoxic. But there is no official list of toxic chemicals, so at the moment, a nontoxic label means nothing.
MY definition of nontoxic is no toxic substances or materials are used to make the product. And I DO have a list of toxic chemicals I’ve complied over the years that I am looking for when I choose products [I’m working on putting that list together for publication.]
To establish that a product is free from toxics, you look at each material. If all the materials are nontoxic, the product is nontoxic.
GREENGUARD does something different. They have a list of chemicals they test for. If the product tests show that the list of chemicals are not found in the air emissions of the product, then it is GREENGUARD certified.
The problem with this is that GREENGUARD is certifying toxic products such as crib mattresses with PVC covers because the emissions from PVC are not on their list of chemicals to test for. For this reason, I personally do not consider GREENGUARD to be a “nontoxic” certification.
Now, about your ottoman coffee table. This is tricky because it is both a piece of wood furniture and a piece of upholstered furniture.
For wood furniture you need to look at the type of wood used and the type of finish. You want solid wood and a nontoxic finish.
For upholstered furniture you need to look for natural fiber fabric, no fabric finish, no fire retardants and no polyurethane foam.
Generally you don’t get all this information in the product description, so you need to call the manufacturer.
I can make those calls for you as a paid consultant but you can also make those calls.
I found the above ottoman coffee table on amazon by searching the internet for “ottoman coffee table linen.” It’s linen and hardwood, but that’s all the information they give. So that’s all I know without making phone calls.
You could also have one custom made to your specifications.
Just a heads up: I searched for “nontoxic ottoman coffee table” and got things like polypropylene fabric that would still have polyurethane foam.
If it were me, I would get an unfinished wood coffee table and have a pillow made to fit on top and have it custom upholstered. Then I could control exactly what it’s made from.
Dutailier Gliders
Question from Teresa
Hi Debra,
I hope you can help me. There iS a second hand nursery glider by dutailier that I’m interested in that’s from 2008. Not sure if they have flame retardant or not.. if it did could it have off gased by now or is it still harmful to use? Do you know where I could get reasonable priced material to re stuff if still toxic?
Thanks a lot!
Debra’s Answer
If you are concerned about flame retardants, please call Dutallier at 450-772-2403. I just tried to call but they were closed.
Ask them if they used flame retardants in 2008. And if so, which specific flame retardant. If I know the name, I can tell you if it’s still toxic.
Urban Roots Handmade
Handmade-to-order basic clothing for women made from pre-shrunk linen and organic cotton thread. Styles are simple and loose, natural linen and colors. French seams. Wow. These are the clothes I want to wear. Not inexpensive but beautiful. Plastic-free shipping. Sizes P-XL. Also kitchen linens and bath linens.
Joyce Farms
This family-owned comapny is dedicated to providing “the finest, most flavorful poultry, beef and game raised on small farms using humane, all natural methods…We raise every single animal with one guiding imperative: that there is nothing added EVER – no pesticides, animal by-products, hormones, growth stimulators or antibiotics. This allows us to produce meats the way they were meant to taste.” These are heritage breeds fed a vegetable diet and water tested for purity. The animals are “raised to the highest all-natural raising standards in the U.S., even higher than what is required in some organic programs.”Their Heritage line of poultry and game birds follow strict raising standards similar to the Label Rouge standards found in Europe.
Olga’s Organics
Beautiful makeup made with USDA certified organic plant-based ingredients that you can actually eat, plus natural minerals. The face powder, for example, is made from arrowroot, cacao powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, bentonite clay, ginger and other organic ingredients. Customer reviews are *****. Affordable prices. I was so pleased with these ingredients that I tried ALL the cosmetics and was very pleased with them. They are easy to apply and look beautiful. The coiors are very soft so my skin and features are enhanced without looking like I am wearing a lot of makeup. The face powder does have a slight bit of lavender essential oil, which I could smell when I opened the package, but after letting the container sit out of the package, by the time I actually applied it, I didn’t smell it at all. Olga says let her know if you’d like it completely unscented and if enough people are interested she’ll make an unscented option.
Sapo Company
A family owned and operated business that offers 100% Natural & Organic Soaps that are made right here in the USA. “Each bar is made with at least 85% organic ingredients and no artificial colors, fragrances, ingredients or preservatives.” Choose from unscented or mostly non-floral scents such as lemongrass, peppermint, shea honey, thyme, and oatmeal spice.
WOCA Woodcare
Quality wood care products from Denmark. “We carry everything you need for all of your wood floor finishing needs, repair, and maintenance. Our website contains all of the information you need for wood floor finishing, furniture restoration, or to maintain your floors to a beautiful shine. All of our Finishing Oils are VOC free, plant based and non-polluting. They are a safe and environmentally friendly solution for wood stains, wood preservatives, and wood protection. WOCA Oil Finish is the leading plant-based, environmentally responsible, sustainable, nonpolluting, durable wood finish, with no artificial color pigments or preservatives.”
Vivapura
Raw organic superfoods from around the world. “Here at Vivapura, there are no secrets about how we operate. As a company, we’ve made a huge effort to make our processes transparent. This is very important, because our competitors do not tell you how they source and make their products.”..Vivapure superfoods are ALWAYS RAW. Unadulterated. Nutrient Dense. Vibrant Life Force ORGANIC or WILD-CRAFTED. In Harmony with Earth. Healing for People * ETHICAL. Vegan. Sustainable. Fairly Traded.”
Simply Scrub
Four unique blends of organic ingredients create body scrubs that exfoliate and nourish your skin. Their chocolate body scrub, for example, is made with cocoa nibs, brown sugar, and healing honey. [Read about their organic ingredients here.
Terralite
Candles made from organic coconut oil and rice bran wax, scented with “organic, wildcrafted, pure essential oils and extracts from plants that were grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers…Our hemp wicks contain absolutely no lead, are not chemically treated, and are braided with pure unbleached cotton.” All candles are white and come in many of the standard sizes. Choose from the scented “aromatherapy” collection or unscented “rice bran” collection.
